New Zealand North Island day 38 – Taumuranui to Auckland

Had a leisurely start; we have a four-hour drive to Auckland to drop the car at the airport and check-in to our overnight accommodation at the Comfort Inn. The weather is sunny and warm and the scenery is rugged steep folds of hills with angular contours, narrow deep gullies and sheep. Further north this wild landscape gives way to gentle rolling hills. We get a transfer from the car rental office to the airport a few minutes away and save about $60 by getting a courtesy coach to the Comfort Inn – a rather unprepossessing motel complex which surprisingly has rather well equipped rooms with cooking facilities. We have meal at Greek/Indian restaurant nearby and prepare for an early night – our flight to Hobart is at 6.50am tomorrow morning.