[CANTERBURY] Budget and Itinerary

THURSDAY: 23 February 2023

Air New Zealand (Queenstown - Christchurch) - 226.80

JUCY Snooze (2 Nights) - 103.95

Countdown (Groceries) - 8.46

Subway (6" Italian BMT w/ Coke & Cookie) - 12.80

NZD352.01

[OTAGO] Budget and Itinerary

MONDAY: 20 February 2023

Air New Zealand (Wellington - Queenstown) - 220.80

Cedric's Tahuna Pods (3 Nights) - 179.70

1 (Airport - Stanley Street Bus Hub) - 5.00

Skyline (Gondola Return + Luge x2) - 71.00

KFC (Quarter Pack) - 13.99

4 Square (Groceries) - 5.28

NZD495.77

[WELLINGTON] Budget and Itinerary

SATURDAY: 18 February 2023

Air New Zealand (Melbourne - Wellington) - 417.00

Cambridge Hotel (2 Nights) - 77.95

Shuttle (Airport -Te Aro) - 18.00

NZD512.95

[WELLINGTON] Welly Welly Why So Windy

Wellington is the capital of New Zealand, replacing Auckland in 1865 after barely two decades of playing that role. Having visited both cities now, I enjoyed Auckland more. It is bigger and more chaotic, which is exactly what I crave. Wellington is sleepy and windy AF, more or less comparable to other capital cities custom built for such a purpose. Since this has been a mere pitstop to cross out another Nomadmania region on my list, I only allocated one day, and I believe that’s enough considering this windy weather.

[AUCKLAND] Budget and Itinerary

FRIDAY: 6 May 2017

Air Asia X (Kuala Lumpur - Gold Coast - Auckland) - 305.00

NZD305.00

[AUCKLAND] The Devonport Detour

Patrick opened the door. I woke up startled and wondered what the fuck my Airbnb landlord was doing in my room. Coming to my senses after five seconds or so, that question was quickly converted to what the fuck was I doing in that room. I grabbed my phone involuntarily and checked the time. It was 10:10 AM. I should be on an Intercity bus that left Sky City two hours ago. And then I immediately had to pass on the blame because that’s what I do. “What time do you leave?” asked Patrick.

[AUCKLAND] CBD + One Tree Hill

Waking up at 3 PM, this is probably my most appropriate anecdote for the woke-up-like-this crowd. After rushing to brush my teeth, wash my face, and fix my hair, I then went out wearing the same clothes I slept in. It was a waffle shirt/jogging pants combo, which I guess was the reason why I got some weird stares that translated to “But why is he in his pajamas?” But then again, this is Auckland. To the mixed crowd that I encountered on Queen Street, I was probably just the hobo with the good hair.

[AUCKLAND] The Interrogation

There are no direct flights to New Zealand if you are coming from Manila. PAL flies to Auckland, but they have a technical stop in Cairns and the fare is expensive AF. The cheapest way from Southeast Asia is via Kuala Lumpur with Air Asia X, with an hour and fifteen minutes of transit in Gold Coast. A New Zealand visa is free for Philippine passport holders and you can apply, submit your documents, and receive the visa copy online. But you still have to go to the embassy to show your passport, which kinda sucks.

[VISA] New Zealand (Multiple Entry)

If you hold a Philippine passport, you can apply for a visa for New Zealand online. You submit the documents online. You don’t have to pay because the visa fee is waived if you are staying for 2 months or less. The caveat is that you still have to go to the embassy to present your actual passport for verification before they give you the visa grant letter. The good thing about this is you can already apply even if you’re out of the country. Just make sure that you’ll be back when they are done processing.