T-1 Day, Hopefully

So here I am, in New Zealand finally :)

In a bus heading north out of Auckland in driving rain...

But from the beginning:
30 hours in a narrow, noisy can full of people. Not much fun. But I survived :)
Immigration is a breeze. Customs, as expected, not so much. Travelling with not brand new camping gear means an extra bio security check. Nothing to worry about, but it just takes time. 
After passing the check I board a bus to Auckland. From the center it's another 45 minutes hike to Ponsonby, where I meet Raji, my super friendly Couchsurfing host. A delicious dinner at Rajis flat marks the end of the day. The 50 or so sleepless hours have taken their toll.  
A few hours of well needed sleep later, I head into the city, strolling around, organizing some things here and there but basically just taking it easy. 
My second night in Auckland is a short one. The rain hammering against the window is waking me up quite early. Not a big deal as my bus north is leaving quite early anyway.

The bus I am currently on will take me to Paihia, a town, where the Te Araroa Trail passes through. So this should allow me to leave stuff that I won't immediately need (like spare shoes etc.) at the hostel and pick it up on the way south, and I hope to hitch an easy ride from Paihia to Kaitaia and Cape Reinga tomorrow. But with hitchhiking being so unpredictable and awfully long waits quite common, I am well aware that it might take two days.

So wish me luck ;)