Seagull Entertainment

This weekend I decided to take another walk out to St Heliers Bay, only this time go a little further along as I'd heard there was a great lookout on the cliff top. It was a slightly overcast day, but pretty warm when the sun did periodically show itself. 

It took a couple of hours to make it out to St Heliers, and another few minutes to scale the cliff. I may have been horrendously hot and sweaty getting there, but the views were definitely worth it.

After spending some time taking in the spectacular views I decided to stop for a bite to eat. The night before I had ordered some takeaway noodles and hadn't managed to finish them all, so took them with me on my trek. I walked down the cliff to a place called Ladies Bay, it was pretty much deserted so I sat on the rocks where I had a good view of Brown's Island on one side, and of Rangitoto on the other.

I found a comfortable little spot on the rocks and opened up my lunch. The noodles I had ordered were quite spicy and had a number of large chillies in them. I had eaten one the night before because I wasn't sure how hot they were.... I then spent the next 10 minutes salivating LOTS and attempting to use milk to quell the fire. Needless to say it didn't really work! To make sure I didn't have a repeat of the chilli incident, the first thing I did was to remove every chilli in the noodles and throw them onto the rocks. I then grabbed a fork and began to tuck in. After about 3 mouthfuls a large seagull landed (how did it find me?!) and began edging towards me. I sighed and rolled my eyes as I thought I was going to be pestered until I had finished eating, but as the seagull got within a few metres it bent over and snatched one of the chillies I had discarded on the rocks. HA-HA! REVENGE! It then proceeded to swallow it (I presume whole) and then went nuts for the next 2 or 3 minutes drinking water from the rock pools and running from side to side. After it had finished going crazy, it started edging towards me again..... and then picked up another chilli! This time it had a little more sense and after playing with it for a few minutes, decided it didn't want to consume it. It then proceeded to test every single chilli that I had thrown away, but didn't eat any more. For it's bravery I saved it a raisin from my fruit and nut selection.

After enjoying the lunchtime entertainment I moved on to the lookout point. There was a great view of Browns Island, and also the Auckland Sky Tower in the distance.

 I sat at the lookout for a good 10 minutes before deciding to make my way home. The great thing about New Zealand houses is that people design exactly what they want, so every home is different. They just buy a piece of land and can pretty much build anything they like (within reason), so I always find it interesting to look at the different styles of house. On the walk back through St Heliers I managed to find the oddest combination of housing I have seen since being in New Zealand. One house was a beautiful Mediterranean-style villa, built in a square with a courtyard in the middle. The courtyard had a large fountain in the middle, terracotta pots everywhere and there were vines growing up the sides of the building. Immediately next door there was a very modern-looking house with wooden panelling on the outside and built with clean, straight lines. The two houses could not have been more different, I think I would have opted for the villa.

I then began the long trek back home, and arrived just in time for dinner. My feet ached and I was exceptionally tired, but am pleased I have managed to teach at least one seagull a valuable life lesson.

The Coromandel

Last weekend I travelled to the Coromandel, which is well known throughout New Zealand for its beautiful scenery. Unfortunately I could only stay for the day, otherwise I would have quite like to have stayed overnight. There was a free bus that collected you from the ferry and took you into town, or you could get free transport to your accommodation - a pretty good deal if you ask me! The weather was fairly good,  a little windy, but not too bad. Coromandel town itself is absolutely tiny, it mainly consists of takeaways, bars and coffee shops for the tourists. There are a few gift shops, and some bait and tackle places for the fishermen, but that's about it. I took a picture of the hustle and bustle of Coromandel for you all to see. I had to ask the crowds to stand behind me so I could get a clear view of the main street, but as you can see, they were very obliging.

I arrived at about 11am and the ferry was due to leave at 4pm, so I didn't really have a lot of time. I decided to take a walk out to the end of a peninsula that was fairly close by. I took a few pictures of the surrounding scenery just as I left the township. I'd have loved to have scaled some of the mountains, but time was limited :(

The walk out to the peninsula was very hilly, and pretty tough going. The views were spectacular though, and some of the houses along the way were very quaint. They would make an excellent holiday home. There were some nice looking islands around the peninsula, maybe I should just inhabit one of those instead!

