The Tranz-Scenic train to Auckland leaves at 7:25am so it was another early morning. It’s a long journey, scheduled to take about 12 hours, in our case it was an hour longer due to speed restrictions on the line. We passed through some great scenery, particularly in Tongariro National Park where we stopped for lunch.

Our friend, Neil, kindly met us at the station and took us for a much needed drink in St Heliers. It was great to catch up with him and his news and we’re hoping we’ll see him again before we leave NZ. He dropped us off at Aspen House, a hostel just around the corner from the address of the Wicked Campers depot in Auckland, where we spend the night.