I arrived just before midnight on Wednesday, I even had the whole row to myself at the tail end of the plane.

The full moon lit the clouds below us, and it looked as though we were gliding above snow topped mountains stretching as far as the eye could see. But, soon enough the mountains cleared and the glowing lights of coastal towns could be seen on the horizon.

The plan was to stay in the airport and head off at first light, trouble was it seemed like quite a few people had a similar idea. Perched on benches and against walls, travellers awaiting their flights filled the area.

I slid myself next to a ‘rock’, by some benches, on the tiled floor and tried to get some rest. 5 hours passed and I hadn’t managed a wink. The cold tile floor and ever present travellers kept me from nodding off, my need for safety overpowering my tiredness.

By early morning the airport became a lot busier and I decided to get some nectar of the gods, Macca’s Brekky. One grease filled meal later I feel even worse and the days barely started.

I spent some time rearranging my gear for the walk ahead. In total I’m carrying over 24KG of gear and comfort is necessary. Stopping at the nearest Countdown(Woolies) I stocked up on some small necessities and headed out down to Pukekohe.

The road Google Maps chose wasn’t a great one, there was no sealed path and a majority of the next hour or so was spent on the side of the road next to peak hour fast traffic. I was offered a lift by a friendly local but declined, adamant to make my own way. Other drivers looked on in confusion as this mass of gear and pack trudged along. A few drivers even asked where I was going and wished me luck. Another driver offered me a lift and said to be careful of the areas I was travelling through.

By this point I was deep into the suburbs near Manurewa and had not nearly gone as far as predicted, the extra weight making it necessary to stop often and slowing the overall pace. At Manurewa I decided to catch the train as far south as I could go to try and make up the time. My destination was a small caravan park in Ramarama just east of Pukekohe.

The furthest I got with transport was Drury and walked another 2 kilometres before another friendly local offered me a lift which I took for the final few k’s. I had finally reached Ramarama in the afternoon after leaving the airport in the early morning, setup my small tent and rested.

Dinner was a tin of chilli beans and Doritos, courtesy of a local of the caravan park and the nearby shops. There is WiFi and power available here and showers which was sorely needed. The weather turned sour and it rained during the night and morning allowing me ample sleep and resting time.

Good news is the whole tent/sleeping bag/blowup combo is a huge success, it is tremendously comfortable considering the size and space. There is enough room for everything including my bags and gear inside.So I’m writing this just outside of Auckland, in a laundry room waiting for my phone to charge. I’ve already met a few interesting characters living here and if I stay here any longer I might just meet them all. New Zealand is rough but it’s people are among the most welcoming and helpful I’ve experienced and that’s just all in one day. Without asking people are offering me lifts, food, travel tips and advice.

My first filming spot is Weathertop and I’m hoping to get there in the next few days.