City of Sails and a Stingray

Auckland is purported to have the greatest number of pleasure boasts per capita than any city in the world. Since the 1840s regattas were held on the Waitmata Harbor and today it is no different. Standing atop Bastion Point we could see the city of Auckland across the harbor with the Sky tower jutting into the 21st century. This site is beautiful for kite flying, sunning, and relaxing, but its history speaks of turmoil and takeovers.

Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter and Underworld reminds us of how close New Zealand is to the South Pole and its important role in exploration. There are many exhibits focusing on the journey of Robert F Scott , a snow cat tour of live penguins complete with snow, and an underwater walkway where we observed all the fish that got away when we fish. However, what really caught our eye was a young woman feeding a stingray that was the size of a gianormous round tabletop. The stingray gracefully glided through the water and would almost stand upright, embracing her with its wings/arms/fins. Many in the audience watched with clenched hands or offered silent prayers either fearful or transfixed by the stingray’s graceful beauty.

Brick Bay and Bohemians

The Brick Bay Winery and Sculpture trail is reminiscent of the spirit of Frank Lloyd Wright's work. Settled in a gentle valley the glass building which includes a resturant and wine tasting area spans the small lake. Sheep graze on the hills in between vineyards and sculpture walks. Good wine, good food, good scenery, in an intimate setting. What more do you need?

The Church of St Peter and Paul built in 1881 heralds the tiny community of Puhoi, New Zealand’s earliest Bohemian settlement. This charming community has the essence of old world Europe. Its early settlers were from an area of what is now known as the Czech Republic just outside of Prague. They make an incredible cheeses here. It is just too convenient that they go so well with the wines from Matakana Coast!

Certain Ceramics and Clouds

Nothing sets your day right like a trip to Morris & James, Pottery, Tileworks & Café-Bar about an hour’s drive from Auckland near Warkworth, in the heart of Matakana Coast Wine Country. The relaxed ambience and sense of timeless beauty is found in the gallery. Famous in New Zealand each piece is hand decorated with abstract modern and New Zealand iconic images. Take a look online. They ship overseas too.

Remember getting there is often the best part of the journey. On the way we saw magnificent views on top a narrow ridge. The trees conformed to invisible winds and dense grasses gnarled and matted lay on the rich dark earth.I think they have been here since the beginning of time.

Orewa beach is a long strip of sand that makes for perfect swimming, surfing, and boating. Here the clouds touched and mimicked the north island's reach. I read that New Zealand is called the land of long clouds. These clouds must have been around the day they named it.

New Zeal-landers

Wow! What a time we had in New Zealand! It was with great zeal (all puns intended) that we discovered the land … the lakes.. islands …beaches … rainforests. The landscapes we saw evocated far oft memories of maybe a book, a photo, a fairy tale?

We spent the first part of our ten-day trip in the welcoming home of Zac’s family on their farm outside Auckland. Our first glimpse of New Zealand was from their porch settled above rolling hills, some gentle and some steep. Although it was winter, the hills lay covered with a verdant green, cattle and sheep grazed nearby. A large hawk drifted on the waves of wind overhead. Although we saw much on the trip to New Zealand this first look remains the strongest.