Mount Eden address to Auckland Airport private car — Léa's family visit

The December sun was barely a rumour in the deep green shadows of Mount Eden when I pulled up. A single suitcase sat by the footpath, a sturdy, muted grey thing I’d see again through airport security. Léa emerged from the house, a young woman whose air of quiet efficiency belied the slight tremble of her lip as she surveyed the awaiting vehicle. She was heading for the airport, as so many of my fares are around this time of year, but her destination was further afield than most – a flight that would eventually deposit her on the other side of the world, back to her family in France. She’d been in Auckland for a few months, she explained as we navigated the familiar streets towards the motorway on-ramp, working at a gallery in the city. It was a good experience, she’d said, but the pull of home was growing stronger now, the end of her contract coinciding with a significant family event.