Luxury New Zealand Vacation Review: Auckland, Lord of the Rings Tour, Scenic Helicopter Tours

I would make arrangements to get out of Auckland ASAP after arriving.  It was my least favorite part of the adventure.  The parking at the Waldorf Celestial Apartment Hotel was totally inadequate on-site and inconvenient off-site.  I received a parking ticket 2 hours after a 5:30 a.m. landing at the airport while trying to off-load luggage at the front door of the hotel.  The traffic cop was an unfriendly, rude fellow.  In addition, after a 13+ hour flight I was in no shape or mood to wait until 3:00 p.m. to check in.  A bed & breakfast south of Auckland out of the downtown mayhem would have been better appreciated.  The  accommodations and activities for the rest of the trip were just fine.