Road Trip Outback: 27.Oct.2016 Back into Auckland

This morning we said farewell to Phil and Wendy at the Decks of Paihia. From there it was an easy drive into Auckland (with only three rounds of the Frozen soundtrack).

One quirk in New Zealand is that there are only three toll roads in the whole country with tolls of about $2 each. The way to pay it is to go online - I just can't imagine that they collect enough to make it worthwhile. I also feel for those who are uncomfortable with technology trying to fugure our how to pay their fees.

So we fueled up one last time before returning the car to Hertz tomorrow. Victoria is loving the Kinder Surprise Eggs that we find at the gas stations. The prizes right now are mostly Frozen and Finding Dori related. Too bad the US government bans these fun little things back home.

So Devonport is a charming, cute little town analogous to Tiburon or Sausalito in San Francisco. We are staying in a historic hotel right across from the ferry. After dropping off our luggage, we hit the playground across the street then jumped on the ferry to Auckland. The earlier Auckland bay tour included a round trip ticket on the Devonport Ferry, so I was hoping to use it today or tomorrow.

As soon as we landed at the Auckland Ferry Terminal, Victoria asked if we were getting on a bus today. We weren't planning to, since we already did bus tour of Auckland. But it wasn't a bad idea and I figured I'd be carrying her in a few blocks anyway. So we crossed the street from the Ferry Terminal and saw a duck tour bus - water/land. Having enjoyed a Duck tour in Seattle, the Auckland Adventure Duck tour seemed worth a shot. Yet again, Victoria was free- although it was a close win (3 & under - whew, made it by a month!). It was good. As a quick aside, I had said on day one that their road signs look like ours. Problem is, I tend to be driving when I see them. This time I was on the duck and caught a photo of a freeway sign. Tell me that last photo couldn't be one of ours.

Not Foreign, aside from being on the wrong side of the road

When we finished the land/water tour, we just took the ferry back, hit the same playground again, and got dinner at an English Pub up Victoria Road from our hotel (and the playground). The mixed grille was good - and rather carnivorous as you can see. We heard a group of guys with American accents behind us discussing airplanes and routes. As they were leaving, I asked who they fly for. They fly for American Airlines, so we won't see them tomorrow.

Salad

After strolling further up Victoria Road, we found "the Vic" - The Victoria Theater is more than 100 years old with a little bistro for the side featuring tapas and ice cream (sounds like our speed, if we hadn't just eaten). We got back to the hotel and noticed that they are ready for Halloween and so are we. I'll bet Victoria is ready for her friends and above all, mommy. And that's the agenda for tomorrow. Seriously. After a full Friday morning, we'll fly home at 2:30pm, land the same Friday in San Francisco, just before 7am, and Victoria will get the chance to jump right back into things. Should be fun.