{"id":3979,"date":"2024-06-24T10:39:59","date_gmt":"2024-06-24T14:39:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?p=3979"},"modified":"2024-09-27T11:46:01","modified_gmt":"2024-09-27T15:46:01","slug":"back-to-auckland-then-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?p=3979","title":{"rendered":"Back to Auckland, then Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"3979\" class=\"elementor elementor-3979\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-6f6e4363 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6f6e4363\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-72dc0fbb\" data-id=\"72dc0fbb\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1321899a elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1321899a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The following day, we took a four-hour bus ride back to Auckland, with multiple stops along the way. Our first stop was the renowned Huka Falls, the most visited park site in <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"4009\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?attachment_id=4009\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0368.jpg?fit=4284%2C5712&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"4284,5712\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_0368\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0368.jpg?fit=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4009 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0368.jpg?resize=225%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0368.jpg?w=4284&amp;ssl=1 4284w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0368.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0368.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0368.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0368.jpg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0368.jpg?resize=900%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0368.jpg?resize=600%2C800&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0368.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0368.jpg?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0368.jpg?resize=150%2C200&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0368.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0368.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0368.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/>New Zealand. The raging Waikato River constricts at a point in the park, followed by an elevation change that creates the waterfalls. The amount of water flowing through the chute of the falls could fill an Olympic-size swimming pool in 11 seconds! I could not imagine a kayaker traversing the falls, but some crazy experts reportedly have.<\/p>\n<div id=\"v-5bXOkLru-1\" class=\"video-player\"><iframe title='VideoPress Video Player' aria-label='VideoPress Video Player' width='450' height='800' src='https:\/\/videopress.com\/embed\/5bXOkLru?hd=1&amp;cover=1&amp;loop=0&amp;autoPlay=0&amp;permalink=1&amp;muted=0&amp;controls=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;useAverageColor=0&amp;preloadContent=metadata' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen data-resize-to-parent=\"true\" allow='clipboard-write; presentation'><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"4010\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?attachment_id=4010\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0373.jpg?fit=4284%2C5712&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"4284,5712\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_0373\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0373.jpg?fit=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4010 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0373.jpg?resize=225%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0373.jpg?w=4284&amp;ssl=1 4284w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0373.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0373.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0373.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0373.jpg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0373.jpg?resize=900%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0373.jpg?resize=600%2C800&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0373.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0373.jpg?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0373.jpg?resize=150%2C200&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0373.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0373.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0373.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/>We then had lunch at a farmhouse where, to earn our meal, we made butter and ate the freshest vegetables New Zealand has to offer. Finally, the bus ride brought us to the Grand Hotel by Sky City in downtown Auckland. If you see the tall tower in Auckland, our hotel was right across the street from it.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"4014\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?attachment_id=4014\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0440.jpg?fit=3024%2C4032&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"3024,4032\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_0440\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0440.jpg?fit=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4014 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0440.jpg?resize=225%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0440.jpg?w=3024&amp;ssl=1 3024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0440.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0440.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0440.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0440.jpg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0440.jpg?resize=900%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0440.jpg?resize=600%2C800&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0440.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0440.jpg?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0440.jpg?resize=150%2C200&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0440.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0440.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0440.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The next two days in Auckland were simply wonderful. Our tour took us the next morning to the port to board a ferry to Waiheke Island, where we enjoyed shopping, lunch, wine tasting, and olive oil tasting. We loved the entire island and everything it offered. <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"4012\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?attachment_id=4012\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0396.jpg?fit=4032%2C3024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"4032,3024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_0396\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0396.jpg?fit=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4012 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0396.jpg?resize=300%2C225&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0396.jpg?w=4032&amp;ssl=1 4032w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0396.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0396.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0396.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0396.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0396.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0396.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0396.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0396.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0396.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0396.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0396.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0396.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"4013\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?attachment_id=4013\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0397.jpg?fit=3024%2C4032&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"3024,4032\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_0397\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0397.jpg?fit=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4013 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0397.jpg?resize=225%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0397.jpg?w=3024&amp;ssl=1 3024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0397.