A seamless day, all connections worked out well. So no dramas and no stress. Everything was like the pre-COVID days. It felt great to be back travelling after 4 years.

We left home at 9.45am and were in our hotel in Auckland by 2.45pm using:

• Metlink bus Paraparaumu Beach to Paraparaumu Railway Station
• Metlink train Paraparaumu to Wellington
• Metlink Airport Express bus Wellington Railway Station to airport
• Air New Zealand Wellington to Auckland
• Airport Garden Inn shuttle Auckland Airport to motel in Mangere

The only hiccup so far has been in getting from London down to Paignton on the south coast of England. Two or three months ago we had reserved and prepaid a seat on the Great Western Railway train. Two days ago we received an email from GWR to advise us there is to be a general railway strike on Friday 1st September, the day we were to travel. We were offered a full refund or a transfer to another date. It was a bit tricky to change the date as we had hotel bookings in London and down south in Brixham. Also our walking tour started on Saturday 2nd September.

We opted to keep the travel date but use the National Express bus. The bus is actually cheaper by $30 but instead of taking 3hr 20min like the train, it takes 6hr 40min. Also the train left London at 9.30am but the bus doesn’t leave until noon so we will be in Paignton much later and still have to get a local bus to Brixham and walk to our B & B.

Not too much of an inconvenience. We just can’t wait to get to Brixham and start walking.