Auckland: Part 3 - Day 3 and 4: Kohimarama Beach, Mount Eden

Day 3 and 4

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 3 and 4.

10/5 Day 3: Kohimarama Beach --> Mount Eden --> Night market 

11/5 Day 4: Flight to Dunedin 

Costs

Day 3

(1) Expensive and bad hair cut at Kess Express Hair - $45 

(2) Lunch at Kohi Fresh Fish & Takeaways - 2 crumbed fish $13, 1 serving of chips $5 and aioli $2.50 

(3) Coffee latte at a cafe by the beach - $5.50

(4) Food at Night market - Nasi lemak sambal petal $10.50, 2 small dishes $11

The Story

100523: I thought that cutting hair in Auckland is cheaper than in Stockholm. In fact, I thought cutting hair in anywhere in the world is cheaper than in Stockholm. But I was proven wrong today. My sister booked a fast and easy hair cut and we got a bad hair cut. One of the hairdresser suggested that I go to an Asian saloon to cut my hair when I requested for a pixie haircut. I was confused because she is from India and India is part of Asia. I told her that I am fine with a hair trim instead. I was annoyed that I had to pay $45 / SEK295,95 for an uneven hair cut and a quick hair wash because the hairdresser is unable to cut dry hair. I thought it would be cheaper considering it was a trim. Both of my sister and I came to a conclusion that they are not familiar with cutting thin hair as Indian hair is thick. With that price, I can get my hair cut in Stockholm too.

After our bad hair cut, we drove to Kohimarama Beach and tried the must-have fish and chips. Surprisingly, the owner is from Malaysia! Great fish and chips but odd to be eating a huge fish fillet on the bench without utensils. I thought it would be fish sticks. It was a sticky mess to eat on the bench but luckily, there is a public toilet with a sink. The toilet is clean. 

After lunch, we walked along the beach and enjoyed the very strong wind. Haha! We stopped at a cafe to have coffee because the strong wind and cloudy skies were not very strong motivators to continue walking. The coffee is expensive by the beach. My sister lost her cap too due to the strong wind and could not find it between the rocks.

Next destination is Mount Eden which is a dormant volcano. It was very windy and cold when we reached the peak of Mount Eden. It was so windy that I thought I was going to be pushed off the platform and boardwalk. We wanted to see the sunset but it was too cloudy to be able to witness it. Regardless, it was still a beautiful view.

Final stop for the day - the night market. The location of the night market is different every weeknight. This reminds me of the night market in Malaysia. Lots of food stalls and fruits and vegetables for sale. We bought nasi lemak sambal petal, a Malaysian dish, and 2 stir-fried dishes. The nasi lemak dish is expensive by Malaysian standards, as there is no meat inside. $10.50 / RM29. 

There is nothing to write for Day 4 as we returned the car on that day. We arrived early in the airport and waited for the 4.50pm flight. We reached Dunedin at 6.45pm and took the airport shuttle back to my sister's place. When we stepped inside her room, it was 12 degrees! She thought that her window was opened but it was very shut. Most houses in New Zealand are not insulated and have moulds on their walls due to the trapped moisture. I have no idea how they live here. The electricity bill must be high or the price per kilowatt is cheap.