Botany address to Katikati private car — Li's special occasion

The sun was just starting to burn off the morning haze over Botany as I pulled up to the house. A young woman, no older than her early twenties, stepped out. She wore a smart dress – the kind you’d reserve for a really special event, but without any of the flamboyant bridal fuss you sometimes see. She carried a small, elegant suitcase. Her name was Li. She’d booked me a few weeks back, a direct online inquiry mentioning a wedding in Katikati.

We got her settled in the back. She had a slightly reserved air, the kind that can be tricky to break through. It’s not uncommon with passengers from overseas, especially heading to a big family occasion. They’re often a mix of excited and a little overwhelmed, navigating new social dynamics on top of the main event. I steered us south, through the familiar South Auckland crawl. Even on a Sunday afternoon in November, the traffic built up around the motorways. Li watched the unfolding suburban sprawl, then the green fields beyond. The further we got from the city, the more she relaxed, her gaze drifting to the passing farms and the distant hills.

We stopped for a coffee break at a little place just past Paeroa, a small town known for its 'world famous in New Zealand' lemon and Paeroa drink. It was quiet, just us and a couple of early-evening walkers. Li ordered a green tea. She spoke softly about the wedding – not of her own, but of her cousin’s. She’d come over from Shanghai specifically for it. It was her first time in New Zealand, and she’d only booked my service for this one leg, with family meeting her in Katikati. She mentioned she wasn’t particularly close with the bride, but the family insisted she come.

The Karangahake Gorge was spectacular as we drove through it. The late afternoon light was catching the ochre and rust colours in the old mining scars on the hillsides. It's a route I always enjoy, particularly as the sun starts to dip lower. Li was quiet for a while, looking out. I could see she was taking it all in, the sheer scale of the landscape, so different from the dense urban environment she’d come from. She finally spoke again, pointing towards a particularly striking rock formation. “It looks… ancient,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

We eventually reached the outskirts of Katikati. The air was still and warm from the day. I dropped her at a large, modern house set back from the road, where a small group of people were gathered on the lawn, waving. There was a sense of anticipation about the place. As Li gathered her small suitcase, she turned and gave me a polite nod, a small smile on her face. It was the kind of reserved acknowledgement you get from someone who’s been on a long journey and is now stepping into a different world. No fuss, no dramatics. Just the quiet transition from car to occasion. I watched her walk towards the house before turning the car around, the sun now resting on the horizon, painting the sky in soft orange and pink hues. Another quiet Sunday drive, another destination reached.