Day two started with a buffet breakfast at the hotel. One of my favorite things about international travel is smoked fish for breakfast. Today I had smoked fish wrapped in smoked fish with a side of smoked fish. One was salmon, but I'm not sure about the others. Looking forward to tomorrow's breakfast (not that this is all about eating, but it kind of is).
Michael the concierge recommended a trip to Waiheke Island. There were lots of tours and tasting packages, but I thought the prices seemed a little steep so we opted for the round-trip (they call it "return") ferry and all day bus pass. I guarantee we had better wine, food and adventures than the folks on the tours.
After a scenic 45-minute ferry ride from Auckland to Waiheke, we jumped on bus #1 and took it to the end of the line at Onetangi Beach. There were lots of tourists and locals on the bus, but we got a good laugh when a girl questioned the driver about the location of the beach. He replied that he'd been doing this for 40 years and was pretty sure he knew.
Tide was out and the beach was wide and flat with fine gray sand. I was surprised by how few people were on the beach, but we did see these black birds with red beaks.
There are some great looking houses on the hills with stunning views. At the next bus stop, we found a map showing a walking trail around the island. We decided to take the trail to our first winery. It started with a 185-step staircase up a hill. Did I mention its warm and humid in New Zealand? I took the opportunity to stop and enjoy the view many times.
Eventually, with a little help from a friendly Canadian lady, we found Obsidian Vineyard. Our server, Sharon, directed us to a table and setup us up with a bottle of water before she began pouring wines. For each wine, she came to our table, told us about the wine and answered our questions. She also brought us a plate of cheese, crackers and olives. No bellying up to the wine bar and pushing us through the wine list.
Sharon suggested we walk through the vineyards to get to the next winery. Our map did not have a legend, so we had no idea how far it was between wineries. This is what those tour folks missed out on. We saw girls covering the vines with nets to keep the birds away before the upcoming harvest; we walked through an olive orchard and what looked like a rain forest; and we communed with the butterflies. And did I mention it was hot? And the trees are all chirping with cicadas?
Te Motu Vineyard had some great reds. Once again we were seated at a patio table and attended to by our server. I asked if all New Zealand vineyards did tastings this way, but she said no only Te Motu and Obsidian. I could get used to that kind of personal service while wine tasting!
We also had lunch at Te Motu. Since we had been tasting wine, our server suggested a refreshing beverage of lemon, cucumber, mint, apple juice, hopped beer and vodka. Sounds weird, but it was very refreshing. A toddler at the next table was enjoying hers, sans vodka. I had buckwheat polenta with smoked ricotta, fresh greens grown there, duck egg, lemon and sage. Shawn had venison with beets, freekah, walnut tarator and pomegranate molasses. Both were outstanding.
After a leisurely lunch, it was time to hit the trail again through the vineyards. Our last stop was Stoneyridge Vineyard. It was a larger establishment with a nice view, but the wines were not as good as the smaller wineries. The tours (bus and helicopter) stop here, so I was glad we had opted to make our own adventure.
Then it was back to the bus and a return ferry ride to Auckland. Our last evening in the big city was a walk (because 5 miles wasn't enough yet) to an industrial looking mall with restaurants and a brewery. Brothers Brewery had a selection on New Zealand beers on tap. We tried a flight of 5 but must admit they were not as good as anything we have in Sacramento. Maybe we'll find something better in Nelson.
Tomorrow we brave the car again and head north to Paihia.
Daily ratings:
Obsidian Winery - 4 Kiwis
Te Matu Winery - 4.5 Kiwis
Te Matu Restaurant - 4 Kiwis
Brothers Brewery - 3 Kiwis
Gelato flavor: mango coconut
Steps: 14,388
Michael the concierge recommended a trip to Waiheke Island. There were lots of tours and tasting packages, but I thought the prices seemed a little steep so we opted for the round-trip (they call it "return") ferry and all day bus pass. I guarantee we had better wine, food and adventures than the folks on the tours.
After a scenic 45-minute ferry ride from Auckland to Waiheke, we jumped on bus #1 and took it to the end of the line at Onetangi Beach. There were lots of tourists and locals on the bus, but we got a good laugh when a girl questioned the driver about the location of the beach. He replied that he'd been doing this for 40 years and was pretty sure he knew.
Tide was out and the beach was wide and flat with fine gray sand. I was surprised by how few people were on the beach, but we did see these black birds with red beaks.
There are some great looking houses on the hills with stunning views. At the next bus stop, we found a map showing a walking trail around the island. We decided to take the trail to our first winery. It started with a 185-step staircase up a hill. Did I mention its warm and humid in New Zealand? I took the opportunity to stop and enjoy the view many times.
Eventually, with a little help from a friendly Canadian lady, we found Obsidian Vineyard. Our server, Sharon, directed us to a table and setup us up with a bottle of water before she began pouring wines. For each wine, she came to our table, told us about the wine and answered our questions. She also brought us a plate of cheese, crackers and olives. No bellying up to the wine bar and pushing us through the wine list.
Sharon suggested we walk through the vineyards to get to the next winery. Our map did not have a legend, so we had no idea how far it was between wineries. This is what those tour folks missed out on. We saw girls covering the vines with nets to keep the birds away before the upcoming harvest; we walked through an olive orchard and what looked like a rain forest; and we communed with the butterflies. And did I mention it was hot? And the trees are all chirping with cicadas?
Te Motu Vineyard had some great reds. Once again we were seated at a patio table and attended to by our server. I asked if all New Zealand vineyards did tastings this way, but she said no only Te Motu and Obsidian. I could get used to that kind of personal service while wine tasting!
We also had lunch at Te Motu. Since we had been tasting wine, our server suggested a refreshing beverage of lemon, cucumber, mint, apple juice, hopped beer and vodka. Sounds weird, but it was very refreshing. A toddler at the next table was enjoying hers, sans vodka. I had buckwheat polenta with smoked ricotta, fresh greens grown there, duck egg, lemon and sage. Shawn had venison with beets, freekah, walnut tarator and pomegranate molasses. Both were outstanding.
After a leisurely lunch, it was time to hit the trail again through the vineyards. Our last stop was Stoneyridge Vineyard. It was a larger establishment with a nice view, but the wines were not as good as the smaller wineries. The tours (bus and helicopter) stop here, so I was glad we had opted to make our own adventure.
Then it was back to the bus and a return ferry ride to Auckland. Our last evening in the big city was a walk (because 5 miles wasn't enough yet) to an industrial looking mall with restaurants and a brewery. Brothers Brewery had a selection on New Zealand beers on tap. We tried a flight of 5 but must admit they were not as good as anything we have in Sacramento. Maybe we'll find something better in Nelson.
Sky Tower at night with rainbow lighting
Daily ratings:
Obsidian Winery - 4 Kiwis
Te Matu Winery - 4.5 Kiwis
Te Matu Restaurant - 4 Kiwis
Brothers Brewery - 3 Kiwis
Gelato flavor: mango coconut
Steps: 14,388
Comments
Also, Chuck says HI! He became my best buddy on the first night, because I played with him and let him sit on my lap....still not letting him outside though.