Wed 4th March: National Park-Auckland

I didn't sleep well last night. I kept getting disturbed. I was in an 8-bed dorm and all the rest were doing the crossing today so they were all up early. Two lads in particular made so much you'd swear they were mounting an expdedition to Everest, not doing a feckin little one day hike!! They'd woken everyone up last thing last night as well. My toleration of noisy people is beginning to wear thin.

Seeing as I was awake I got up to watch the sunrise. The air was clear again this morning. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, such a contrast to how the place looked when I first arrived nearly 2 weeks earlier. I had breakfast and, when everybody went off to do the hike went back to bed until 10am when I had to vacate the room. I got back to Aucklnad today but the bus isn't until 3pm. The weather was glorious so I went out for a coule of hours towards the volcanoes to take in the views for one last time. Such a difference the weather can make to your experience of a place. Half the time in New Zealand I've been grumbling in the rain about how much the place has been overrated but sitting here looking over towards the volcanic cone Mt Doom standing out against clear blue skies there's nowhere else I'd like to be.

The bus arrived on time and it wound its way northwards through TeKuti, Hamilton etc to a cloudy, overcast Auckland. Arriving in the city at night the city centre presented a fine sight with its tower blocks all lit up. It was only a short walk from the bus staion to one of the city centre hostels.