Author: richwest3

January 17, 2014

One of the best things about being a cruiser is that we can embed ourselves in a place, making it a second home of sorts. Then, we can show it off to visiting friends as though we’ve lived there all our lives.

Our friends Bob and Linda were returning from the US and passing through Auckland en route to their boat in Whangarei. They’d been to Auckland before, but they hadn’t seen our Auckland, and we were excited to share our finds. My inner tour guide was very excited about all of this, and Rich was excited that for once, that dreaded tour guide wasn’t focused on him. I hoped our unsuspecting friends weren’t hoping for a restful stop!

We picked up our friends from their airport hotel and drove them to the hotel where they’d be staying in downtown Auckland. After dropping off their luggage, we headed out into the warm, sunny afternoon. Rich and I had considered taking them for Chinese noodles, but really the best way to acclimate after a long flight is get outdoors and spend some time in the natural light and fresh air. It’s better yet if that light and air  are near the water.

And so we headed to the Viaduct, specifically the aptly-named Waterfront Cafe & Bar because of its location. The walk from our parking space to the restaurant took us along the festive promenade area and lots of yachts, always fun to look at. Once we arrived at the Waterfront, we were led to a shaded table right on the water. Soon we were enjoying a really delicious lunch and soaking in the seaside atmosphere.

We would have understood if our friends needed a nap after this, but they were up for another outing; so Rich and I took them over the bridge so we could show them around the North Shore. We started with our tour with drinks at coffeehouse in our local neighborhood, Takapuna, before heading to Devonport.

After first driving to the top of Mount Victoria to take in the views of Auckland, we headed into the town. Our first stop: Devonport chocolates, followed by a cold drink at a sidewalk cafe, then down to the beach to look for shells and admire the view of Auckland and boats sailing by. Not surprisingly, our friends were quite taken with the area; the next time they came to Auckland, this is where they chose to stay.

After a drive to see the North Shore’s beaches, we headed back into Auckland. It was Friday evening and traffic heading out of the city was heavy. We’d planned to drop off our friends and head back to Legacy to get ready for dinner out, but traffic was so bad Rich and I opted to park the car and take the ferry back to Bayswater. We only had time to quickly change and freshen up before getting the next ferry back to the city. (Thankfully there’s a small ferry boat that goes right to Bayswater marina).

Our plan for dinner: the Auckland Skytower. Just like on my birthday, we used our alloted time for the Observation and top decks before dinner, watching the evening deepen and the city lights come on after the sun set. Then we enjoyed another fantastic dinner overlooking the the city lights. Rich and I hoped this experience would be as special as it was on my birthday, and it easily was.

In all, we’d done a lot during this amazing day. But no rest for the weary; my inner tour guide had made plans for tomorrow. I’m not sure everyone was thrilled to hear we had an early-morning booking the following day, but we knew they’d be happy with what we had in store for them! –Cyndi

February 28, 2020

You can always tell when I’m working on the boat…

An engine oil and filters change and we’re back to zero days!

-Rich

January 2014

La Cigale

This fabulous French-themed market is open every Saturday and Sunday morning, and we went every weekend! Growers bring produce from all over New Zealand, but French food, cheese and baked goods are featured. We’d start by getting cappuccinos from the truck and picking up a couple of croissants while the coffees were being prepared. We’d then have our little breakfast under a nearby tree.

Afterwards, we’d peruse the food tables which always offered samples of whatever they were selling. We’d buy some goodies plus a selection of French cheeses and a baguette to bring home for the night’s dinner. This sort of thing is fun in a box for us, and this market alone would be reason to live in Auckland! (Below, a few photos; click to enlarge and scroll through.)

Parnell

La Cigale market happens to take place in Auckland’s most charming neighborhood, Parnell. Especially pretty is Parnell Road lined with brick-paved courtyards and cottages full of quaint shops, cafes, and galleries. Not surprisingly it’s a pretty wealthy neighborhood, so we’d have to win big in the lottery to buy our cottage here and make weekend trips to the French Market before taking our dogs to play in the dog park. No, not in the cards for us, but a person can dream!

