Auckland has grown considerably since I last visited and I'm glad I live as far away as possible! It can't be a relaxing start to the day when faced with so much traffic and I didn't see many walkers during my time there. We stayed at the
Poenamo Hotel on Northcote Road and my room was clean and comfortable with free wi-fi; a tad noisy on the second night when a group sang and talked throughout the night and kept most guests awake. I had a great meal in one of the hotel restaurants (
The BackYard), one of the few that has offered a great side dish of yummy vegetables!
I had a great coffee the next morning at
Coffee Labs in the Wairau Valley - a great selection of coffees, friendly and knowledgeable baristas and a relaxed environment. Just around the corner was a
PBTech store, so after coffee I walked round to get my fill of the latest portable technology. I didn't take my computer away with me and was suffering withdrawal symptoms. Notebook computers seem to be shrinking (10" to 14" screens) apart from the expensive gaming models with 17" screens; prices ranged from $450-$2500 but only a few had solid state hard drives. I'm fast getting left behind in the technology game but does it really matter!
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| Coffee Lab, 15 Silverfield, Wairau Valley, Auckland 0627 |
In the afternoon we braved the crowds and drove around Mission Bay, ending up at the MJ Savage Memorial Park which was definitely less crowded and with even better views.
Our last morning in Auckland was another hot and sunny day and we left the hotel early and drove to Devonport. I caught the 9.10am ferry to Waiheke Island whilst the others had breakfast and then headed off to the airport to return to Christchurch. Unlike our Bluff to Stewart Island ferry, the water was flat as a pancake and 35 minutes later it reached Matiatia Wharf. It's been almost 40 years since I visited Waiheke Island and it sure has changed! Lots of vineyards and denser housing, a big shopping area including a large supermarket and even a hardware store. The population of the island is around 8700 (92 sq km, 95 people per sq km) and good weather and proximity to city amenities makes it a great retirement spot. It's not my island though - I love the ruggedness and bush cover of Rakiura, I'm not a fan of hot weather and having little rain would drive me mad. I was very envious of how quickly vegetables grew though - and no restrictions on all those interesting veges like capsicums, cucumbers, tomatoes and aubergines. No doubt fruit trees would be great there too.
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| Vineyards and olive groves on Waiheke Island |
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| Onetangi Beach |
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| Rocky Bay with dotterel nesting area |
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Whakanewha sculpture by Toi-Te-Rangiuaia at the
entry to the dotterel nesting site |
After two lovely relaxing days it was time to head back to New Plymouth and for a change I took the freight ferry to Half Moon Bay. This suburb of Auckland is responsible for Stewart Islanders having to change their postal address from Halfmoon Bay to Oban as our mail was ending up at the other end of NZ. The roll-on, roll-off ferry sure made transporting goods and vehicles so much easier although it was a tad pongy with the rubbish truck being close to the passenger area.
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| One of Sealink's roll-on, roll-off ferries |
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| The top passenger deck - most people stayed down at the second level |
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Easy to get trucks and freight to the island - would make life easier
on Stewart Island but I don't think the ferry would be seaworthy
on Foveaux Strait! |
It was good to get back to New Plymouth to see family and friends for a week or so and even better to get back to my island haven; tripping around is all very well but the pace of life is much too fast for me. One of the great things about Stewart Island is there's no rushing - it all gets done on 'island time'. Perhaps that's spoiled me for living anywhere else!!
