Northland & Auckland

28 March – 2 April

Monday:

We’ve got a bit of a long drive ahead of us today as we’ve got to get to Paihia on the Bay of Islands.  Our only real detour is to the Goat Island Marine Reserve.  It’s meant to be an awesome snorkel spot, but something persuades us that the conditions are perhaps not ideal for snorkeling.

It’s late afternoon before we arrive, but we’ve got a gorgeous campsite right on the bay.   We’ve only got 1 day here, so spend the evening checking out what trips we can do tomorrow.  Laura – who we bumped into a few times in Australia – is going to be here as well tomorrow, so we’ve got that to look forward too.

Tuesday:

We decided in the end on a sailing trip for today.  The weather is looking a bit iffy in the morning, but we go anyway, trusting that it’ll clear up.  Laura has decided on a dolphin tour, so we’ll catch up with her later. 

We meet our captain, Glen, down at the dock and pick up the rest of our crew – there’re 7 of us in total.  The sun has made its way out, so although it’s still a touch chilly it’s a good day to be out on the water.  Nick even gets to have a go at steering us about the harbour. 

Even better:  there’s enough wind to get the sails up.  We have a fairly gentle sail through the islands before mooring the boat in a calm bay just off a lovely beach.  Nick and I kayak over to the beach while the rest of the crew are ferried across by dinghy.

Although it’s still not a blazing hot day, the beach is sheltered and once we’ve had a go on the kayaks we’re ready for a quick snorkel.  There isn’t much to see, although I do see a ray which more or less frightens me out of the water – I love rays, but they still scare me.  There’s just enough time for a quick climb up the hill for gorgeous views of the island before tucking into a picnic lunch on the beach. 

The weather turns a bit in the afternoon, which isn’t a bad thing: the wind has picked up nicely for the sail back.  We pick up a bit of pace and soon the yacht is tilted right over in the water - we have to stack ourselves on one side to try to balance things out a bit.  It’s great fun – even better when we start tacking and have to scramble from one side of the boat to the other as we change direction.

Nick gets to have another little go once we’ve got the sails down and he’s a bit more relaxed this time round.

We arrive back mid-afternoon, it’s been a fantastic day.  We have a shower and tidy ourselves up before meeting Laura in town for a few drinks and some food.

Wednesday:

We’re driving to Auckland today and taking Laura with us.  After we pick her up we detour in to Russell.  It’s a charming little village on the harbour.   After a stroll around and a break for tea and cake, we’re ready to head off again.

We arrive late afternoon and once again find it a bit of a shock to be in a busy city again – although at about 1.2 million Auckland isn’t the biggest of cities.  We drop Laura off at her hostel before settling into our room. 

In the evening we all head to a Macs brewbar on the waterfront – it’s just as charming as the one in Wellington and an excellent place to pass the time. 

Afterwards we drag Laura to our beloved Little India (we’re properly hooked).  Once again it doesn’t disappoint.

Thursday:

We don’t have any big ambitions for Auckland, so we have a pleasant morning strolling around the city centre and looking into a few shops.  We find ourselves down at the harbour around lunchtime, so stop for a sandwich. 

We’re finding Auckland to be a pretty and rather charming city, and – like other kiwis – its locals are friendly and welcoming. 

After a trip to the art gallery we take the time to print out various documents we’re going to need before pounding the pavements some more.  In the evening we meet up with Laura again and head back to the harbour for food. 

Nick has spotted a stonegrill restaurant (of Greymouth fame) he’s keen to try out. 

500g of beef later he’s wondering if this really was such a good idea…

Friday:

And he’s still wondering if it was a good idea today.  We take some time out in the morning to skype Bronwen and then take to the streets again.  This time we head to Ponsonby, which I guess is the East London of Auckland.  At lunchtime we grab some burgers (despite ordering the small mine is as big as my head – what is with Auckland and it’s over-sized food?) and yes, Nick does order beef again.

Later in the afternoon we head back to the Macs bar to bid a fond farewell to Laura – this is almost certainly the last time we’ll be seeing her until we’re all back in the UK.  She has an early flight tomorrow and so leaves us too it.  We also want an early night, so after a few drinks I’m almost ashamed to admit that we go to Little India again – we know it will be quick, cheap and good.  Which it is!

Saturday:

We’re checking out of our hotel today as we’re flying early tomorrow morning and need to be closer to the airport.  Once we’re all packed up we drive up Mt Eden for lovely views over the city. 

Auckland has lots of parks – most of them extinct volcanoes.  Mt Eden is on of them, so while we’re looking across the city we’re also looking down into the crater.

Then we go to the botanic gardens, which also house the museum.  We decide we don’t have time to do the museum justice, but take a walk through the gardens.  My favourite was the winter house, which was packed with veggies: mostly peppers and eggplant in various shapes and forms.

We’re meeting a family friend of Nick’s, Philippa, for lunch today in Mission Bay.  We’re a little early, so take a scenic drive along the coast admiring Auckland’s beaches and islands.  We find Philippa and get some food at one of the cafes lining the street.  She’s doing a good job of persuading us to move over here, although I don’t thing she’s trying to.  It doesn’t take much to sell the New Zealand lifestyle.  After lunch we grab an ice-cream and head for the beach.  There aren’t many better ways to spend an afternoon.  Unfortunately I was too busy concentrating on my ice-cream to take any pictures. 

We leave Philippa to the rest of her Saturday as we head off to get rid of the car, check into our hotel and get sorted for our flight tomorrow.

Janet adds: it’s been another gorgeous sunny day in Auckland and I’m sad to be saying goodbye to New Zealand.  Next stop: tropical islands, so I can’t complain.