When Trish and I planned our trip we though we’d give ourselves an extra day after Pamela’s birthday to recover from the festivities before flying out, which was an excellent plan in theory. We didn’t realize the party wouldn’t be till the 16th! So we had to get up at 5 AM the morning (I use the term loosely) after the celebration to get to the airport for our flight to Queenstown.
We said our farewells to Pamela the night before so we didn’t need to wake her before the crack of dawn. We packed, made the bed, and snuck out before the sun rose.
It was a very rainy morning so our flight was slightly delayed.
The international terminal at Sydney is only set up to accommodate large planes and we had a small plane for the jump back to New Zealand. That meant they had to bus us out onto the tarmac to board, which would have been OK, except for the rain! We were all a bit soaked by the time we made if from the bus, up the stairs, and inside the aircraft!
Museli for brunchThat’s some hairdo
The flight to Queenstown was actually faster than from Auckland (and we made up time in the air) so we didn’t arrive too late. Plus, the weather was MUCH better when we arrived!
We’re staying at the QT Queenstown, which is very conveniently located and has a gorgeous view (not that there are any bad views around here).
The hotel is built into a hill, so you actually enter on Floor 8. At first I was afraid we’d have to walk up and down that hill to get to and from town, but there’s another exit on the lake side that has a flat path to town.
Or room is neat and has a teeny tiny balcony.
RoomRoomBathroom
We even saw the TSS Earnslaw steam past (which we’ll be taking later this week)!
We decided to have dinner at the hotel and call it an early night since we had to get up so early for our flight. The main restaurant looked cool, with its various chef stations, but the menu happened to be fried American foods and smoked meats. We opted to eat at the bar, Reds, instead.
Unfortunately, the food was just OK. The only standout dish was the razor shaved octopus Trish ordered.
White bean hummus and veggies
Smoked fish croquettes
Lobster roll
Razor shaved octopus
I finally got a true New Zealand hit-you-in-the-face-with-pineapple-and-grapefruit sauvignon blanc and Trish had a chili mojito.
The spectacular view made up for the less than spectacular food. We also found three different examples of the different “styles” of mountains we encountered earlier this year in a wedding style quiz from The Knot. The idea of “casual mountains” continues to crack us up.
Casual Mountain
Classic Mountain
Majestic Mountain
After dinner I enjoyed a luxurious soak in the tub, which is actually long enough for me to stretch out fully. I was in heaven! Afterwards, I snuggled up in a robe and enjoyed the sunset view.
Yesterday may have been Pamela’s actual birthday, but today was Party Day.
Trish and I are officially old ladies because we went to bed before Pamela got back from her 90th birthday dinner! When we got up in the morning we eagerly pressed her for details.
Andrew, Wendy, Brett, and Sandra took her to a club with a semi-private quiet room. The showered her with flowers and gave her a book of photos Wendy put together.
Pamela’s family knows how much she means to us, so Wendy had an extra copy made for the Alcorns, which was truly touching. There are amazing photos in there of Pamela as a small child, young woman, and throughout her many travels. One thing is consistent, she never changes! Proof that the best face cream money can’t buy is a youthful spirit.
Pamela sat down with Trish and me and went through the photos describing who was in them, where they’d been taken, and telling both funny and sad stories from her 90 years. That time was a great gift!
The rest of the day was spent preparing physically and emotionally for the evening’s festivities. Trish cooked us a hearty brunch of bacon and eggs.
…Though she couldn’t immediately identify European bacon in the refrigerator!
Pamela told us how she learned to make bacon from her mother. She fills the skillet with enough water to cover the bacon and brings it to a simmer for a minute or so. Then she dumps the water out and replaces it with a bit of butter or oil to finish frying the bacon. Trish executed perfectly!
The festivities began at 3:35 sharp, when Karina arrived right on schedule to collect us and drive us over to the golf club. Pamela’s party had a room set aside and her family had bedecked the hall with balloons. Brett encouraged everyone to take advantage of the bar and carried cheese trays around the room.
Pamela requested some 360 degree video of the party, so here it is:
It was a lovely party! There were about 40 people in attendance from all walks of Pamela’s life, from her cousin Janice to her friends from the Blue Mountains, to her Breakfast point community, and more. They’d all heard stories about her adventures with the Alcorns and knew Trish and I were expected at the party. We met her friends Thea and Wendy whose marriage she attended last year after Australia legalized same-sex marriage.
