Hotel DeBrett to Taupō private car — Eleanor's business trip

The scent of old leather and something faintly floral always hangs around the lobby of Hotel DeBrett. It’s a sophisticated smell, the kind you associate with quiet conversations and important meetings. As I pulled up, smooth and clean after a good wash yesterday, I saw Eleanor R. standing by the entrance, a slim briefcase clutched in one hand, looking out at the Auckland bustle with an expression that wasn't quite impatience, but certainly a clear sense of purpose. She had that look about her – the sort that says ‘my time is valuable, but I’m willing to spend a bit of it getting this right.’

She was heading to Taupō for a conference, a specialist in sustainable urban planning. Said she’d flown in from London just the day before, still shaking off a bit of jet lag. We loaded her small suitcase into the boot, and she settled into the back of the car. The first hour or so was quiet. The usual Auckland crawl through Ponsonby and then onto the motorway towards the southern arterial. I pointed out the slight bottleneck building up near the SH1/SH20 interchange – still feels a bit like a construction site, even after all these years. Eleanor just nodded, looking out the window, her gaze distant.

The landscape started to open up as we cleared the concrete jungle. Fields of green, dotted with sheep like scattered cotton wool. The air gets cleaner, fresher, the further south you go. We passed through Pokeno, the famous ice cream stop, and then onto the Waikato plains. This is always a good stretch for conversation, once the initial shyness wears off. Eleanor mentioned how different the light is here compared to England, even in summer. She spoke about the specific challenges of building sustainably in a country that loves its sprawling suburbs, and how her project in Taupō was about balancing growth with environmental preservation. She wasn't just reciting facts; there was a real passion in her voice when she talked about green roofs and water catchment systems.

Around lunchtime, we stopped at a small café just off the motorway near Tirau. It was a busy spot, the air thick with the smell of coffee and toasted sandwiches. Eleanor ordered a salad and a flat white, and we sat for a bit while she scrolled through some documents on her tablet. She showed me a few images of the prototype designs she was presenting – intricate diagrams of buildings integrated with natural landscapes, clever solutions for waste management. It was fascinating, in a way I hadn't expected. I’m just a taxi driver, but you meet people from all walks of life, and you learn a little bit about everything. She pointed out a particular challenge with geothermal energy usage in the Taupō region, explaining how the high mineral content in the water can cause issues for infrastructure if not managed correctly. She had a way of making complex topics sound almost simple, breaking them down into logical steps.

The rest of the drive was smooth. After Tirau, we continued south on SH1. The scenery gradually changed, with more pine forests appearing and the hills growing more rounded as we got closer to the central plateau. That faint, sulphurous tang in the air, a hint of the geothermal activity, became noticeable as we neared Taupō itself. Eleanor seemed more relaxed now, the intensity of the morning replaced by a quiet anticipation. She mentioned she was looking forward to seeing the lake, something she’d only seen in pictures. As we approached the town, she asked me to drop her off directly at her conference venue rather than her hotel.

I pulled up outside a modern conference centre, its glass façade reflecting the bright March sky. The lake was visible in the distance, a vast expanse of shimmering blue. Eleanor thanked me, her briefcase now held with a lighter grip. She had a determined, yet hopeful, look as she headed towards the doors. Driving away, I thought about her project, about the careful plans and the big dreams she’d shared, all aimed at making a place function better for people and the planet. A small piece of London, arriving in Taupō, ready to build a greener future. I just hoped the light in England was as forgiving as the light here, especially when you’re trying to make a real difference.