21st Birthday in Auckland, New Zealand!

May 25, 2017
3 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Whenever I thought about Auckland, New Zealand, I couldn't help but think of the final scene from The Wolf of Wall Street. It's the famous "sell me this pen" scene where the real Jordan Belfort makes a cameo and introduces Leonardo DiCaprio by saying, "I want you to give a warm Auckland, New Zealand welcome for my good friend and the world's greatest sales trainer, Mr. Jordan Belfort."

For some reason, that scene was always the image I had of Auckland. Other than that, I knew very little about New Zealand's largest city.

If you know me well, you know that after Australia, New Zealand was the next destination on my bucket list. I've dreamed of visiting New Zealand for as long as I can remember. Being able to spend my 21st birthday there was something I never imagined would actually happen, and I couldn't help but feel incredibly lucky to have such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

My 21st birthday started early with a 2:30 a.m. airport shuttle for my 6:30 a.m. flight out of Brisbane Airport to Auckland Airport. The flight from Brisbane to Auckland takes about three hours, and because New Zealand is two hours ahead of Queensland, I was now 16 hours ahead of my hometown in New York.

Unfortunately, my journey didn't go exactly as planned. Due to a thick layer of fog surrounding Auckland Airport, our plane was unable to land. Instead, we were diverted to Wellington, where we remained for several hours while waiting for conditions in Auckland to improve. I was originally supposed to arrive around 11:00 a.m., but I didn't end up reaching Auckland until about 1:00 p.m.

After picking up my luggage, I boarded the SkyBus and headed into the city. I stayed at the YHA Auckland, which ended up being my favorite hostel of all the places I stayed while traveling abroad. The hostel was clean, comfortable, and in a great location for exploring the city.

Once I got settled into my room, I spent the afternoon and evening exploring Auckland.

One of the first things I did was head down to the waterfront, where I watched the sunset along the quay with the Auckland skyline as a backdrop. I also got to see several of the city's most famous landmarks, including the Sky Tower, Viaduct Harbour, and The Lighthouse, a well-known sculpture created by artist Michael Parekōwhai.

To finish off my birthday, I treated myself to dinner at Daikoku, a Japanese teppanyaki restaurant. The hibachi-style meal was delicious and the perfect way to celebrate turning 21.

The next morning would mark the beginning of my adventure through New Zealand's North Island with the Kiwi Experience, but even before the tour began, my birthday had already been one to remember.

Overall, my 21st birthday was a huge success. I feel incredibly fortunate to have celebrated it in two different countries and to have had the opportunity to travel internationally while studying abroad. Even though I spent a large portion of the day on planes and in airports, it was still one of the most memorable birthdays I've ever had.

What makes the day even more special is that it was my first time traveling completely on my own. Looking back, deciding to travel solo was one of the best decisions I've ever made. It pushed me outside my comfort zone, gave me confidence, and reminded me that some of life's best experiences happen when you're willing to take a chance.

I know I'll never forget this day, not only because it was my 21st birthday, but because it marked the beginning of an incredible new adventure in a country I had dreamed of visiting for years.