City of Sails

Welcome to Auckland! I like to spend a couple of days here before the flight back to the states. We are staying at a Hilton right in the city and we turned the rental car in so we are walking everywhere, which is great.  

Met high school friends for dinner last night then took a boat ride across the harbor this morning to Devonport, a very cool village. Had brunch there and wandered around then caught the boat back to the city.   The boats operate kind of like buses here and it is a very busy wee hub. The weather is fab today so now taking a break by the pool!

Life's a beach!

Yesterday was a great day for a walk around the mount! A good hour or so around the base of the mountain through tons of natural bush, right along the coastline, breathing the fresh NZ air! Of course, that earned us branch at a fab care called The General - amazing food!

Early evening we walked back down to the beach and actually went on to the fab sand and into the sea. Watched a couple of windsurfers and multiple regular surfers, along with some kids wave jumping. Wandered out far enough for breaking waves to equal wet shorts - cos that's what you do! Anyway, great beaches and gentle waves - sounds like a book title!

Tourists in middle earth!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Hastings-Taupo-Tauranga - a collection of Aotearoa's most popular holiday spots, and indeed it was! Travelling through the country, you can't help but be wowed by the lush, natural bush all around. Such impressive surroundings and just gorgeous! 

Hastings - the fruit bowl of NZ - apple orchards, peaches, apricots and more! Also, two aunties to spend quality time with as we appreciate how short and special that time is. 

Taupo is at the centre of the North Island and is the skiiing area in the winter. In the summer though, it is all lake, jandals (or bare feet!), and sunburn! 

A visit to the always amazing Huka falls was our tourist effort, and we did see a couple of kayakers go over the falls which was pretty amazing!  Silly buggers!

Stayed overnight then off to Tauranga.

Surprisingly,  we came across a very cool roadside cafe (so surprising!)...more great coffee and $5 worth of cherries that was a reminder of appropriate quantities being...well...appropriate!

Cafes and culture

Spent about 24 hours in a lovely wee rural town called Martinborough. It is definitely wine country, with vines and vineyards at every turn. Wine has a culture of its own and we quickly adopted that as an appropriate norm - something about when in Rome, although there were no Romans immediately obvious.

Cafe culture is another big feature here, where all food is made from scratch and no two places are the same - cafes are identified by the uniqueness of their and coffee (no Starbucks to be seen!) - flat whites all around please.

The other cultural feature is taking the time to enjoy the coffee/food/wine with the people you are with. It's very much a social event and definitely not a drive through, get your coffee, and keep moving event.  I miss this true investment in people, with no real agenda, just connecting beyond the surface level.

Date scone...heated....with butter...oh yeah!

Murals are a thing in Marrtinborough

Flat white...trim milk...random art work

Tourist with a new hat!