Dreamy, surreal, unspoilt scenery. After visiting New Zealand, a whole new level of appreciation for a foreign land had been set.

Dream-like ocean views, lush green valleys, snow capped surrounding mountains, our short trip to New Zealand offered us a glimpse of good things that the country offers. The country enjoys peace, progress, opportunities and abundance. No wonder a lot of our Filipino friends opted to relocate there. Nasabi ko din actually sa sarili ko, ” I want to live here”.

Arriving in Auckland, me and Richmon opted to see in the capital city muna, before we headed to the south island where his family lives.  In Auckland, we were hosted by Richmon’s relatives, Ate Mary Ann and Kuya Mario Molera, who’s been living in NZ already since the 1990’s.

Having only two nights to spend definitely wasn’t enough to see all the nearby spots. With out limited time, we opted to see the natural sceneries of the west coast, instead of driving to the popular Rotorua and Hobbiton down south. Together with our lovely hosts, we did a road trip west of Henderson to the surreal ocean views facing the Australian-Tasman Sea.

Here are some snapshots of our DIY west coast day tour plus a glimpse of Auckland downtown. All thanks to Kuya Mario and Ate Mary Ann! =)

The Highlight of this day tour was definitely seeing flocks of migratory Gannet birds nesting on their natural habitat by the cliffs of Muriwai. Surreal experience to! I did not expect seeing this at all. Kuya Mario did not mention. It was a surprise!

Here are some random shots and binge eating moments around Auckland City.

And this concludes our two nights stay in Auckland. Christchurch and Queenstown are up next. Stay tuned.

We flew to Auckland, NZ with AirasiaX Via Kuala Lumpur; smooth nine hours travel time, with a quick – 90 minutes lay over in Gold Coast, Australia. Airport Transit Visa to Australia shall only apply if your lay over exceeds 4 hours.  So for this trip, no need!

How we secured our NZ Tourist Visa?  Check my detailed blog on the link below . below https://iamjosemanuel.com/2018/04/22/new-zealand-tourist-visa-for-filipinos-2018-online-application-guide-with-photos/