[NZ; 2026] Part 1 - Auckland | Kia Ora & Dinner

Kia Ora Auckland!

I shouldn't say this, but I was quite dreading going to New Zealand because of the long distance. But anyway – it's work, so that's how it turned out to be.

I arrived pretty late at night. The airport was quite messy with the construction, and I could hardly recognise the place. I followed the directions to the wrong rideshare pick-up point, and Uber refused to pick me up at the place I had pinned. The driver said he had accidentally clicked that he had picked me up, so I couldn't cancel the ride and had to run to the correct rideshare pick-up point. It was a midnight disaster.

I ended up at the hotel safely. I wasn't sure if Uber would compensate the driver for waiting for me at the pick-up point, so I gave him a $10 cash tip. Then I realised – Uber had readjusted the fare twice and paid him a lot more – higher than what he was supposed to get. Lucky him.

Checking in

I'm probably the last person to check in for the day, the key was ready at the counter, so check-in was a breeze.

Holiday Inn Express Auckland City Centre by IHG

https://maps.app.goo.gl/KFPgh1o9TMeoHtVb8

The room was perfect for one pax; two is doable with a little squeeze. I was honestly impressed by the water pressure. Usually, rooms above the mid-levels carry some risk of having poor shower pressure.

I loved the option of soft and firm pillows.

And I have a good view of the sky tower every night:

Having previous experience travelling in Auckland definitely helped when choosing the hotel's location. The Holiday Inn area was perfect, within walking distance of everywhere I needed to be in Auckland.

If you're on a road trip, they do have washers and dryers for a reasonable price:

The small gym was empty most of the time, I had a few cycles during my stay:

Next Day's Dinner

Dinner was arranged near the wharf - it was really nice to see the blue skies!

An asian restuarant at a corner:

White + Wong’s - Auckland Viaduct, CBD

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Xb5RjwZ4QW31fd5g6

We were served the Feed Me menu. I was hungry at the start, but ended up superbly full.

And they even served desserts!

It was a great experience! The food was good, especially considering we were outside Asia, and the portions were perfect. The staff were friendly and attentive; they even had a 'no beef' sign for me. I have no hesitation in recommending this place if you need a bite near the wharf!