Andrew, Brett, and Simon gave beautiful speeches about Pamela’s life, accomplishments, and general awesomeness. Pamela herself concluded the evening with a lovely speech. At her special request, she had a carrot cake and champagne toast.
She was up bright and early to fully enjoy the day. She’s a popular lady! She opened the cards and gifts that her friends dropped off in advance. She got numerous emails (including one that sang!) to wish her a happy day. And we were her message service while she was out having birthday coffee with a friend. She got four calls in the one hour we manned the phones.
When she got back we set out sandwich fixings for a simple lunch since Brett and Andrew are taking her out to a mystery dinner tonight. They won’t tell her anything about it!
She encouraged us to go out and enjoy a touristy activity in the afternoon since the weather looked favorable. So, we called an Uber to take us to one of the places I’m most nostalgic about in Australia: Featherdale Wildlife Park.
We’ve been to visit the park every time I’ve been in Australia (starting when I was just 11 years old). It’s not as impressive as the big Taronga Zoo in Sydney, but it is much more hands on. The rule at Featherdale is “if you can reach it and you’re brave enough to touch it, you can.” There are also kangaroos and wallabies hopping around the park.
Trish loved every minute of it.
We started our day by checking out some sleepy koalas. They have incredibly long digestive tracts to handle the massive amount of nutrient-poor eucalyptus they exclusively feed on. This only leaves them with enough energy for a few waking hours a day.
We also got to meet a very handsome koala named Duke for a photo op included in our admission. He was much softer and smelled better than previous koalas I’ve met at Featherdale. He even woke up (sort of) for our photo.
There was another Australian animal we wanted to meet later in the day (who shall remain anonymous for now). We were able to negotiate a deal to get that photo op for a discount since we didn’t realize you could buy two animal meet and greets for a discount.
After bidding Duke a nice morning nap we went looking for kangaroos interested in our cups of food.
This guy bluntly told me I was holding the cup in the wrong spot and corrected me.
Trish even got head bops from this guy (well, at least ear bops)!
And he took a great selfie.
The park was much less crowded than when I’ve been previously. Probably due in part to the overcast weather and that it was a weekday afternoon (not during school holidays). We got plenty of one-on-one time with some very soft kangaroos. They like this food, but they used to love the ice cream cones it came in.
Kangaroos actually use their front paws and tail when they’re moving around slowly. They only hop when they’re in a hurry.
We fed quokkas (which are just so dang cute).
We also learned Australia is home to the world’s smallest species of penguin, called blue penguins or fairy penguins. They’re very cute but noisy!
We met some impressive birds, including an emu, some ducks, and cassowary:
Wombats make cube shaped poo and have a flat bone in their butt to fend off predators. We met many of them!
Including a very itchy fellow.
Trish gave him a scratch, but she clearly wasn’t doing it right. He waddled off and scratched himself on a low-hanging branch (to show us how it was done) before coming back so we could get it right.
Trish also got to pet an Echidna. They’re not related to porcupines.
And we caught a talk from a zookeeper about what they eat in the wild (termites) vs. what they eat in the zoo (light egg, full egg, mince meat mash… yum).
And then we headed off to our second animal encounter of the day: a dingo!
We saw them feed the two parents (Bear and Smudge) while another keeper gave a talk about dingos. The three most common guesses people make about the dingo’s closest relative are: dog (because the face), fox (because of the color and bushy tail), and wolf (because… well, that’s correct).
And yes, those people do share a backyard fence with the dingos.
Dingos closest relatives are wolves, though they can interbreed with dogs (which is one of the biggest threats to the species). There are several differences between dogs and dingos, including a flexible wrist (like ours) and the ability to spread their front legs out like a T.
In New South Wales (where Featherdale is), dingos are a threatened species. In Queensland, they’re so numerous they’re considered a pest. Go figure.
They are also Good Boys.
Just watch how they eat out of their trainers hands (literally) and snuggle up for a good scratch.
It is legal to keep a dingo as a pet in NSW, but it requires a lot of effort to keep them entertained, fed, and fenced in.
After the talk they brought out one of Bear and Smudge’s grown-up pups from a previous litter. Her name is Aubrey and the trainers have worked with her to train her to do the photo ops (jump on the barrel and smile for the camera).
We got to scratch her very fuzzy chest. Unfortunately, they’re trying to train her not to lick people (which she loves to do!) because it scares little kids. This meant we had to lean away if she tried to kiss us 🙁
Offscreen: a trainer with a bag of meat scraps
I enjoyed another nostalgic visit to Featherdale and Trish really enjoyed meeting all the animals.
