Auckland

I arrived on the red eye flight without much sleep and went to my hotel, where I was able to slump on a sofa until my room was ready. I also killed time by going for breakfast.  I wish I could remember where i went as it was the best scrambled egg I have ever had, all soft and delicious with good granary bread.  I bought a bottle of water to take back to the room with me  -  waxing lyrical about water seems a tad OTT but that too seemed to taste cleaner and clearer than anything else I had experienced.  However, this really was an indicator of NZ food and drink  -  simply the best.

I showered and slept for a few hours when I got into my room.  Then, still tired I wandered around town and spent time people watching on the harbour, collecting tourist information leaflets by the score en route.  Auckland Harbour is far larger than Sydney, but if Sydney's shoreline was crafted and finely chiseled out of the rocks over years by Slaty Bartfast, then Auckland's shore and hinterland was created in one fell swoop by a pre incarnation of an explosives maniac, making large semicircular bays here and leaving inland craters there;  dumping the rubble anywhere to create either islands or irregular hills.

I decided to take a ferry to one of the townships on the other side of the harbour and find somewhere for dinner.  Devonport was only 10 mins across the water but from that short trip you could get a really good feel for the vastness of the harbour.  Devonport NZ is the naval base of the country. It's picturesque and relaxed, and I found an extremely good place for dinner, that added to earlier feelings that there was something special about NZ food.  The homemade lemonade was possibly the best I have tasted. I got  the 20.30 ferry back to Auckland as dusk was settling in.  I noted when I got back just how quiet the city seemed, not really what I would have expected from a city.  I was happy to get back to my room and have an early night.

The Maori name for New Zealand translates as 'The land lf the long white cloud', however, I woke the next day (rather late) to find it was also the land of the long black cloud.  It was raining, and my idea to investigate one of the islands didnt seem good, so I took the sightseeing bus on a figure of 8 tour around Auckland, spending time at the Cathedral (Holy Trinity), which I found thoroughly enchanting.  I had long conversations with the ladies who were in the Cathedral as official welcomers, and did learn the history of the  fascinating architecture.  The main building is partially in the classical gothic style, albeit modern, and this part was based on Guildford Cathedral at home. The other part is based on a Maori Marai with some stunning modern stained glass and some indifferent modern stained glass.  Alongside this, is the wooden church of St Mary which was moved from across the road to become an ancillary to the cathedral.  There was a special energy in this art deco building, and I was intrigued to find the lectern in the pulpit  had been crafted by Thompson aka the mouse man of Kilburn, Yorks.  With a little searching I found the mouse, and was told by the lady welcomers that I was only the 2nd person in the 20 yrs they had been here to do so.  Must be some pretty stupid people visit as all I did was read the description of its whereabouts and have a good grope.  Later I had a good chat with the bus driver about paganism to counter this unusual interest in things christian,  he was wearing a pentagram ring which started the whole thing off.  All this chatting meant I hadn't got time to go into the museum, but travelling isnt all about places and things, its about people too.

Back in the city, I walked along the waterfront for a while and decided to try a restaurant for dinner that several had recommended, Kermadec. The food was again fantastic, although I was disappointed with the frozen chips.  Somewhere of this calibre should do handcut ones.  I don't usually eat desserts but gave in to the crème brulee which was again the best ever, although the lemon sorbet and chocolate dust didn't seem to match the flavours, the toffee popcorn and fresh berries with it were inspired accompaniments. It was then back to my room to watch a DVD.

Thursday brought much better weather so I took the ferry to the Island of Waiheke, which was a hippy colony in the1960's and today is famed for its wines and has a strong modern art culture. I got a day pass on the local buses and rode almost every route there was. Not much other than vineyards and beaches to see with one village to serve the retail needs of the tourists and locals. I stopped in one vineyard for a meal and wine tasting and basked in the sun for a while before moving to the adjacent Stoneyridge vineyard. Here I struck up a conversation with some people from Richmond on Thames, and was urged to try the most expensive wine on the list 'Larose' at about £200 a bottle. Yum, you could see why this was so expensive, an absolutely divine red, perfect in every way. I hasten to add I only had a taster at £8. I took my glass out into the garden and sat with my back to a tree contemplating the vines and the clear blue sky. After a while I became more aware of where I was sitting and looked behind the tree. Kwan Yin must be following me, as there was her statue!

I ended the day there by going for a walk across the longest beach there, paddling in and out of the waves. I got talking to a couple of ladies doing the same, one of whom owned a holiday home on the island. It was interesting to hear what she had to say about life on an island and how similar it sounded to life on Alderney in the Channel Islands. I accepted their offer of a lift back to the ferry so we could talk more, and after exchanging visiting cards, went for a wander around an art exhibition for half an hour before getting the boat back to Auckland with another collection of happy memories.