Our last South Island morning was slow and practical the kind filled with those final bits and bobs you somehow keep finding even after everything’s packed twice. We squeezed the last zips shut, cleaned out snack wrappers, and said goodbye to the Oak Motel before heading out to fill a few spare hours.
A play area caught our eye, but barely 200 yards further we spotted something even better a play café. Perfect. We set up camp with colouring books, coffee, and enough time for the girls to burn through a box of crayons while we caught our breath after three weeks on the road.
When it was finally time to go, we ordered an Uber to the airport. Just as we were pulling away, I realised we’d left the pushchair straps in the car. A quick call to the depot and our driver swung a heroic detour to grab them the kind of small chaos that’s become normal for us by now.
The flight was delayed, of course, and somewhere in the waiting Dotty managed to wet through her trousers, so Georgia gallantly offered her spares. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was real family travel messy, funny, and completely ours.
The flight itself was smooth enough, and before long we touched down in Auckland our first steps on the North Island. Our taxi driver was cheerful and chatty, which made what came next even funnier, the quietest BnB we’ve ever stayed in.
From the moment we walked in it felt like a monastery shoes off, whispers only, even the kettle sounded too loud. The host was kind, but the silence made you scared to breathe. Still, it had one saving grace: a bath. After the last few hectic travel days, that was all we needed
And just like that, the South Island chapter officially closed.
Tomorrow we wake to new views, new roads, and the start of our North Island adventure hopefully somewhere we can laugh out loud again without waking the neighbours.
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