May 17th: I will arrive in Auckland, New Zealand at 8:15AM on May 17th. Since I just did a lot of traveling and moved across multiple time zones, I expect to be pretty jet-lagged. I will pick up my Budget rental car from the airport kiosk and drive 25 minutes to my AirBnB rental: Piha Retreat. I will spend the rest of the day in the AirBnB getting settled and accustomed to the time change. I will most likely drive into Auckland's downtown to go to a restaurant or get takeout food for lunch and dinner.

May 18th: I will spend my morning and afternoon in downtown Auckland, exploring the area, admiring the harbor, and seeking out traditional meals. In the late afternoon, I will drive 2 hours to Matamata, where I will complete my final book-related activity: a tour of the Hobbiton sets from The Lord of the Rings movies. The tour will be a fully-guided walking tour and included banquet dinner. It will depart at 3:50PM and is planned to last around 4.5 hours. Our group will be led through the sets of Middle Earth, such as the Shire, Bagshot Row, the interior of a Hobbit Hole, and the Green Dragon Inn. The Hobbiton tour is one of New Zealand's most popular tourist attractions, and for good reason, as it is very immersive and showcases not only pretty sets, but gorgeous natural landscapes. As a big fan of the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit movies and books, I knew I had to include this activity. I also scheduled it to be on May 18th, as that is my birthday :). The tour will end in the Green Dragon inn for a dinner banquet, and is expected to finish around 8:20PM. I will drive the 2 hours back to my AirBnB before heading to bed.

May 19th: After checking out of my AirBnB, I will spend the day in Auckland exploring the area, maybe visiting the Sky Tower or one of the west-coast beaches. In the evening, I will head to the airport, drop off my rental car, and take an 8:10PM flight back to Boston. The flight will feature one 3-hour layover in Chicago, Illinois, with the first plane being operated by Air New Zealand and the second leg being operated by United Airlines.

Climate: May in Auckland has temperatures of high 50s to mid 60s Fahrenheit. The weather tends to vary throughout the day, with alternating periods of cloud coverage and sunshine. There is typically a 27% chance of rain, and the mild breeze makes the day feel quite cool.

Culture: Auckland is a very multicultural city with lots of ethnic and cultural diversity. Food, music, and the arts are well established and explored throughout the region, and much of the city's culture ties back to New Zealand's Maori roots. Mythology and history play a huge role in the identity of modern-day cities in New Zealand, and a deep respect for Maori traditions, ceremonies, cuisines, and religion can be seen all throughout the island. Auckland plays host to a wide variety of activities for all types of travelers; from beaches to city centres and wine tours to traditional restaurants, Auckland has something for everyone.