We ubered home before it got too late and unintentionally crashed an impromptu party Pamela’s next door and upstairs neighbors threw her. Pamela’s family came by shortly after and whisked her away to her mystery birthday dinner.
Trish and I opted for a quiet night in finishing up the last of the giant pot of soup we made.
We had another lovely quiet day at Pamela’s. She went to a local club event and was entertained by a group of musicians playing ukeleles. We entertained outselves at home and caught up on email and blogging.
After our leisurely morning, when Pamela returned, she took us on a walk over to the Breakfast Point Country Club for lunch. I thought I was filming a 360 degree video on the walk over… but the camera wasn’t set to record. Oops! I’d even explained how the camera worked to a ukelele player leaving the event who asked what I was carrying around.
Pamela ducked out of the club meeting early to come get us and take us to the Country Club since a large group of them were headed over to the same Country Club after the meeting officially ended.
We got there before the large party and ordered lovely sandwiches. Trish had a chicken and avocado sandwich on Turkish bread (which is a type of flatbread). I had a B.L.A.T (Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, Tomato). It was delicious but it must have been 3.5 inches thick! Eating it was rather a full body experience.
After lunch we stepped out onto the balcony to admire the view. You can see the ferry terminal from up there.
Snapshot of a 360 degree photo of the three of us
I slaughtered Trish at Cribbage in the afternoon. Pamela also helped us do some washing to get ready for the next phase of our trip. She insisted the living room looked like a laundry shop, but it looked fine to us!
We ordered a couple of dishes from the local Thai restaurant, Platform 8, for dinner. Pamela suggested the massumum curry and Trish and I picked out a prawn red curry to try. We also needed an order of curry puffs (since those are Pamela’s favorite).
The curry puffs were delicious. I thought the filling was quite similar to that of a samosa, but the outside was pastry. Trish preferred the prawn curry (which was slightly spicy) but I thought Pamela got it right with the slightly sweet massumum curry. The beef in it was so tender it just fell apart!
Trish also got to participate in her favorite activity. Dishes!
After dinner, a thunderstorm rolled in. It was actually quite peaceful watching the lightning light up the clouds and listening to the rain on the balcony.
After yesterday’s scorching heat it was a bit gloomy today (but thankfully cooler!). We had a quiet day at Pamela’s.
I tried to style my hair this morning and ended up with… well… this:
Which looks a lot like this:
I’m going to pretend it was intentional…
It’s still far from frigid but the gloomy weather had me thinking it was a day for “Stedman Healing Medicine” (aka potato/beef soup). I took another jaunt to the market to acquire the supplies while Pamela was out playing Bridge.
The soup turned out beautifully!
Step 1: Brown beef and bones!
Step 2: Carrots!
Step 3: Celery!
Step 4: Onions!
Step 5: Beef stock!
Step 6: Potatoes!
Step 7: Bay Leaf!
Step 8: Enjoy!
I had to make one small adaption to the recipe due to a lack of bullion. I think it was successful though (since we’re in the land of tasty cattle).
We had another leisurely afternoon capped off with good scotch and better company.
We spent time yesterday afternoon looking at our options for quintessential tourist things to do and when to do them. Monday and Tuesday were forecasted to be blisteringly hot but there’s rain in the forecast from Wednesday to Friday (though it will be cooler!). We decided to go do air conditioned things on Tuesday morning while it was still (relatively) cooler outside.
We caught an early ferry from Cabarita into Sydney’s Circular Quay. The ferry was full of commuters (and it would be a lovely commute). We were definitely the only ones taking pictures! The ride is lovely and involves sailing directly under the Harbour Bride. Circular Quay is also right next to the Sydney Opera House (our second destination).
We arrived about an hour and fifteen minutes before our scheduled tour so we could walk around the gardens surrounding it before it got too hot.
We had to stop for some tourist photos first though! Thanks to the early hour and the random Tuesday we chose to visit, the steps of the Opera House were more deserted than I’ve ever seen them!
TrishDani
After our photo ops, we went to walk around the gardens.
At one point, we stopped to look at a signpost to select a direction. We’d only been standing there for 30 seconds when a morning jogger stopped to ask us if we were lost! When we told her we were just deciding where to head, she offered to take a picture of us with two (no, make that four *wink*) Sydney icons.
I managed to choose a less than scenic path behind an old building for the first bit of our walk. It was pretty once we finally made it to the lawn!
