February 22
Auckland to Waiheke
John dropped me off at the ferry terminal where I joined a long queue. When things did happen, they happened fast and we sailed a minute early.
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It was "breezy" on the upper deck but the sea was flat calm and the sky was very grey. We passed the busy commercial port, then the suburban beaches, crossed the channel and reached Waiheke after about half an hour. On the way in, we passed some of the extremely posh houses which increasingly characterize the island.
I was off the ferry rapidly and immediately found my host, who gave me a quick tour of Oneroa and then delivered me to the house. My room was actually a studio, almost a granny annex, equipped with everything that I could possibly need and large enough for several.
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I sorted what I required, took advice from the owner that it wouldn't rain, and walked up quiet residential streets to the village, less than 500 metres away.
There, I watched the crowds, bought some cards and had a very strong coffee in a busy café with stunning views.
I explored the new library, only just opening when I was last in town, which has some excellent timber cladding and seems complete overkill for a community the size of Oneroa.
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The road to Mudbrick and Cable Bay rose gently past some very posh houses, some unusual plants and an interesting mail box. The plants were very interesting and I have no idea what they were. The mail box was typical rural entertainment.
After about 20 minutes I reached the spot where my tour bus stopped last year for photos. The views are spectacular, particularly in today's glorious weather. Since I had arrived on the island, the sky had changed from dull grey to bright blue.
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A couple of hundred yards further down the road I found more spectacular views across the harbour to Auckland City. On the opposite side of the road was the long drive leading to the Mudbrick Vineyard. There were beautifully manicured gardens topped by a restaurant terrace. There was a smart tasting room, where I was given a tutored tasting of five of the top wines, all for $20. They were very good and very expensive. Typical Waiheke.
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Back down the road I stopped at Cable Bay, an interesting new building on the edge of a cliff with more views across to the city. It also has a rather splendid vegetable garden.
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I tasted a couple of wines, not breathtaking, and then found a table in the huge brasserie. The food was good (if pricy) with a healthy salad and I ordered a glass of viognier. It was a nice enough wine but didn't appear to have any particular varietal characteristics.
I walked back towards the village, took a turn away from the main route and ended up on Blackpool Beach. The is nothing like the English version although, in this weather, even that would look good.
Right: Blackpool Beach |
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Back in the village, at least ten minutes walk away, I reserved a table for tonight at the Italian restaurant recommended by Robert, mine host. It had better be good.
One of the local bars advertised "local craft beers", which turned out to be Monteith's. This is local, in that it comes from New Zealand, but hardly qualifies as "craft" as it is made by one of the country's two large brewing companies. I politely declined and walked back to my studio for a cold drink.
Right: Studio 33 - great comfort |
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The beach is about two minutes walk away and is as good a stretch of sand as I have seen. Even on a day like today, there was only a handful of people in evidence.
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I walked for about one kilometre, eventually reaching a large rocky outcrop. The rocks were vicious enough while I was wearing my best walking shoes. To see people crossing it in bare feet was most alarming. My path was interrupted by more rocks so I decided to return a short way along the beach and then up the road back into the village.
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At the first bar I encountered, I asked the question about local beer and was again offered Monteith's. Given that I was hot and that the view was sensational, I succumbed to a bottle of Summer Ale. Unfortunately, down the slope towards the beach, a couple of guys were feeding floor joists into an industrial plane. The noise was immense.
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I spotted another bar which seemed likely to sell local beer and decided to visit it tomorrow. In the quest for local produce, I visited the village greengrocer and deli. They used to stock local cheese but the guy who made it decided to go into real estate, instead. The lady in the shop and I agreed that he was probably much richer as a result.
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Back at the studio, I had a rest, sorted my belongings, sent some emails, received a present etc etc. Just after 6 pm, suitably showered and changed, I set out for the restaurant. There was quite a breeze but the sky was still blue and the sun was still bright. The meal was OK but nothing special. I hope I find better tomorrow.