New Zealand Plog 1 | Summer in Auckland

Unlike New Zealand's South Island, Auckland on the North Island is primarily known for its coastal city scenery, making it a suitable stopover when you first arrive in New Zealand. Auckland isn't large; we stayed here for two nights and pretty much explored the entire city, also trying some delicious restaurants (we never found such tasty 'Western food' again on the South Island later). Here's a list of recommendations 💯: 🍽️Depot Eatery Must-try: snapper slider. The bun is soft, the snapper isn't fishy, it's incredibly tender and juicy, paired with a refreshing lemon sauce – absolutely amazing! The oysters are also very fresh, 8🔪 each; though small, they are very sweet. 💡It's recommended to book in advance for this place; we waited about 50 minutes for a walk-in on the weekend. 🍽️ALMA Spanish cuisine near Queen Street; Aucklanders have their own beautiful meals. The ambiance is great (p4), and the taste is also good. The avocado ceviche appetizer has a surprising sweet and sour flavor, and the signature pork is very juicy – highly recommended. I personally wasn't a big fan of the ox tongue with olives. 💡The main reason I'm mentioning this is to recommend the lawn diagonally opposite this restaurant. It has beanbag chairs for citizens to relax on. If you're tired from walking, you can lie there, sunbathe, and enjoy the breeze – super relaxing. 🏙️Devonport View: To get there, depart from the Downtown Ferry Terminal near Queen Street; a 15-minute ferry ride takes you directly. Climb Mount Victoria for panoramic views of Auckland's cityscape from across the harbor. You can also explore the various small shops at the foot of the mountain. The visit takes about 3-4 hours. 💡Definitely don't buy a paper ticket. Just tap your credit card directly at the turnstile; a single trip is 7.4🔪 (remember to tap again when exiting). If you buy a paper ticket, a single trip is 11.5🔪 – I don't understand why. 🛍️If you have shopping needs, I highly recommend buying in Auckland. My trip coincided with Black Friday, and Lululemon in Queenstown was out of stock on many items. A quick check on the official website showed that Auckland had all the styles – I would have missed out big time!