We also admired some sculpture throughout the park, including a giant rock made of little rocks and a gazebo made of barbed wire.
We admired many plants and flowers but had no idea what they were.
Our Sydney Opera House tour started at 9:30 AM, but it was getting pretty toasty by about 9 AM so we headed to the Opera House early for some shade and a bathroom break. The bathroom was… interesting.
This bathroom is in the Sydney Opera House sub-structure. You enter from inside the building but the bathroom is (sort of) open air.
Our tour utilized personal headphones so we could hear our guide however far away we were from our guide. They worked remarkably well! We didn’t miss any of her talk that way.
Our guide’s name was Rosie, the coincidence of which entertained me since I’d just re-listened to The Rosie Project (set in Australia). She was very sweet and entertaining.
The structure is a feat of structural engineering, built on the edge of what was possible at the time. The architect, Jørn Utzon, who ultimately won the design competition, was not originally in the short list of final contenders. His designs, though beautifully space age, were more like concept art than architecture. In fact, he hadn’t even consulted with an engineer to make sure they would stand!
The designs evolved many times for structural and financial reasons. Ultimately, each “sail” was constructed as part of a sphere, which allowed the enormous concrete sections to be pre-cast using the same molds.
The concrete is smooth, since it’s been polished, but you can still see the grain of the materials used to construct the mold.
The glass is also structural. According to our guide, this is the first building to ever use glass as a structural material. It arrived in 20 meter long sheets from France and took eight men to maneuver into place after it had been cut up.
It’s also set at an angle to allow viewers inside to see out rather than see their own reflection.
The Opera House sits on Bennelong Point (named after an Aboriginal leader the English captured and turned into a liaison). It has stunning views of the harbour.
Utzon was a perfectionist. He labored over each detail, including the tiles that cover the sails. There are two colors, one rough and one smooth. The sails never need to be cleaned because the tiles are specially designed to trap dirt and debris and then be washed clean by rain. That said, they are basically just fancy bathroom tiles.
Our guide kept telling us to touch the building and “give it some love” so I hugged it.
The construction was long, checkered, and filled with drama. The original architect, Utzon, left Australia due to political pressure before the Opera House was completed. He never saw it finished.
They anticipated it would take 3 years to build the Opera House and that it would cost $7 million. It actually took almost 15 years and cost $102 million. This may have contributed to Utzon’s premature departure. However, that hefty sum did not come out of taxpayer’s pockets. The funds came either from the State Lottery or private donations.
We also got to tour the inside of the theatres, including the tiny Playhouse (which was originally designed for chamber music but is now for theatrical productions) and the two largest theatres. Though it is called the “Opera House” the Sydney Opera actually got booted out of the largest theatre by the Sydney Orchestra, which was more popular. The Opera and Ballet companies now share the second largest space, semi-recently renamed the Joan Sutherland theatre, after a famous Australian soprano.
Painting of Joan Sutherland
We couldn’t take any pictures because there were set pieces for Turnadot on stage. However, our guide told us a funny story about why they stretched a safety net below the stage and above the orchestra. You might assume it’s because someone fell off the stage, but no! It’s because one director insisted his set be as realistic as possible, which included having live animals on stage.
One star-struck chicken decided she had more ambition in life than being scenery and made a break for it. She fell off the stage and onto the head of a surprised cellist. Unsure what to do, the cellist flung the chicken back up on stage where she got tangled in the soprano’s skirts. And ever after, there has been a net.
We did get to take pictures inside the largest space, the Concert Hall, which is where the Sydney Orchestra and other musicians play. They were getting set up for a Death Cab for Cutie concert, but no one was on stage (hence the pictures). It’s stunning.
Each detail of the interior was carefully thought out for acoustics. The chairs are made of a soft wood while the wall panels are made of hard wood. This balances out the amplification and sound absorption properties. Also, Death Cab for Cutie doesn’t need them, so they were way up in the rafters, but there are special plastic tubular hangings to catch the sound and reflect it back down to the orchestra so they can play in time with one another.
After our tour (and final photo op), we pillaged the gift store for mementos and headed out for our next destination: The Everything That Can Kill You Museum.
And by that I mean an Exhibit called “Surviving Australia” which as been at the Australian Museum since I was eleven. I promised to take Trish to see all the creepy crawlies that can kill you. Secretly, I hoped the exhibit might dissuade her from picking up any local fauna.
