January 8, 2014
We headed to check out Takapuna, excited to get acquainted with our new neighborhood. We found a parking spot near the Starbuck’s we’d visited the previous year, then proceeded to stroll around the center of town. It was similar to many New Zealand suburban towns, but being a bedroom community for the city of Auckland, it was more upscale and quite attractive with tree-line parkways and a good number of appealing restaurants and cafes. We popped into one of them for breakfast and had an incredible meal.
(Below, a couple of photos of Takapuna and our breakfast cafe. You can click to enlarge and scroll through both galleries in this post.)
We still had more of the town to explore, but already we knew this was a a place we could love. Being near a town we enjoy is essential for our enjoying a long stay in a marina; so in essence, this put Bayswater Marina firmly in the 🙂 category.
After visiting the town center, we headed to check out the local beach, Takapuna Beach. It wasn’t as well known or publicized as the beaches near the tip of the peninsula so we weren’t expecting much. We were surprised to find it’s actually a beautiful place with a long stretch of sand and some really nice trees. The sight of Rangitoto, the volcano-shaped island sitting just offshore, gave this beach an exotic feature that made it feel unique. It seemed pretty popular with the locals but I don’t think visitors would know to seek it out — Takapuna has managed to keep this spot a secret!
We headed back to the boat, then back to town later for dinner as we’d spotted a local franchise of an Auckland favorite, Sal’s Pizza. Yep, we were going to be happy here in Takapuna! –Cyndi
