Monika Suri

In the month of September 2019 I have been writing about my travel story of the recent NewZealand holiday trip , that too a solo trip. Go here if you want to read #traveloguenz from the beginning  My Newzealand trip has been a great experience and Travelling alone did teach me some lessons also . After my long awaited solo trip was accomplished , I came out as a new person . I found myself happier , rejuvenated and even more confident . “Travel brings power and love back into your life “ When I visited the Auckland zoo , there was a creative section for kids where they could paint , draw , play games or watch the LED show of stars and sky . There were some cards with ‘My Goal’ written on them . All children were writing their goals . I also wrote mine on a card . Look for yourself : Some Lessons from my travel : 1.Travel makes you confident When you travel solo there are many situations where  you need to all the little or big tasks alone . Right from Checking ...

Rotorua Rotorua is a major destination for tourists . It is known for its geothermal  activities , and features natural geysers at many places . The tourists can opt to relax in hot mud pools too at few spots . Almost everywhere in Rotorua , you can smell sulphur in the air and there are some bubbling hot steam points where it becomes difficult even to stand nearby bearing  steam and sulphur . That’s why the place is commonly known as ‘ The Sulphur city ‘ Rotorua  is a part of volcanic zone actually and as per Google I was expecting to see some natural geysers where boiling hot water keeps gushing  out of earth with very high energy . The water goes vertically straight upward upto quite a great height . But my bad luck you can say that I didn’t witness any such geyser , but I did see  hot pools every here and there .   Fun & Adventure in Rotorua There are some fun adventure activities also which you can do in Rotorua i.e. Gondola and Luge. Initially  I ...

The distance from Auckland to Whakapapa is around 350 km and the time it takes is around 4 hours by road . Whakapapa Whakapapa is a village and ski field on Mount Ruapehu’s  northern side . The ski area lies within the Tongariro National Park. The National park is known for its volcanoes . Whakapapa Ski Field has a huge range of ski trails, suiting all levels of skiing. Happy Valley at Whakapapa The Happy Valley is a wonderful place where people enjoy learning and doing ski at a beginner level . One just can’t stop himself from trying his hands at the fun ski board games . It’s fun stepping on the snow , feel chilled , riding on the board , falling , laughing ,shouting out loud , rubbing hands trying to warm up and then running to the nearest cafe to grab a hot cup of coffee . I enjoyed at this place with my cousin sis and brother-in-law . In my entire life I had never experienced the fresh falling of snow . But the Happy Valley brought more happiness when suddenly the...

Hop-on-Hop-off Tour I researched online for a city tour   and there I came across ‘hasslefree tours’ . After considering many options I preferred to book myself a 24 hour Hop-on-Hop-off tour of Auckland . It cost me dollar 12.90 and I was expected to reach near Skycity at 10am the next day . The Hop-on-Hop-off buses start from Skycity . They have defined two tours of the city- red tour and yellow tour . Both the tours cover different destinations . I chose the red tour as I wanted to explore the famous Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium and the Auckland zoo. I reached the Skycity at the right time . There were fifteen minutes for the bus to leave and I made use of those minutes to have a coffee at a cafe nearby . The whole bus was empty except  six of us ( including the driver) .   I  was enjoying myself in the open roof bus watching the city and clicking pictures . Auckland Zoo I hopped off the bus at the famous Auckland zoo . The entry was dollar 20 and the zoo staff...

Auckland gye aur sky tower nahi dekha to kuch nahi dekha The major attraction of Auckland city  is Sky Tower . Standing tall at 328 meters -taller than Eiffel tower of Paris , the Sky Tower of Auckland  is  an icon of Auckland’s sky line for more than 20 years.  It gives 360 degree view of Auckland up to 80km in all directions . I got  a ticket for 32 dollars and reached to the top of the building in the evening around 4 pm. I had not expected  it  to be so amazing . The view from the top was just mesmerizing -something that my eyes didn’t  want to even blink it away . Read my wonderful experience of a beautiful island The sky tower has a circular platform on the top covered with glass from where you can have full view of the whole Auckland . Watching the tallest buildings appearing  so small , watching the famous harbour bridge , the far away islands , the scenic view of the sea and the ferries , from such a great height makes the Sky Tower experience very exciting . Apart ...

Reaching Waiheke from Auckland central Take a ferry from Auckland central terminal and you reach one of the most beautiful islands of New Zealand . Before I  write about Waiheke island , I just can’t miss describing the wonderful ferry ride experience from Auckland central to Waiheke . The ride cost me  just 40 dollars and I entered the ferry . My previous ferry experience was in Kerala ,India but this was different . With a double decked ferry having seating inside as well on the deck , it was an exciting journey for me . Ferry that took me to Waiheke I preferred to stand  on the deck and enjoy the city view plus sea view with my ferry leaving  white streams of water behind . The experience of this ferry ride with the cool splashy breeze , scenic views amidst the dark clouds made me just fall in love with the island even before i reached there . I had to be careful of the crests and troughs while taking selfies . But I tell you , the experience was just fantastic . Me on the way ...

In Auckland , it’s quite easy and very comfortable to roam around by public transport  . You get an AT Hop card , it’s a travel prepaid card issued by Auckland Transport which you can use in buses , trains and even in ferries . If you want to read  my NewZealand travelogue from the beginning go to part 1   I got myself an AT(Auckland Transport) Hop Card and  also downloaded the trains timetable and the railway line map also on my phone . I was staying in Papakura . From Papakura I boarded the train direct to Britomart . Opposite the Britomart train station , there is Downtown ferry terminal very closeby which took me just 5 minutes of walking . Devonport Reaching the ferry terminal , you can get a ferry to Devonport .It’s around 15 minute beautiful ferry ride . You get to experience the breathtaking sea  and  the stunning views of the Auckland city . I was mesmerized to see the  views across the harbour , watch some people sailing , see some beautiful islands far away ...