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0397.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0397.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0397.jpg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0397.jpg?resize=900%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0397.jpg?resize=600%2C800&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0397.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0397.jpg?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0397.jpg?resize=150%2C200&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0397.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0397.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0397.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/>Returning to Auckland, we continued exploring the port and shopping district, had dinner at White + Wong\u2019s, and enjoyed walking through the district. We even checked out the casino at Sky City and promptly lost our $20 fun money on the slots.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, on the last day of our trip, we rose early in Auckland, packed, and checked out of the hotel. Since our flight was in the late afternoon, we stored our bags and had until 3:30 p.m. to do any last-minute activities in Auckland. We walked<\/p>\n<p>back to the port area and visited the New Zealand Maritime Museum. The museum is very informative and has the massive America\u2019s Cup yacht NZ 1 mounted above your head,\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"4015\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?attachment_id=4015\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0447.jpg?fit=3024%2C4032&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"3024,4032\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_0447\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0447.jpg?fit=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4015 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0447.jpg?resize=225%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0447.jpg?w=3024&amp;ssl=1 3024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0447.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0447.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0447.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0447.jpg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0447.jpg?resize=900%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0447.jpg?resize=600%2C800&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0447.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0447.jpg?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0447.jpg?resize=150%2C200&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0447.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0447.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0447.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"4016\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?attachment_id=4016\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0448.jpg?fit=4284%2C5712&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"4284,5712\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_0448\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0448.jpg?fit=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4016 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0448.jpg?resize=225%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0448.jpg?w=4284&amp;ssl=1 4284w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0448.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0448.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0448.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0448.jpg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0448.jpg?resize=900%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0448.jpg?resize=600%2C800&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0448.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0448.jpg?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0448.jpg?resize=150%2C200&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0448.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0448.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0448.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>which in 1988 lost badly to America\u2019s first catamaranthat strategically beat the regulations. Inside the museum are exhibitions, displays of historical vessels, and an exhibition dedicated to Sir Peter Blake, who won the America\u2019s Cup in 1995 on Black Magic, also on display in the museum. At the top level above the yacht, there is a replica of the cup encased in glass. It was the perfect exhibition to round out our Viking Cruise.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"4017\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?attachment_id=4017\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0452.jpg?fit=2316%2C3088&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2316,3088\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_0452\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0452.jpg?fit=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4017 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0452.jpg?resize=225%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0452.jpg?w=2316&amp;ssl=1 2316w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0452.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0452.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0452.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0452.jpg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0452.jpg?resize=900%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0452.jpg?resize=600%2C800&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0452.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0452.jpg?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0452.jpg?resize=150%2C200&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0452.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0452.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/>After lunch, we headed back to the hotel. Since we had a little extra time, we visited The New Zealand All Blacks Experience next to the hotel. It has an interactive exhibition, simulations, and a museum dedicated to New Zealand&#8217;s national rugby team. Although we didn\u2019t have enough time for the entire experience, the attraction was well worth the visit for avid fans and newcomers like us. <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"4018\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?attachment_id=4018\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0456.jpg?fit=4284%2C5712&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"4284,5712\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_0456\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Rugby fan&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0456.jpg?fit=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4018 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0456.jpg?resize=225%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0456.jpg?w=4284&amp;ssl=1 4284w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0456.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0456.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0456.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0456.jpg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0456.jpg?resize=900%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0456.jpg?resize=600%2C800&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0456.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0456.jpg?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0456.jpg?resize=150%2C200&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0456.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0456.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0456.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/>The best part is the Haka dance, symbolic of the Maori tribal war, which the team performs before each match, staring down their opponents as if they are about to go to war.<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7784.