Today is Saturday in Auckland, the final day of Pride Month. Our hostess for the day, the fabulous Buckwheat, introduced the music at the Auckland Art Gallery’s Pride Festival this morning. It was a rare sight to see a drag queen so early in the day. Later, we observed the Auckland Rainbow Community Choir rehearsing a program inspired by gay icons such as Audrey Hepburn, Liza Minnelli, and Lady Gaga.
Category: Place
Puhinui Stream Forest Trail
Another day, another walk through native bush. Today was the Puhinui Stream Forest Trail in Totara Park, located right next to the Auckland Botanic Gardens we explored a couple of weeks ago.
What we sipped in Auckland stays in Auckland (sadly)
We took the city bus out to Soljans Estate Winery, where we started with a tasting of five different wines. Next, in the restaurant, we sat down for a delicious lunch (I had grilled fish) paired with our favorite of the day, the Pinot Gris. Everything was top-tier quality; the only downside is that they don’t distribute their wines in the US.
The island that rose from the sea 600 years ago
Volcanic Rangitoto Island erupted from the sea just 600 years ago. We spent several hours hiking past native bush rapidly establishing itself across the lava fields, eventually reaching the summit for panoramic views.
Pix at Piha’s beach
Morning walk along the black sand beach at the end of our two-night stay in Piha, a world away from Auckland, just a 45-minute Uber ride.
The easy beauty of a waterfall
Hiked more beautiful bush trails today: again up, up, up. It’s impossible to pick just one photo to encapsulate the beauty here, so here’s a waterfall we passed this morning.
The wild west coast
Today it was time for something different: two nights away at Piha, on the Tasman Sea within the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park. Just 20 miles from the home we’re renting, it feels like a world apart with a distinct off-the-grid vibe. After a stroll along the seafront past the weekend surfers, we hiked up a hill, and “up” was certainly the operative word. The views, however, rewarded the climb.
Tracing Te Auaunga
Went for a walk from our home for the month, eventually joining the lovely Oakley Creek (Te Auaunga) Path. The trail follows a winding stream wrapped in carefully restored native bush; the city was all around us, yet stayed completely invisible from the floor of the deep gully.
A trek around Tiritiri Matangi Island
We took the ferry to Tiritiri Matangi Island, about 20 miles from downtown Auckland. The entire island is a nature reserve, home to restored native bush and bird species once thought extinct. We spent three hours hiking the coastal trails that ring the island. The birdsong was magical: we got to hear sounds that were once thought lost forever.
Rest day reads
Decided to take it easy today with a little walk to the park and beach at the end of the peninsula where we’re staying. Along the way, “little libraries” offered free books. For many years now, we’ve built an ebook library we can carry with us everywhere. Right now, Dwight is reading a novel downloaded from Amazon, while I’ve checked out my novel online from the Hennepin County Library back home.