It’s normally a very easy walk from The Opera House/Circular Quay to the museum (just over a kilometer) but it was HOT. We tried to hail a cab but apparently a kilometer is a laughable fare.
I think that’s St. George’s cathedral behind us (or something like that) but this photo was really just an excuse to stop in the shade.
We did make it to the museum without melting. We cooled off in a fascinating exhibit about whales (no pictures were allowed because whales and whale skeletons are sacred to the Maori). Then we went to the top floor for lunch and a (well earned) cool drink.
These were deliciously thirst quenching.
We visited some old haunts in the museum. This skeleton has been there since I was eleven, though all things considered I’m holding up better as I still have two hands.
Sadly, the table full of spiders seems to have been retired. I don’t feel too bad though because Trish still got to look at drawer upon drawer of bugs.
She also befriended the woman next to her in the photo (in the dress), who just happened to be an entomologist from Brazil! She told us lots of fun facts about the specimens on display. My favorite is that when dragonflies mate they make a heart shape (so the entomologist gave out paper cutouts of dragonflies at her wedding).
We saw the Everything That Can Kill You Exhibit. Trish learned nothing.
We ended our visit in the dinosaur area. National Geographic has “gifted” (or cursed) the museum with a new display: T-Rex Autopsy.
Macabre. Interesting, but macabre.
This is a life size reconstruction of a T-Rex that was used in a show about dissecting dinosaurs (to make it more “real”). Creepy or cool, you decide.
We summoned an Uber to take us from the museum back to Circular Quay to get a ferry back to Cabarita and Breakfast Point. Again, the sail was beautiful.
We stayed reasonably cool on the water with a breeze, but Breakfast Point was even hotter than Sydney! By the time we made it back to Pamela’s we were ready to move into her fridge.
We had a relaxed afternoon. For dinner, Pamela and I went to a wonderful Italian restaurant she’d recommended, Angelo’s, to celebrate her birthday a few days early.
We had beautiful salmon with crisp asparagus, peas, lemon curd, and a crumbly green breadcrumb-like substance that was delicious. We spent a wonderful evening chatting away.
We finished the night with a wonderful tiramisu they were nice enough to put a candle into. They were also kind enough NOT to sing.
Today was lovely and relaxed! We would have slept in except Pamela’s building is currently being painted and they needed to move the scaffolding from one window to another. This involved much banging beginning at 7 AM. Since our building in Chicago has been chronically under refurbishment for the past six months, we just feel at home.
Pamela was much more industrious than Trish and I this morning. She had a 9 AM gym appointment with a personal trainer. Trish and I stayed in our PJs and ate cheerios.
Cheerios are slightly different here than the states. They’re slightly larger, flatter, and seem more substantial (they don’t get soggy). They are also apparently an oddity. Neither Pamela nor Andrew (who procured them) had ever heard of them.
After Pamela returned from the gym and had a shower, she took us on a beautiful walk to the path to the wharf we’ll use later in the week to get into Sydney proper. After that, we went to the local grocery store, which is only two short blocks from her apartment. We stopped for cool drinks on the way since it was a balmy 79 degrees. We all had fresh pressed juices. Mine (pineapple, watermelon, mint) and Pamela’s (pineapple/apple) were fairly ordinary. Trish’s (carrot, lemon, mint) raised some eyebrows.
Pamela left us to do the shopping and we had fun exploring an Australian supermarket. The layout was pretty similar to US grocery stores and we found everything we needed quickly. I always love visiting grocery stores while abroad to see the different products and brands that are available.
IGA
Pamela set out a beautiful lunch for us with bread, butter, ham, cheese, and tomatoes. Australian tomatoes are AMAZING.
After lunch we relaxed and did a little research into our tourist options for the rest of the week. We intended to have a pre-dinner drink in the evening, but we’re on vacation and Pamela is almost ninety… so we had it at 3:30 PM. We each enjoyed a sample of the 12 year Glenmorangie scotch leftover from the Alcorn’s last visit to Oz.
Pamela took this one – pretty good for a non-iPhone user!
Pamela seceded control of her kitchen to us for dinner preparations and we made beef bolognese.
It turned out rather beautifully!
Pamela insisted on doing the dishes (so Trish didn’t know what to do with herself).
Morning dawned bright and virtually cloud free. Our two full days in Auckland/Waiheke happened to fall on 2 of 4 rainy days Waiheke has had this summer! Ah well. It just means we’ll have to come back.
