After nearly 6 wild, wonderful, absolutely bonkers-beautiful weeks zig-zagging across New Zealand, Day 37 landed a bit different. No big drives. No rapids to rescue strangers from. No glowworms or hobbit holes or volcanic beaches. Just a soft cruise north toward Auckland and a peaceful wander through one last patch of Kiwi green.
We packed the car like a well rehearsed pit crew at this point, pointed the wagon toward Auckland, and made one final detour… because of course we did. You can’t just drive past a huge botanical garden and not nip in for a look. It’s basically illegal.
Exploring the Auckland Botanic Gardens
The place was pure calm.
Wide lawns, big old trees, ponds smooth as mirrors, and enough paths to lose the kids three times over without realising.
Georgia and Dotty found a little weather-beaten wooden hut straight out of a Kiwi fairytale. Within thirty seconds they’d turned it into:
a shop a secret base and then a courtroom where Dotty and Georgia were sentenced to “no shouting for five minutes”
The lake looked incredible under the clear sky, everything reflecting like someone polished the whole world. For a moment the chaos of the last month melted away. Just the four of us, sitting by the water, letting New Zealand take a final bow.
Day 37: A Quiet Drift Toward Goodbye – Auckland Botanic Gardens & Our Last Day in New Zealand
After five wild, wonderful, absolutely bonkers-beautiful weeks zig-zagging across New Zealand, Day 37 landed a bit different. No big drives. No rapids to rescue strangers from. No glowworms or hobbit holes or volcanic beaches. Just a soft cruise north toward Auckland and a peaceful wander through one last patch of Kiwi green.
We packed the car like a well-rehearsed pit crew at this point, pointed the wagon toward Auckland, and made one final detour… because of course we did. You can’t just drive past a huge botanical garden and not nip in for a look. It’s basically illegal.
Exploring the Auckland Botanic Gardens
The place was pure calm.
Wide lawns, big old trees, ponds smooth as mirrors, and enough paths to lose the kids three times over without realising.
Georgia and Dotty found a little weather-beaten wooden hut straight out of a Kiwi fairytale. Within thirty seconds they’d turned it into:
a shop a secret base and then a courtroom where Dotty was sentenced to “no shouting for five minutes”
(Shockingly, she appealed. Case dismissed.)
The lake looked incredible under the clear sky, everything reflecting like someone polished the whole world. For a moment the chaos of the last month melted away. Just the four of us, sitting by the water, letting New Zealand take a final bow.
Last-Day Feelings
It hit us hard then.
This was our final full day in NZ.
Tomorrow… Australia.
Forty days of mountains, caves, glowworms, boiling geysers, dolphins, rapids, waterfalls, Hobbiton, fried noodles, windy beaches, sand-in-everything drives, and some of the friendliest people on the planet… all wrapping up quietly beside a still pond.
Georgia counted ducks.
Dotty chased butterflies.
Ali soaked in the sunshine.
And you – probably for the first time all trip – actually sat still for longer than three minutes.
What New Zealand Meant
This place gave your family:
confidence adventure a stack of stories Georgia will be telling her kids landscapes that smash every photo into shame and a proper reminder that travel isn’t about ticking places off It’s about moments like this – the little ones – the peaceful drift before the next chapter kicks off.
And mate… the next chapter is a big one.
Next Stop: Australia
Sun. Beaches. BBQs.
Ali’s home turf.
And a brand new stage of the Knight family adventure.
New Zealand, you absolute beauty.
We’ll be back.
Last day Feelings
It hit us hard.
This was our final full day in NZ.
Tomorrow… Australia.
Forty days of mountains, caves, glowworms, boiling geysers, dolphins, rapids, waterfalls, Hobbiton, windy beaches, sand-in-everything drives, and some of the friendliest people on the planet… all wrapping up quietly beside a still pond.
What New Zealand Meant
confidence adventure a stack of stories that Georgia will be telling her kids, landscapes that smash every photo into shame and a proper reminder that travel isn’t about ticking places off, It’s about moments like this the little ones, the peaceful drift before the next chapter kicks off.
And… the next chapter is a big one.
Next Stop: Australia
Sun. Beaches. BBQs.
New Zealand, you absolute beauty.
We’ll be back.
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