Wild Days on Waiheke

 It has been a while since my last entry. We returned to Waiheke after our visit to Tiritiri Matangi as our last two planned stops were closed due to the recent cyclone, returning to the Wild Days Accommodations run by our ex-neighbor, Russell and his daughter Charlie. Charlie had booked us back into our favorite cabin, The Fancy, also known as #1. It is at the top of the hill and has the best view from its deck. It also has a large bathroom and shower, being the only accessible cabin.

Coming back to Waiheke served a couple of purposes, to visit our friends here and in Auckland, which we were not able to do the first week while I was in isolation and to slow our pace down a little. We have been able to mostly do all of that with dinners with our Waiheke friends, Tom and Christiane and Mark and Marine. We have gone out to lunch as well and Ellen joined Christiane for an exercise class and coffee social.

We also made a trip into Auckland last Tuesday and found it a completely changed city from when we lived here. More people, more glitz on the main street, Queen Street, and many new glass-sheathed skyscrapers. The working waterfront area where my colleagues and I had our offices has been turned into a neighborhood of new office buildings, luxury apartments and fancy restaurants, much like the Seaport District in Boston. We went in search of the amazing fish market complex that was near our office, only to find that it is only the Auckland Fish Market in name, the sellers of fish fresh off the boats and tanks of live fish had been replaced by restaurants and clubs. Most disheartening was our inability to find the Kapiti Cheese shop and its delicious Fig and Honey ice cream.

We took the train out to Newmarket, a nearby shopping district, in search of a lightweight shirt. I'd come more prepared for autumn on the South Island than late summer on the North Island. It was another area with more people and more big stores, but both Ellen an I found the shirts we were looking for at the Katmandu and Bivouac outdoor stores. 

It was about a 45 minute walk back to downtown with a stop for lunch in Parnell on the way (avocado toast is NOT improved with crispy fried kale!). After a stop for gelati at Island Gelato on the ferry dock, it was back to Waiheke, completely worn out.

We were back on the Sealink Ferry to Half Moon Bay the next day to visit with Peter, a colleague and friend from our time in New Zealand. We spent the afternoon chatting and catching up with our life stories and also taking a walk at one of his local reserves.

On Sunday it was lunch with Tom and Christiane at the Oyster Inn in Oneroa which supposedly has the best fish and chips on Waiheke. Being the Oyster Inn, it seemed like we should try the oysters and an oyster roll was on the menu, so Ellen and I both ordered one.

This is what arrived:

Yes, it is one oyster on a tiny roll. We each ordered a second one so we wouldn't starve. Schooners (and virtually any restaurant serving oysters in New England) have nothing to fear.

On Monday, Ellen decided to have a more relaxing day walking on Waiheke while I caught the ferry to Davenport (across the harbor from downtown Auckland) to meet up with Martin and Paul, two more friends and colleagues from our Fulcrum Technology Group days, for coffee and more catching up. They are both a bit younger than us and had small children and teenagers when we left who are now teenagers and adults. It was just a morning get together, but it was great to see them again.

Yesterday, we explored the lower acres of Russell's property. Ellen had already walked it the day before and found it quite interesting. Russell has about 10 acres, which is huge for this part of Waiheke, much of it in bush. He has carved a number of trails running throughout it. Starting at the top pf the hill where our cabin is, we wound our way down to a marsh and stream at the bottom, finding abundant birdlife all the way down. It was interesting how the change in environment changed the species as we walked down. We had lots of gray warblers and silvereyes in the sunny bushes up high, but once we got into the lower bush by the marsh there were lots of fantails, a kingfisher and a heron. Tui, of course, were everywhere.

Last night, our host and friend Russell also invited us to dinner for a more traditional Kiwi meal, roast lamb and potatoes with "well cooked" broccoli and corn. It was a respite from pizza, Indian takeout and the overly complicated dishes that abound on the island and in the city ... like kale on avocado toast.

After a pleasant walk this morning along the coast near Matiatia and a decent lunch at Charlie Farleys on Onetangi Beach, we took the afternoon off. 

Our last dinner on Waiheke was this evening with Tom, Christiane and Mark at the RSA (the NZ version of the VFW). They have a really good restaurant inside. Tom and Mark are both members; my membership expired in 2008, but the restaurant is open to all. It is a secret gem on the island, with really good food, a great selection of beers, high-end Waiheke wines by the glass and reasonable prices and it is only populated by locals.

A good time was had by all but it is a very sad to say goodbye to our friends once again.

We are off to Auckland tomorrow and will spend the night in a hotel by the airport and Friday at noon we will be on our way back home. While we had a good time here, even with all the changes in plans, it will be good to get home.