We discovered a convenient and economical option for airport transfers so we booked ahead for an 8:20 AM pickup by Super Shuttles. Given how bad the traffic has been we wanted to give ourselves plenty of time to get to the airport and check in before our flight to Sydney. Murphy’s Law kicked in and it was smooth sailing the whole way.
We didn’t mind though because we were able to get into the Strata Lounge (thanks to the Priority One card). This lounge is wonderful! It’s comfortable and quiet and has a full buffet breakfast spread.
We enjoyed sampling an international breakfast including hot cakes, hash browns, Cantonese noodles, congee, spicy fruit toast (basically raisin bread – not sure what makes it “spicy”), museli, and coffee.
We also caught their lunch spread before our flight and stuffed ourselves on gnocchi, lamb bolognese, root veggies, broccoli/cauliflower, mini quiches, and tiny beef and Guinness pies.
We even took advantage of the open bar to construct an impromptu wine tasting. The results: airport wine is airport wine.
After all that food, Trish was a little sleepy when we got to the gate.
Our flight to Sydney was smooth and uneventful, though Air New Zealand’s safety briefings never cease to entertain.
Our flight took about three and a half hours. We didn’t realize our ticket included lunch (lamb pasta!) so, like hobbits, we had second lunch. I really enjoyed the chamomille/honey ice cream they served for dessert.
When we arrived in Sydney, the automatic facial recognition system at customs didn’t recognize me so I had to go to the desk and talk to a human (*gasp*) but it didn’t slow us down. Trish even recognized our bags!
Customs was much less intimidating in Sydney than in New Zealand, contrary to my recollections. The only issue we had was that somehow we ended up exiting at Arrivals B while Pamela and her son, Brett, awaited us at Arrivals A. We sorted it out quickly and connected with them.
It is so good to see Pamela again! I swear, she never changes.
Pamela embraced Trish at once and Brett delivered cold water for our journey to her lovely home in Breakfast Point.
Trish and I unpacked, and took a quick flop on the bed to rest before heading over to Andrew and Wendy’s home for dinner.
Andrew and Wendy greeted us with peach nectar bellinis and the smell of delicious BBQ. Karina told us about her two and a half week holiday plans after her imminent graduation from university. Simon and his partner, Heather arrived soon after us. She’s just been accepted as a Firefighter-in-training at the busiest station in Sydney! Brett and Sandra were the final family to arrive and they came bearing wonderful salads and fruits.
Andrew did his level best to fill the living room with as much smoke as possible during dinner preparation, but it smelled so good I didn’t mind at all (though it did make their lovely view of the Harbour Bridge a bit hazy)!
It was lovely to catch up with everyone, and in Trish’s case, to meet them! Wendy set an amazing table for all of us to enjoy the salads and barbecued sausages and lamb. We had such a good time talking and laughing I forgot to take any pictures! Fortunately, I will have another opportunity on Saturday at Pamela’s official 90th birthday party.
We slept solidly for 10.5 hours but were ready to get up when the alarm went off at 7 AM. The clouds loomed over the sunrise but, for a few minutes, it looked like we might escape more rain. Alas, we didn’t.
We had a nice breakfast at the hotel restaurant, Beast and Butterfly. We both had omelettes and long blacks (New Zealand-sized). We’ve noticed the temperature hot beverages are served at here is scaldingly hot.
At about 8:15 we left the hotel and went to collect our Fullers Ferry tickets for Waiheke Island to meet up with our Gourmet Food and Wine Tour (by Ananda Tours). The pier was easier to find than we expected and was also less crowded (perhaps due to the rainy weather). As a result, we caught the 8:30 ferry instead of the 9:00 AM one.
The ferry was only about a third full. It stopped drizzling and I went out on the deck to take in the view of Auckland receding in the distance. The ferry ride is only about 35 minutes, short enough that about 2000 people commute to Auckland from Waiheke for work (for reference, only 9000 people live on the island).
You can see Auckland behind me
Close up
Since we were early, we strolled along the beach at Matiatia bay (where the ferry docks) and took some photos.
Fullers Ferry in the backgroundModel pose
We met our guide (Mo) ahead of the rest of the group and snagged the front row seat of the mini-bus, which gave us great views out the front windshield.
We stopped at Kennedy Point Vineyard first, which is tiny! They only make about 2500-3000 cases of wine a year. They’re also the only certified organic winery on Waiheke.
