Packing light: What I packed in my carry on for five days in New Zealand

We’ve just returned from a five day trip to Auckland, New Zealand, and while I’ve shared a bit of a sneak peek into my suitcase here, I thought I’d download a little on what I’m glad I packed into my carry on, and what probably could have stayed at home.

WEATHER FORECAST

For those of us residing in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the early end of winter, which as you can imagine means frosty mornings, bitterly cold winds, and rain – plenty of it, too. I used the weather forecast in Sydney as a bit of a guide, as I knew it was going to be a good few degrees cooler once we hit NZ shores. Temperatures ranged from 9-14 degrees Celsius every day, with plenty of winter sunshine, and just one day of rain, so I think it’s safe to say we got pretty lucky.

ON THE ACTIVITY LIST

Our trip across the ditch was a bit of a birthday present for Luke, as it’s been a few years since we have been back to Auckland to stay with his family, and catch up with some of his friends. Rather than jam pack our itinerary, we kept things fairly relaxed; a nice dinner out in the Auckland CBD, some casual brunches, coffee dates, a spot of shopping, and a drive up the road to Matakana to drop by Sawmill Brewery (a must if you have a rental car – it’s only an hours drive from the city!).

WHAT I PACKED

For trips that span over a week or less, I try and get a little creative, so that I can travel with carry on only. I’m a serial outfit repeater and given most of my wardrobe is fairly complementary, I don’t find it too difficult to pull together a travel ‘capsule wardrobe’ of sorts. It probably won’t surprise that I opted for mostly greys and blacks, large oversized sweaters, and some comfy trousers.

TOPS & JUMPERS
Grana white pocket t-shirt
Brandy Melville black stripe tee (similar)
Uniqlo charcoal ribbed merino turtleneck
Uniqlo black heat tech crew neck top
Glassons black merino top
See by Chloe striped top
Country Road black mohair sweater
Country Road charcoal chunky knit sweater

SKIRTS & TROUSERS
Willow black leather skirt (similar here and also here)
ASOS blue wash mom jeans
Uniqlo black slim fit trousers

DRESSES
Bec and Bridge black dress (also in white)

JACKETS & COATS
Helmut Lang blazer
Topshop coat (short version)

SHOES, BAGS & ACCESSORIES
Everlane black day heels
Everlane black leather chelsea boots
ONA black leather Capri tote
Celine black leather trotteur bag
Acne Studios grey Canada scarf
Uniqlo charcoal cashmere gloves
Prada sunglasses

WHAT I’M GLAD I PACKED

I recently decided to invest in a couple of knitted sweaters during one of Country Road’s 25% off sales, and the chunky charcoal funnel neck sweater was by far the stand out; this just looked great with everything, and was super cosy. I’m also glad that I brought along the slim fitting trousers from Uniqlo, which have fast become a favourite. These are lightweight, practically crease proof, and look really smart – plus they’re pretty warm too (though I’d get some heat tech tights for underneath if you’re going to a colder climate). Lastly I’m also pretty chuffed with the Celine small trotteur bag I splurged on just last week. This is the perfect size for travel, is an elegant and timeless design, and worked with every outfit that I wanted to wear – both casual and dressy. My only complaint is that the leather on the holster has already rubbed from the interior screw of the chevron plate closure, though thankfully this is pretty minor and not noticeable when being worn! The

WHAT COULD HAVE STAYED HOME

I’m prone to having cold hands – always – so it came as a bit of a surprise when I opened my bag this morning and realized one of the few things I didn’t reach for were my cashmere gloves from Uniqlo. Granted these are a godsend for if it’s a little nippy but given we were outdoors too much, I never really felt a need for them (that winter sun tho!).

The only thing I wish I’d brought with me were a pair of flats; typically, this would be a no brainer but I had to get creative just to fit my dads RM Williams boots into my carry on (which took up about 1/3 the total space!), and they were the one thing that didn’t make the cut.

I’m planning to share some video, as well as some of my outfits from the trip in the coming weeks so make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out! x