I made my way down to a small pebbly beach called Wyuna Bay, right at the end of the peninsula. I decided to stop here and eat my lunch (homemade sushi), and take in the scenery. Although the beach wasn't at all sandy, it was very sheltered and nice to get away from the wind.... and the crowds of course ;)

After lunch, I decided to walk back towards town and took a detour along a forest walk. The region used to be a gold mine, but it was long gone, The locals had decided to try and rejuvenate the area by planting new Pohutakawa trees, which are native to New Zealand. It was a nice short walk, with a lookout area at the top. As I got towards the top, it unfortunately began to rain. At first I was quite angry as I was getting soaked, but as sheltered under the trees I saw a beautiful rainbow which more than made up for the soaking. I wish that there really were pots of gold at the end, because I would have almost certainly been the first one there! 

I waited for the rain to stop and then made my way down the side of the hill to the end of the walk, and carried on back into town. I looked in a few of the gift shops, and ended up purchasing some earrings and a necklace. I also bought a bottle of wine and made a short stop in one of the local bakeries for a blackberry and apple crumble pie and a plain apple crumble pie. I was going to eat one immediately, but then decided I'd prefer them warmed with a 'dash' (i.e. litre) of custard. I was feeling slightly peckish though, so made a stop in one of the takeaways. I purchased a portion of 'kumara' (the Maori name for sweet potato) chips, which came with a huge dollop of sour cream for dipping. Of course I had a feathered audience the entire time, but they didn't distract me too much. The chips were delicious and tasted slightly unusual, but the hot and slightly sweet chips went well with the cooling soured cream. I think I still prefer normal chips, but was glad to have the experience!

After my snack I climbed back on the bus which took us all back to the ferry. Once I had boarded the ferry I took a few snaps of Te Kouma Harbour and the local wharf in the sun. I was disappointed I didn't have more time to spend in the Coromandel, but have already bought another voucher which is valid until the beginning of October. Hopefully the weather will be a little warmer, and I can find a long weekend free for my next expedition.

Once the ferry had returned to Auckland I made my way to the local supermarket to purchase some custard ready for my delicious crumble pies. The very first thing I ate when I got in was the apple and blackberry crumble pie with custard. It was gorgeous, I'd definitely buy it again! I had the apple one the next day, and that was also scrummy :) Not sure what my next trip will be, but I will be sure keep everyone updated via the blog. I imagine that it will involve some sort of food though!

Tamaki Drive

Last night I went out with a few friends from the Anatomy Department and we had cocktails followed by a delicious Thai meal. Needless to say this morning I didn't really feel like doing too much, but knew I had to as Saturday was supposed to be the only nice day this weekend. I think it's supposed to chuck it down for the next few days, possibly into next weekend too :(

After managing to haul myself from the comfort of my bed, I decided it was probably best to get some fresh air. I usually walk out towards the west of Auckland, so this time decided to opt for the east. There is a long road called Tamaki drive which runs right beside the sea and out towards Mission Bay and St Heliers Bay. 

I arrived in Mission Bay after around an hour or so of walking and discovered a really pretty fountain, and the Mission House which used to house school young Melanesian men and train them to become missionaries. In the 1920s it was turned into a flight school and many of New Zealand's pilots were trained there. Mission Bay itself was lovely, seemed to be quite trendy and cosmopolitan. It also has great transport links, a beautiful beach, and lots of different restaurants and bars. Definitely somewhere I would consider living in the future.

After stopping briefly at Mission Bay for a drink of orange juice and a nosey around some of the shops I walked around to the next bay which is called St Heliers Bay. It's just a pretty, and just as trendy. The beach looked fantastic, has a great view of Rangitoto Island and is probably packed in the summer. I have a funny feeling that Mission Bay and St Heliers aren't going to be cheap places to live!

At this point I decided it was probably be best to start making my way back home as it was about 3.30pm and it starts to get dark at about 5pm. I didn't want to walk back the way I had just come so decided to do a giant loop through St Heliers, a place called Orakei (there's not much here so didn't take any pics) and back on to Tamaki Drive. Some of the houses I passed on my way back to the sea front were phenomenal, definitely in the millions of dollars price range. 

By the time I arrived home it was around 6pm and I was absolutely shattered. I had a bite to eat, and then thought I should probably take a couple of pictures of my new Coastguard uniform for you all to see. It's nowhere near as exciting as the UK one. You only get given one polo shirt and then I think you get to chose as to whether you would like a fleece or a jumper, but that's all. It might be different if I decide to go on the boats, I expect the crew might get a bit of extra kit.