Highland Cows are an important part of an organic winery. They love Syrah cakes 🙂
However, their biggest claim to fame is that their 2007 Syrah was awarded the title of best Syrah in the WORLD by the International Wine Challenge. Needless to say we were not able to sample that vintage!
We tried their Sauvignon Blanc (made from grapes grown in Marlborough), which was pleasant and not overly New Zealand-y. It was a great match for the fresh oysters they served, which had only been harvested 30 minutes prior, four bays away!
Their red blend, Red Trumpet, was serviceable but not memorable. But their Syrah was excellent. Very peppery and well balanced.
They served their reds along with a selection of cheeses (a brie and a local havarti), their honey (a blend of Manuka & Pohutukawa honey), and olive and avocado oil. Honey is “creamed” here, so it’s much thicker than American style honey.
Out of curiosity, I asked if we could try their Chardonnay as well. It was very well made in old oak barrels (so oaky but no splinters on the tongue) and malolactic.
We boarded the bus again for a “scenic” drive to our next stop. Apparently, there is an incredible view here…
Next up, we went to Rangihoua Estate to learn about olive oil production. Compared to wine making, it’s a piece of cake! I did learn something new though. Olive oil is only Extra Virgin for two years in the bottle (whether it’s opened or not) after that it’s automatically downgraded to Virgin. As our tour guide said, “Drink your wine old and your olive oil young.” (Not that I’m thinking of drinking any olive oil in the near future.)
We got a sample of three very different olive oils. We started with the Rantoio Blend, which was very grassy and green peppery. Ultimately, it was my favorite for dipping bread in. The next, Picual, neither Trish nor I cared for much. I believe it was Spanish. It just seemed bitter and uninteresting. The final sample, Waiheke Blend, was Trish’s favorite. It was definitely the smoothest and most buttery. I’d use it to cook for sure.
We took another stab at the scenic overlook but the view was still non-existent so we headed to Peacock Sky winery for a food and wine pairing degustation. The owner (Connie) is a chef, so she takes food pairing seriously. We had four wines, each paired with their own bite.
The first was by far the best match. It was a surprisingly sweet pino gris paired with a mild green coconut curry soup. They really went well together. The sweetness and acidity from the wine complemented the creamy spice of the soup.
The rose was uninteresting and didn’t do much for the mac n’cheese they paired it with (though the mac n’cheese had some interesting herbs in it).
I liked the Merlot Malbec surprisingly well, probably because on nose and taste it seemed just like Malbec. I guess the merlot was just to mellow it out since it’s hard to grow Malbec outside of Argentina. It went with a chicken pate/cream cheese wrap concoction. I detected absolutely no liver flavor so I’m not sure what was in the pate.
Finally, the ended with a Cabernet Sauvignon paired with a delicious fudgy brownie. The recipe for the brownie is sworn to secrecy, which is good marketing because they sell them to go at the cellar door.
Considering our tour group was largely American I was very impressed no one was falling over drunk. I guess that’s what the food is for.
Our final stop was at Stonyridge Winery for lunch. They pride themselves on their Bordeaux style wines. We didn’t try their highest end wine because they were charging $10 NZ for a tasting pour and their other wines didn’t wow us. They had a serviceable sauvignon blanc (again, not super New Zealand-y), a mediocre Syrah, and a tasty GSM blend they described as a mash-up of northern and southern Rhone styles.
Lunch was enormous! They served us platters with dried meats, cheeses, smoked salmon, shrimp, hummus, olives, olive oil, fig preserves, artichoke hearts, and fruit. This is a portion for two people! It could have easily served four!
Our driver took us back to the ferry. If the weather had been drier we might have stayed on the island a bit longer, but we were ready to head back to the hotel to dry off and relax a bit.
The rain did stop so we could go outside and take some great (windy) pictures on our approach back to Auckland.
Trish had to get rid of a stowaway before boarding the ferry.
Is that an iceberg?
Hairstyling by windOur hotel is over Trish’s head.
After a couple of hours back at the hotel the clouds cleared and we’re seeing a bit more of the “long dry summer” our Waiheke guides all promised us is the norm.
Insult to injury!
We thought about going out for dinner but decided we’d had enough activity in our day and had a quiet dinner at the hotel instead.
Thanks to the magic of lying down flat on our Sky Couch we arrived in Auckland feeling like we’d gotten a full night’s sleep. We caught a Super Shuttle from the airport to our hotel (this is a super economical way to get to/from the airport at $17.50 a head).