Elliott Stables

This downtown “dining village” is housed on the ground floor of a historic building. The entrance is through stable-like doors off a small street. Once inside, there’s a sky-lit, stone-paved lane that serves as a courtyard for several restaurants, all of which will bring food to these central tables. This allows customers to pick and choose courses from whatever restaurants they choose, a pretty cool idea, but the real attraction is the moody historic atmosphere. Unfortunately we never managed to eat here, but we passed through a few times and always loved it. If we ever get that cottage in Parnell, we’ll make this a regular spot for dinner when it would be even more moody and atmospheric.

Victoria Park Market

This cluster of historic buildings was saved from demolition by public protest. Now it’s been converted into an area of shops and restaurants, recently opened and rather quiet when we visited, but I imagine it’s fairly lively now with over 40 shops and restaurants. When we checked it out, we found a great gelato shop and were charmed by the butterfly garden planted along the outer wall of the building.

These aren’t the only pockets of charm in Auckland, but these are the ones we found that appealed to us most. Maybe someday we’ll get back there and hunt down a few more. -Cyndi

January 2014

Well worth a mention are Auckland’s beaches. They aren’t in the heart of the city but instead front the hilly suburban area that stretches off its east end. The best way to see the beach areas is to go along the coastal and very lovely Tamaki Drive. Its accompanying bike and pedestrian lanes attract the city’s runners, skaters, and cyclists; so it gives a good feeling for the way many residents like to spend their free time. Below, a map of this coastal area.

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Tamaki Drive is prettiest in the area near the Orakei Marina where it’s heavily lined with pohutukawa trees.  After that it opens up to coastal views, first going by the aquarium before continuing past the city’s favored beaches. Below, a few photos of Tamaki Drive (you can click to enlarge/scroll though any photo galleries in this post).

At first glance the beaches seem very much alike, but each has its own character that can be summed up by comparing them with human age groups.

Mission Bay Beach

This is the most popular and festive beach, the youngest at heart, and the “child” of the group because it has so much for families and those who like to play. I think this is best symbolized by the large fountain here. Supposedly this fountain has a “no swimming” sign, but everyone ignores it and if they feel like it, jump right in. On hot days there are quite a few people in the fountain, a great way to entertain their children or inner child.

Behind the beach is a grassy area with trees, and on the inland side of the street are plenty of places to grab lunch and refuel oneself for more swimming, volleyball, sunbathing, frisbee, fountain cavorting, skating, or just lounging under the shade of a pohutukawa tree. Below, a few photos of Mission Bay Beach.

Kohimarama Beach

Continuing down Tamaki Drive and around the next headland is a more subdued area, Kohimarama Beach. This beach has a more suburban feeling, with houses instead of cafes in the inland side of the street. It has nice trees and a strip of park, and it’s attractive, but it lacks the playful feeling of Mission Bay Beach. Thus, I’d call it the “adult” of the group. This is a great place for those who want to get down to some serious sunbathing and relaxing in a more quiet atmosphere. For reasons I can’t imagine, it seems I only took one photo of this area; so here it is.

St Heliers Beach

This seems like it could be the oldest of the suburban areas with the most retirees, and thus I’d call this the “elder” member of the group. The beach is nice and less populated than the others. Across from the waterfront is a seaside village with rather dated shops and some cafes. In all this is a pleasant place but has a bit of a “God’s waiting room,” feeling to it. Below, a photo of the beach along with it’s most attractive bistro which I hope conveys the feeling of this place.

All these beaches are long and somewhat narrow. They’re well protected by the Hauraki Gulf and its islands and generally have flat water. (People who want to swim or surf in waves need to head for the west coast of New Zealand.) Not far offshore are islands which add some scenic interest. None of these beaches are must-sees in and of themselves, but we’d highly recommend taking ride down Tamaki Drive as a way to get a feeling for Auckland in general.–Cyndi

February 24, 2020

Cyndi came up with a new term that I really love and want to share: Invest Window. An invest in meteorological terms, is an area of weather that’s deemed worth investigating. Here’s the Wikipedia article. We follow a website called Tropical Tidbits that lists invests in our area. These often turn into cyclones, or at least tropical storms.

An “Invest Window,” by Cyndi’s definition is a weather window that, while it’s still quite a long time away, appears like it might be good for getting where we want to go. Here’s the invest window we’ve been watching for a few days now.

Above is a routing on PredictWind. Today, it’s not looking great as there may be a low that forms and comes down into our path. We’ll keep watching. -Rich