We didn’t need to line up for the ferry from Hobsonville back to Auckland. Earlier today, we’d traveled to Hobsonville by city bus and, after a delicious lunch, hiked the trail that circles the town. William Hobson, the town’s namesake, was the first governor of New Zealand and a co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi, which he and several Māori chiefs signed on February 6, 1840. Today is Waitangi Day, a public holiday.
Category: Place
A landscape reframed
A massive cruise ship dwarfed the Island Direct Waiheke Island ferry. With 5,000 passengers suddenly in town for the day and a long holiday weekend approaching, the ferry lines were daunting. We quickly abandoned our plan to hike on Waiheke and instead trekked several miles back home, following the coastline for much of the way. Next week will be much quieter for our Waiheke hike.
Where the road ends
Our dead-end road leads to a coastal path, but high tide had other plans for us. We detoured a few blocks over to pick up the trail through parks and urban stretches. A few miles later, we looped back to the start via train and bus.
Tracking down a supplier for the daily fix
Our rental only has a pod machine, so today we went searching for a pour-over cone, our preferred way to brew. It turns out pour-overs aren’t really a “thing” here, so we pivoted to a French press. Tracking one down required a fruitless trip downtown followed by a trek into suburbia, but we finally snagged one at a big-box store. Between Google Maps, tap-to-pay transit, and a fine lunch, it turned out to be an excellent day.
Auckland staycation
High tide at our Auckland home for the next month. We plan to just relax here, doing things that locals do at the weekend. We’ll manage easily without a car, relying on our feet, public transit, and the occasional Uber. Today we stocked up at the local Woolworths supermarket, a step up from the dingy Woolworths I remember from my childhood.
Scramble, chaps
Arrival of the inbound kite, a sturdy ATR 72 turboprop, for our wizard flight to Auckland from Marlborough Airport (BHE). Hoping for no flak (turbulence) en route. (Word choices inspired by Biggles, fictional WW1 and WW2 British pilot.)
The final stretch
The Cougar Line boat arrived to collect us for our return to Picton after the final section of our hike. It was another day of lovely wooded trails that sheltered us from the sun, offering views of coves, mossy rocks, and vegetation indigenous to New Zealand. Whenever we encountered other hikers, they were invariably in a good mood, and so were we.
The space between: between resorts, between sounds
Queen Charlotte Sound to our left and Kenepuru Sound to our right, the trail proceeds between the two, offering lovely views. Another hour or two of hiking and we’ll reach the Te Mahia Bay Resort, our comfy doss for the night.
Ridges, rocks, and a resort
Continued hiking the Queen Charlotte Track, passing lovely mossy rock walls and lush epiphytes. Ridges offered great views of the sounds on both sides, with enough climbing to make it feel like a true hike rather than a walk in the park. A beautiful day on the trail, interrupted by a comfortable resort hotel for the night.
Off-grid mod cons*
A rest day: comfortably glamping off the grid for a couple of nights over a ridge from Queen Charlotte Sound. Here’s the view from our bedroom hut as I settle in for a nap: our kitchen hut (with a dishwasher!) with Kenepuru Sound beyond. In the mornings, the owner brings freshly baked bread and croissants, and in the evenings, a from-scratch pizza. *Modern conveniences, indeed.