Ed. Note: The following post and those thereafter in this series are copied word for word from my paper journal. I have only edited my thoughts for punctuation and grammar.
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| Auckland Sunset |
April 23, 2012
Well, here I am on day 5 of this expedition and I have only just realized the importance of keeping a journal! Michelle, my current travel partner, has been keeping one since day one, but I figured in 2012 I would have better access to my blog, facebook page and twitter. Although access to these 21st century journals would be nice, the simple pen and paper may be nice to reflect on in future years!
We arrived here in Auckland on a Thursday morning. The overnight flight from Vancouver and LA was nice as it did not mess with our internal clocks too much. I had spent three days in Vancouver with Steph before meeting Michelle in LA and I must say those were some of the best 3 days I have had to date. We spent our time together hiking the North Shore, exploring the city and enjoying some terrific food and wine along the way. My only regret of our time together is that it wasn't long enough! Perhaps she can meet up with me again in the future, but regardless, I am sure I will be seeing a lot of that amazing woman in the years to come.
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| Oneroa Beach, Waiheke Island |
As I write this I am sitting on Little Oneroa Beach, located on the North Shore of Waiheke Island. But let me take some time to explain how I got to this small island paradise... Auckland was a good start to this journey but I can see why those who had been before did not rave of this Northern Kiwi metropolis. The city itself is clean, friendly and large enough to house a vibrant and interesting culture. However, it was not much unlike Toronto, and perhaps a bit boring.
Michelle and I spent the first day sorting out logistics. I received my BNZ EFTPOS card and deposited the cash I'd brought with me. Michelle also set up her phone for service here in NZ, but I'll have to wait a few more days before I can do the same with my iPhone.
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| SkyTower, Auckland |
The next day we went downtown to check out the SkyTower. A beautiful view of the city and its surroundings, but only so during the day. Neither Michelle or I were impressed with the view at night when we returned later the same day.
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| View from the top - Rangitoto Island, Auckland |
What did impress me was the incredible hike up Rangitoto Island. Just a 25min ferry ride from Auckland lies the youngest of the Auckland Volcanic Field's peaks. You can hike to the peak, over jagged volcanic rock, in under an hour and the views are worth the effort! Probably the highlight of my time in Auckland as it was the least city-like of the things I did!
The following day, Michelle and I visited the Auckland domain and the Auckland Museum. Both were quite stuning on the outside, but failed to impress from within. Auckland Museum has a terrific collection of Maori pieces from over the years, but they really failed to convey the Maori history to the museum goers. The incredible tension between the Maori and Kiwi's is evident even in the way the pieces descriptions are written. There is certainly room for improvement here, and perhaps the Kiwi's can learn from Canada and how we have come to appreciate and respect our native history and culture.
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| Mt. Eden, Auckland |
Perhaps the most unique experience of our time in Auckland was on a run I did one morning from the hostel. Having seen Mt Eden from our walks about town, I decided to try and get to its peak on our second day in Auckland. Upon reaching its peak I was gifted with one of the most beautiful and serene views imaginable. The dormant volcano made for a terrific vantage point of the city, allowing for views in all directions. I will certainly return here one day if my travels ever bring me back to NZ.
And so, after our first 3 days abroad, Michelle and I hopped on a ferry to the Island of Waiheke. This has turned out to be the best decision of the trip! The island is only 45 minutes from Auckland but feels as though it is a world away! With beaches aplenty, the island has a tropical feel to it, despite the fact that we're surely deep into the Autumn season here! The temperatures are in the high teens, but with the glaring sun, you'd think it were ten above that! And though the beaches are worth the trip, the wineries are something else!
We hit up three wineries today on the island, all located within a 5 minute walk of each other and within 30 minutes of the hostel. The first was Jurassic Ridge and although tasting Lance's (the winemakers) take on Italian wines would have been cool, they were actually on their last day of harvest and unable to do a tasting.
Located right beside Jurassic Ridge is Mudbrick Vineyard. This winery has a long, sloping driveway up to it's amazingly well manicured grounds. The cellar door is located in their old cellars and the rest of the property is devoted to a restaurant/patio. The view here was great as you looked back on the Auckland skyline. At the tasting we were introduced to a young woman from the south island who took us through their standard tasting menu.
