We didnt have much time in Sydney, just enough to get from one plane to another really. Luckily we were one of the first off the plane, being premium economy, so we could get a quick bathroom break in before the crowds hit. Then we made our way to the transfer area, and lined up for security (which was the most serious Ive seen within Australia, almost like being in the US). Then a quick dash to the gate (we didnt have to actually run, but walked with purpose) and onto the plane. The people who boarded directly before us were pulled aside and I suspect that they may have got a free upgrade. No such luck for us, although we did get a spare seat next to us. It wasnt quite until then that I realised how good premium economy had actually been lol! We struggled with our headsets, which werent comfortable and didnt work that well. I ended up falling asleep halfway through the second episode of An Idiot Abroad, feeling much better during this flight. The flight went very quickly, and before we knew it, we could see land, and then we were touching down in Auckland!
I was very disorganised for this part of the trip too, and hadnt figured out the best way of getting to the city. We briefly thought about getting a taxi, until we saw a sign that said the estimated fare would be $70+. We thought about getting the bus, but not being familiar with the city, and me especially in a sleep-deprived and generally feeling pretty weary state, wouldnt know where it went and how to get to our hotel etc. We ended up deciding on a minibus transfer, which was an in-between cost, and would eliminate the need for me to do any more thinking lol! We ended up having the bus to ourselves which was nice. The driver did seem to take the long way though!
Soon enough we were in the city and arriving at our hotel. We ended up choosing the Best Western President for our night, thinking it looked like it was in a pretty good location in the middle of the city, and close enough to the waterfront, with average looking rooms, and not too expensive. We were pretty much on the money thats exactly what it was like.
Once wed checked in, DH went down to the 7-Eleven style shop at the entrance to the hotel and got a couple of snacks and some Red Bull (because I badly needed wings!). We decided that we would take a leisurely walk down to the waterfront and check it out. It was only about a 10 minute walk, if that.
We didnt really get it at first. We arrived kind of at the ferry terminal, and there didnt seem to be much else to it. We walked out onto a pier type thing at the back of the ferry terminal and took in the views from there.
Then walked back along the other side where there was some historical information.
It was starting to rain, and I dont think we were really in the right frame of mind to really enjoy the evening. We kept wandering along, trying to keep undercover, and eventually found a much more lively looking area with lots of restaurants and bars. We chose one and went in for a drink, and ended up ordering some snacks for dinner as well. I wasnt much in the mood for photo taking, and dont even remember the name of the joint we ended up at! We had another round of drinks, and realised that neither of us were really enjoying ourselves, so thought wed head back.
Because it was raining, we took the cheap 50c bus that basically just goes up and down Queen Street, so we made our way back to the ferry terminal area where I picked up a timetable and map.
There was a stop just across the road. DH had mentioned that it might be nice to do a loop on the bus at the top of the street, and get off on the way back down, so we did that. It wasnt much use though in the dark and with the rain (which was just pouring down by this stage), and DH actually fell asleep!
When we got back to the hotel, DH purchased 24 hours worth of wifi, and I stopped at the little shop again for some more drinks and snacks (ended up with ice-creams of all things lol!). We spent the rest of the night relaxing in the hotel room, and actually ended up staying up quite late all things considered! I slept really well, despite the fact that the bed felt like it had broken springs and was lumpy, and there was some weird noise that could have been fireworks.
In the morning, we got up at our leisure, checked out, and found a nice little café in one of the malls close to the hotel for breakfast. After a great breakfast (I had a bagel with cream cheese, avocado and bacon yummy!), we picked up our bags and lined up for the airport bus. We had realised that there was a stop very convenient to our hotel, and it worked out quicker and easier (not to mention cheaper) than getting a shuttle. Im still glad that we got the shuttle from the airport though, given our cognitive states
Soon enough we were back in the sky, me starting where I left off with An Idiot Abroad (using my own noise cancelling headset this time!), and then coming in to land in Melbourne.
We had a great weekend, got a taste of Singapore, and a very tiny taste of Auckland, and now looking forward to the next trip!
), then up to KL on the train, onto Siem Reap for a few days exploring temples, then about a week in Vietnam, including a trip to an off the beaten track national park and a stay in an overwater bungalow on a lagoon 
Happy to oblige! Unfortunately with only 2 weeks, we didn't have time for Laos AND Cambodia. Cambodia won out on this occasion, but we'll definitely be heading back to Laos some time, and probably to see some more of Cambodia too. I'd love to hear your DD's suggestions! We've only got 3 nights in Siem Reap, so we were just going to do the hotel's '2 day' tour. Definitely open to suggestions though!
Not to mention major train stations 
