Where to start on this one - this trip has been amazing so far! I think I'll give a bit of an overview of the days-gone-by, but the photos will be all over the place as I'm having issues uploading from my devices and the wifi isn't fabulous in the incredible house we're staying in. This place has four bedrooms, at least five bathrooms, two huge common rooms and an expansive and modern kitchen with an enormous island - oh, and there's a pool! It's a bit chilly, but it's getting some use. I'll take it day by day here so I don't miss too much.
Friday - Sunday
We left Toronto on Friday night and made it through two long legs; the first was from Toronto to LA (6 hours) and the second LA to Auckland (13 hours). We were told to resist the urge to sleep on the first leg, and most of us were able to fight off sleep until the second flight; I think I got maybe five or six hours in on the cramped American Airlines plane - but did watch quite a few movies! Once landed (at 7:45 am on Sunday) we were met by the rental car guy and shuttled to our 10-seater van, into which we piled and packed all of our luggage and goods - and then it was on to our beautiful home in the St. Heliers suburb of Auckland. We showered and settled in a bit before we hit the road again for what we thought was downtown Auckland and the World Master's Games Hub - but we found ourselves in a quiet and sleepy suburb of the city, so ate and wandered on the beach instead. After lunch we made our way downtown, parked, and got our accreditation before wandering the waterfront. We had some drinks, ate again, and soaked up the sunshine all while fighting off fatigue; 16 hours is a legitimate chunk of jet lag to get over! Anyways, most of us managed to stay up until 8:30, and we slept like the dead... until 6:30 the following morning (hurray!).
Monday
Because everything was closed for Easter on Sunday, the pantry was empty - so early on we made our way down to the beach in search of coffee and breakfast, and enjoyed some pastries and drinks on the sandy beach just at the bottom of the hill (this is where life starts to get tough... right?). I managed to get out for a run afterwards with Marie-Helene - ALL along the water and beach, and it was beautiful with the sun, warmth and scenery (pics to come). Back at home a group made their way to the grocery store (Pac'N'Save) where a whopping $657 was spent on wine, snacks, breakfast food, fruit and veg, and two dinners... eeeeeegads! It is expensive here with entrees at restaurants starting at $15 and averaging closer to $22 for average-sized portions. Anyways, we decided that we'd better get right to some sightseeing since the days will start flying by (which they have) so made plans to drive north to Piha, a beach northwest of the city. The road was windy and scenic, passing through beautiful rolling hills and dense jungley forest, parts of which found their way right onto the road. We were warned that the surf and undertow at Piha are both fairly strong - apparently there are several drownings every year, and the danger level has even allowed for the beach's own reality TV show (called Piha Rescue). We walked the long beach, climbed up Lion Rock (which was a bit steep and scary at parts - but had incredible views), and chatted with people attracted to our matching red Canadian jackets. No one braved the water, and we opted to wander and then grab drinks (hot chocolate) at The Elevation Cafe (great views) on our way home. And then it was early to bed and early to rise once again...
Tuesday
Despite being up early, we were late to hit the road on our way to the ferry terminal, and made it just in time to catch the 10:00 sailing over to beautiful Waiheke Island. The ride over was spectacular, and everyone was happy to soak up the sunshine on the upper deck of the boat. Upon arrival we made for Stony Batter, a World War 2 fortification site (details are hazy) that involved walking through meadows dotted with massive boulders against a backdrop of rolling hills and sparkling blue water (it was beau-ti-ful). There were some crazy bird calls coming from large lush trees - there's a video somewhere that I'll upload later. Onwards we went to the Man'o'War winery where we sampled wine and olive oil before settling down to enjoy some large platters of fancy snacks and dips and cheeses etc on the beachside lawn... it was gorgeous! It was also where we tried Feijao - fruits native to the island that look a bit like smooth-skinned avocados, with a dig out the middle edible part. After this critical food and drink stop we made for Onetangi beach which was a highlight for most of us; we went swimming, laid in the sun, and soaked up the chilled out atmosphere that most of us lack in our regular back-at-home lives. It was maybe the first we're on vacation! realization, and it was amaaaaazing. We stopped by another winery on our way back to town where everything was closed, but we found a little grocery store where we picked up wine and snacks for the ferry line-up. On the boat a few of us enjoyed the incredible stars up on empty passenger deck, where the fresh air and dark and starry sky provided the start of a perfect ending to a pretty wonderful day. Everyone was borderline hangry by the time we got home so Thai takeout it was - and it was goooooood.... We not-so-surprised Kerry with a birthday card, and then it was to bed early-ish once again!
Wednesday
Early to bed and early to rise - again. I was up at 6:00 (which is definitely too early), and after an early breakfast hit the seaside road with MH again for a great run. Everyone worked out so we ended up lounging around the house for a while before heading to the mall where people picked up souvenirs and gifts for friends and family back at home. We hit the grocery store on our way back to the house for dinner stuff and I managed to find a cake and get it back to the van in stealth mode - so even though the card wasn't a surprise, the cake was (yay cake). We watched some TV and chilled before trying to figure out plans for Thursday; some wanted to head south to Hobbiton and the glow worm caves while others (including me) were more interested in beaches and exploring elsewhere. It was a good thing we had a mellow day because Thursday was PACKED!
Thursday
There were five of us that managed to plan out a rough itinerary that involved stopping in a few towns on our way to Goat Island Marine Reserve, approximately 2 hours north of Auckland. Our first stop was the small town of Puhoi where we swung out over the river on a little swing, stopped in at the pub (where the walls were littered with signed currency and ID cards etc.), and chatted with some locals. Second stop was in Matakara where we got the low-down on the wineries in the area at the Tourist Info Stop and wandered the shops; next up was Ascension Vineyards where we tasted some yummy wine and port, and then it was on to Anchor Bay beach, part of a bird sanctuary and regional park that was incredibly beautiful - and very quiet. The white sand and caves and shallow waters were perfect for exploring, and I imagined how much fun the kids would have there swimming and finding treasures and building forts under trees and in the ocean-side caves. We picnicked here and when the clouds rolled in we packed up and made for Goat Island where we found ourselves alone on the beach once again. Known as a place where marine life abounds (apparently you can wade through schools of fish), it was a bit too chilly to get in the water but we did spot some fish and explore the tidal pools before heading back towards the town of Leigh for some overpriced food at the local pub. And then the long-ish drive back in the dark (on the other side of the road) did us all in; we were home around 9:30 and sleeping by 10:00. We are all registered to drive, but I haven't been behind the wheel yet and might not... it's been nice to be a passenger with minimal responsibilities!
Even though I could get Friday down here I'll save it for another time. I miss the kids and my hubcap but I think the first 5 or 6 hours away were the worst; we're texting each other and sending pics and audio messages, and it's been great. We have our first game tonight - let's hope it all goes well!
