April 3, 2013
After our walk on Rakino Island, it was time to head on to our next stop: Auckland! Our new friends Barry and Sandy, whom we met while cruising the Cavilli Islands, had kindly offered to let us use their slip in the Viaduct. We were thrilled to accept, and it would be a perfect place to sit out the coming weather system.
We were sad to leave beautiful little Rakino Island but very excited about spending time in the Auckland. Visions of international food courts, Movenpick ice cream, pizza, Mexican food, and Starbucks danced in our heads, and we looked forward to the energy of the city after weeks spent in quiet anchorages.
We had been to Auckland by car and knew the layout, but it was absolutely thrilling to see it from our own boat as we motored up the channel towards Viaduct Harbour. That harbor isn’t easy to spot as you have to wind in through an area of wharves and slips, have a pedestrian drawbridge raised, and then head down a channel amid hotel and apartment buildings to locate your assigned slip. This is not so much a marina as a harbor with slips, generally used by larger yachts, but there are occasional visiting boats our size. There are no facilities at all; the only available restrooms are nearby public ones. But it’s worth the tradeoff to be near the most festive part of the city.
We were pleasantly surprised as we approached the pedestrian bridge to see La Laopiote, the boat with the French acrobats, motoring in ahead of us. We don’t know them well, but after seeing them perform in Los Angeles and Tahiti, it was like coming across old friends. We motored down to the slip and got tied up. It was very exciting to have the Sky Tower, the symbol of Auckland, towering above us and to actually be tied up in the famous Viaduct Harbor. Days like this are about as exciting as it gets!
I will say we did have a bit of a shock once we headed into the city. Our area of slips was out of the fray and surprisingly quiet, but up a block and around the corner began the heart of the action. Restaurants around the square are filled, and the favored seats are the outdoor tables. Beyond the harbor are the city streets filled with cars and people. So much sensory input after being in the countryside was a little overwhelming. (link to Rich’s post)
We decided that Mexican food would help us adjust and headed over to Mexicali on the waterfront, a place so much like Chipotle back in the states that I have to wonder if they’re related. We had a seat and in our dazed state enjoyed looking out at the world and eating tasty food! We followed it up with an affogato (espresso over ice cream) at Movenpick. I can’t say we were fully adjusted, but we were making progress.
Later that night Rich was out on deck and told me to come up and see something. Above us the Skytower was all lit up with multi-colored lights, something we had missed when we were here in January because it got dark so late. What a beautiful sight and a fitting end to our Auckland arrival day.
Below is a gallery of our arrival day, pretty much in order as we approach the city and then Viaduct Harbour, followed by a pictures of the calm back street en route to the busy square nearby and Mexican food! -Cyndi