Unfortunately, we hit rush hour traffic on our way into the city and then got slowed down by massive road construction along the waterfront where our hotel is. We didn’t mind though. It gave us a chance to chat with our driver about American politics (which was never in the news in New Zealand until Darth Cheeto took office).
We finally arrived at our hotel, M Social Auckland, which is a funky/hip waterfront hotel that’s only a block and a half from the ferry terminal to Waiheke island (which we’ll be visiting tomorrow). Understandably, our room wasn’t ready at 9 AM but, bless them, they let us into the hotel gym to take a shower and change.
We hadn’t planned any activities for the day since we’d feared arriving jet-lagged and bedraggled, but between a good night’s sleep on the Sky Couch and a shower in the gym, we actually felt ready to seize the day!
Our brains believed what time it was but our stomachs took a while to get onto the right schedule. So our first stop was for brunch or, since we’re in LOTR territory now, second breakfast. We went to Best Ugly Bagels for hand-rolled, wood-fired bagel sandwiches.
Bagel construction
It’s a casual place about a 15 minute walk (uphill) from our hotel. It’s in a small complex of food-stall-like eateries with mostly outdoor seating.
Trish and I both opted for the T.A.B. bagel (tomato, avocado, basil, with a drizzle of lemon oil) and a black coffee. Black coffee is normally served in about a 4 oz portion. We got American-sized coffees instead. We were awake, but not THAT awake.
Our walk to Best Ugly Bagels was pleasantly overcast. Shortly after finishing our bagels the skies opened. We worked our way back toward the hotel in fits and starts. Fortunately, most of the streets are covered with awnings! Unfortunately, we discovered the shoes I brought for the trip are completely unsuitable for rainy weather because ALL the tread has worn off the bottom. I wiped out in full view of cars and pedestrians at a slick crosswalk.
Our hotel is at the bottom of the main shopping street (Queen St). We stopped at several shoe stores but discovered my shoe size is still weird, even in New Zealand. Trish gallantly held me up at every slippery spot.
We got back to the hotel intending to change my shoes and grab an umbrella from our bag. Upon arrival, our room was actually ready so we were able to go up and see our view.
Our room is very nice. It’s compact but has everything needed and is very comfortable (it actually reminds me a bit of a cruise ship).
The only funky thing is that one of the bathroom walls slides back (so you can see the view from the shower???).
We relaxed for a bit and made dinner plans. Ponsonby is the happening restaurant district so we decided to check it out.
We decided to walk (about 35 minutes) to Ponsonby early and explore. We borrowed a big umbrella from our hotel room and enjoyed our stroll.
Avenue of giant trees in Victoria Park
Our stomachs were still out of sync with the clock, so we stopped for a snack at Little Sweetie, a charming and cozy cafe. Trish enjoyed her lemon tart.
We went into the running shoe store across the street from our dinner destination and a very nice sales guy helped me find a pair of comfortable running shoes in a subdued color. I got the whole treatment too, which included video footage of myself running on their treadmill barefoot and in my chosen shoes. Apparently, I have excellent form ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
We browsed through their Womens Bookstore (which is a lot like Women and Children First in Andersonville). We had to leave before I spent all our money and exceeded the weight limit for our suitcases.
We had tea at Cafe one2one, a hipster-ish cafe which has live jazz music Thursday through Saturday nights. It was pretty quiet while we were there though. They have a lovely shop cat who is very fond of the owner (who provides excellent belly scratches). He wasn’t that interested in us, though Trish got a couple of pets and was his hero after letting him in from the courtyard.
Hipster beanie matches teeny hipster banjo
For dinner, we went to the Blue Breeze Inn, which serves “modern Chinese with an island breeze.” It’s got a tiki bar vibe going on.
The waiters wear Hawaiian shirts and they have an extensive rum list.
Burmuda SourSamoan Sunblock
We ordered a Bermuda Sour (Trish) and Samoan Sunblock (Dani), steamed pork and prawn shumai, fried spicy chicken dumplings, Chinese-style BBQ pork, and black pepper lamb wontons. The drinks were very good but the food wasn’t anything too special. The lamb wontons were the best thing we ordered, though they definitely did not deserve the two chili pepper warning they had on the menu!
We started to fade during dinner, so called an Uber to take us back to the hotel for an early night. Our driver was lovely (as all Kiwis are) and we had a great conversation about all the cycling trips he and his wife have taken all over the world while he navigated the traffic and construction around the hotel.
We managed to keep our eyes open until it got dark after sunset. Then we fell fast asleep at 8:30 PM!