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5435\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?attachment_id=5435\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7784.webp?fit=1440%2C1920&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1440,1920\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_7784\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7784.webp?fit=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5435 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_7784.jpg?resize=225%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>We retrieved our bags and headed to the airport. Our flight to Houston, Texas, was right on time, and 14 hours later, we landed in Houston where it was 3:30 p.m. the same day! We had the longest January 20th you could imagine, flying over the date line and landing earlier in the day than we took off! Air New Zealand\u2019s business class was unique with \u00a0 \u00a0angled seats. As chance had it, Sedona, our son\u2019s girlfriend, was flying back from a work assignment in Houston, Texas, on the same flight as our connection, and we were able to spend quality time together. We landed back where we took off in Ft. Lauderdale at 10 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>This journey from Auckland to Tongariro National Park was an incredible experience, filled with unique adventures and beautiful landscapes that showcased the best of New Zealand.<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_0469.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5434\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?attachment_id=5434\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_0469.jpg?fit=2316%2C3088&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2316,3088\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_0469\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_0469.jpg?fit=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5434 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_0469.jpg?resize=225%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_0469.jpg?w=2316&amp;ssl=1 2316w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_0469.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_0469.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_0469.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_0469.jpg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_0469.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"4011\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?attachment_id=4011\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0384.jpg?fit=4284%2C5712&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"4284,5712\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_0384\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0384.jpg?fit=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4011 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0384.jpg?resize=225%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0384.jpg?w=4284&amp;ssl=1 4284w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0384.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0384.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0384.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0384.jpg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0384.jpg?resize=900%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0384.jpg?resize=600%2C800&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0384.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0384.jpg?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0384.jpg?resize=150%2C200&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0384.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0384.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0384.jpg?w=2400&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is our trip from Lake Taupo back to Aukland and then flight home<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":230351823,"featured_media":4014,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[50518551,200],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australia-new-zealand","category-travel"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peuwlC-12b","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3960,"url":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?p=3960","url_meta":{"origin":3979,"position":0},"title":"Auckland to Tongariro National Park: A Journey Through New Zealand","author":"Jim and Gina Sumislaski","date":"June 23, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Disembarking the Viking Orion, going inland New Zealand","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Australia-New Zealand&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Australia-New Zealand","link":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?cat=50518551"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0384.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0384.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0384.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_0384.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 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We returned to Auckland 1 year later and looked forward to seeing Weiheke Island which we visited on our Australian\/New Zealand cruise last year.We promptly were in group 1 disembarking the ship and headed onto the reserved 45 minute ferry ride to Weiheke\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Travel&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Travel","link":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?cat=200"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/boats-auckland.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/boats-auckland.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/boats-auckland.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/boats-auckland.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/boats-auckland.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2949,"url":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?p=2949","url_meta":{"origin":3979,"position":2},"title":"January 2024 &#8211; Australia and New Zealand","author":"Jim and Gina Sumislaski","date":"October 10, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"When we talked about places to travel when we retire, the very first destination on both our minds was Australia and New Zealand.\u00a0 So when the opportunity arose on deciding where to go, it was a simple click and pay for what we feel is our priority bucket list destination.\u00a0\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Australia-New Zealand&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Australia-New Zealand","link":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?cat=50518551"},"img":{"alt_text":"sydney, new year's eve, fireworks-2148908.jpg","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/s-eve-fireworks-2148908.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/s-eve-fireworks-2148908.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/s-eve-fireworks-2148908.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/s-eve-fireworks-2148908.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/s-eve-fireworks-2148908.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1340,"url":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?p=1340","url_meta":{"origin":3979,"position":3},"title":"Napier and Rotorua (Tauranga), NZ","author":"Jim and Gina Sumislaski","date":"May 30, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Our next two stops were up the eastern shore of New Zealand to two very quaint small cities that offer something for everyone to simply enjoy. Napier is within the Hawke's Bay region which is known for Art Deco (think Miami Beach) and Wines. Rotorua\/Tauranga on the other hand is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Australia-New Zealand&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Australia-New Zealand","link":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?cat=50518551"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/img_0074.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/img_0074.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/img_0074.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/img_0074.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6160,"url":"https:\/\/chasing-sunsets.blog\/?p=6160","url_meta":{"origin":3979,"position":4},"title":"World Cruise &#8211; Day 40 Bay of Islands, New Zealand!!!  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