Well, off to bed now for some much deserved rest. Don't expect I'll be doing much tomorrow because of the rain, but at least I'll have a delicious roast chicken dinner to look forward to :)

Rotoroa

On Saturday I took a ferry to the island of Rotoroa. I had a Groupon voucher, so instead of costing $49 it was $25. An absolute bargain for a 75min ferry journey through a very scenic Hauraki Gulf. The weather was lovely, very sunny, but a cooling wind. I was still wandering around in t-shirt and jeans though, while everyone else was in thick jackets and a scarves!

The island itself used to belong to the Salvation Army who ran a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre, and took in voluntary and involuntary committals. Apparently there were over 12,000 patients admitted to the centre. In 2005, the facility was closed with many of the buildings already demolished. I did get a snap of the old jail cells though where they used to house the 'uncooperative' inhabitants. They were really small, probably a little smaller than a disabled toilet cubicle!

After exploring the buildings that were left and the small visitor centre I decided to do a tour of the island. It's quite small and undulating, but you could walk from one end to the other in a few hours as the crow flies. The main draw of the island was the stunning views, closely followed by the lovely beaches. There were little bays on either side of the island which was good, because you can always get shelter from the wind. You just need to choose your side carefully!

I started by walking to the south side of the island and looking over the 'Ruthe (a silent 'e') Passage' which runs between Rotoroa and Ponui Island. I felt it was a good place to stop and have a couple of biscuits too!

After a brief break I moved on towards the east of the island to try and find some of the beaches listed on the map. On my way I spotted a thistle, which was great.... a little bit of Scotland in New Zealand. Consequently, I took a picture of it!

After getting a little over-excited about the thistle, I climbed up to the 'South Tower Lookout'. There isn't really a tower there, more of a radio mast really, but the views were sensational! The first picture shows the wharf where the ferry docked and one of the bays where the island's inhabitants used to swim. You can also see Waiheke Island in the background. The second picture is of Chamberlains Bay on Ponui Island, with Waiheke Island to the right, and Sunday Rock in the middle. The last picture is of Mens Bay, one of Rotoroa's lovely sandy beaches, and my next stop.

After walking down a steep gravel track to Mens Bay, I decided to take spend an hour or so on the beach. Mens Bay is so named because only the male inhabitants were allowed to swim here. I was slightly disappointed not to see a single man in Mens Bay though :( I walked right along the bay, and picked up some interesting looking shells. I was even considering taking a dip, until I put my toes into the water and realised it was freezing!

Following some much-needed relaxation time I walked on to Ladies Bay, where the female islanders could swim. It wasn't as big as Mens Bay, but had changing facilities, toilets and a very nice 'hole in the rock' formation. 

After completing my tour of the east side of the island, I began on the North of the Island and walked up to the 'North Tower'. Again, it was just a radio mast, but the views were stunning! The first picture is of the south of Rotoroa with Ponui Island in the background, and the Coromandel at the very back. The second shows the Coromandel Peninsula (I also have a cheap ferry ticket for here), and the third is of Cable Bay (bottom right) with Man O War Bay on Waiheke Island in the background.

I then walked down to Cable Bay for my lunch break (despite having eaten half of it already!), and a spot of sunbathing. It was very sheltered, and there wasn't another soul on the beach. There was a boat anchored in the bay, but that was it. I stayed here for an hour or so, did some skimming of stones, and then moved on.

After lunch I moved on to my final destination of Mai Mai Bay, just around the corner from Cable Bay. I was considering just walking on the rocks around the corner, but decided to take the long route of climbing all the way back up the hill, and then down again into Mai Mai Bay. I didn't get to spend long at Mai Mai, as the ferry was due to leave shortly. It was quite a small beach, but again, lovely and sandy and looked good for a swim.

After Mai Mai, I began my walk back down to the wharf. I passed a small pond, and found a male and female Paradise Duck which are apparently only found in New Zealand, so I was pretty pleased with myself :)

The ferry arrived at about 5pm and we travelled back to Auckland. I sat outside on the deck of the ferry, but by this point had decided on a jacket and scarf too. It was really nice to watch the sunset though, and see the Sky Tower lit up in purple. I was absolutely shattered, so had a bite to eat, a chat with mum on Skype, and then fell straight asleep. Back to the real life today - washing, cleaning and working :(