Highlights for me were their 2009 Cab/Merlot blend which we tasted alongside the same blend but in a 2010 vintage. Our guide told us that the 2010 vintage was incredibly warm and dry and much longer than the normal summers. 2009, on the other hand, was a standard Waiheke summer. The 2009 was a terrific "Bordeaux Blend" and certainly ready for the glass right now, but the 2010 was in need of some serious cellaring. It had yet to settle down and the tannins were much too rough for easy drinking. It could easily be cellared for 3 to 5 years with the latter guaranteeing a nice, smooth wine.
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| Cable Bay Vineyards, Waiheke Island |
Next on our tramp was Cable Bay Vineyards. A large and well awarded NZ winery, and perhaps the most infamous on the island. Like Mudbrick, they grew many grapes at the Waiheke property, but also used contract growers in Marlborough and Central Otago. Highlights included:
- 2009 Chardonnay. Grown on the island, this chard has just the right amount of oak and great acidity balanced with the residual sugars.
- 2010 Pinot Noir - Central Otago. This pinot was reflective of what NZ pinot should be. A subtle nose, well balnaced acidity, and easy on the palette. Cherry was overwhelmingly present in this glass.
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| Cable Bay Vineyards, Waiheke Island |
The winery features a stunning hilltop location with views back to Auckland. The restuarant and surrounding gardens are worth the visit.
Michelle and I then spent the remainder of the day on the beach in Oneroa and decided to book another night at the lodge. The next day we hopped on a bus from the lodge (backpackers) and made the trek across the top part of the island to Onetangi. A long, sandy beach lay in wait for us, but even better for me, a couple wineries were also close by! I left Michelle on the beach shortly after arriving and began the trek up the hills behind the beach to where I suspected the wineries would be. The small map I had helped in this endeavour but I am never too reliant on something that could have been drawn by a talented 6 year old!
Regardless, the wineries soon appeared but unfortunately 2 out of 3 were closed. The first was the Hay Paddock which looked promising, but just like Jurassic Ridge the day before, they too were out harvesting. So I continued on along a high road to where Casita Miro (little house of Miro, a famous Spanish artist) lay. This small winery had a beautifully located tapas restaurant built into a hill above a number of their vines. I was the only one there as it was a Tuesday around noon and not much seems to happen on this part of the island on even the busiest days.
Yet, I was still asked to pay the 15$ tasting fee for a flight of 5 wines! Despite the inklings of a tasting bound to leave a bad taste in my mouth, I was pleased to find a couple gems...
- 2009 Syrah Viognier
This estate grown wine had an incredible nose to it and was I was immediately captivated by that alone. Balanced and smooth, with no hard tannins, this wine was beautifully done.
*I later saw this bottle at a shop for 75$, so the 15$ tasting wasn't so bad after all!
- Madame Rouge Aperitif NV
A very nice sherry-like wine that was just the perfect amount of sweetness and easily drinkable. It would also do well in many food dishes when reduced as a syrup.
I was a bit disappointed by the lack of knowledge the tasting guide exhibited, but as I read later on in my lonely planet guide, knowledgeable staff are hard to come by on the island and often managers are left to hire whatever comes in the door looking for a pay cheque. Which is fine, but at least make sure your sole person responsible for selling your wines knows where the grapes are from and which ones are in the bottle she is pouring. I had a small chuckle when the Mexican woman working the counter informed me that the Cabernet grapes in the Cabernet, Merlot and Malbec blend were not the Franc or Sauvignon ones they use in other bottles, but the specific 'Cabernet Merlot' that is grown on premise. In any regard, she taught me a good lesson on the importance of ensuring your front line staff are prepared!
Next, and last, on the trek was Obsidian Winery. Unfortunately they too were also closed for harvest, but showed great potential judging by their primo vineyard location and upkeep.
I joined back up with Michelle for a late lunch which quickly became one of the best salads I've had in a long time! Chorizo, calamari, and rocket was the simple descriptor on the feature board at Charlie Farley's. Located on Onetangi beach and with an excellent patio, this traditional beachside eatery served up some great grub. The aformentioned salad was terrific! The calamari was cooked and seasoned to perfection and the plate came together beautifully despite the many competing flavours. Michelle had a great example of NZ fish and chips, though I am not sure what type of fish it was.
We finished up the afternoon at the beach, the returned to the hostel for dinner and drinks with the rest of the Hekerua lodge guests. It was our last night before getting in the camper for the Northland so it was good to get some kiwi advice on our impending road trip from Thomas, the owner, and Johnny, his best-mate, while watching the NZ Breakers (basketball) beat Perth's NBL representation in the league championship. Although the game was low scoring (it finished in the high 70's) and akin to NCAA skill, it was quite exciting to see a championship come down to just one game.
