New Zealand 2019: Summer sun, island views and volcanos

Full photo album for New Zealand – Summer 2019.

The image above is from the waterfront at Devonport looking back to Auckland, with the big butt (stern) of the Pacific Princess heading in to berth. I thought the other cruise ships docked were big. The Pacific Princess is massive.

I had the inside scoop: Treasure Maps retreat would be on the Coromandel Peninsula February 2019. I was saving to attend. As soon as it was announced at the end of May 2018, I booked my spot.

From mid 2018 work advised all staff that we had to take all allocated leave for the year. As I work 0.9, that meant 18 days for me. Through 2017 to early 2018 I had been unwell a lot, so hadn’t taken much annual leave, aside from Christmas/New Year. I took a week in August then two weeks in October. Over Christmas/New year leading into 2019 I had another two weeks, and was only back at work for three weeks before heading off to New Zealand.

I kinda like this taking holidays thing. I should do it more often!

After visiting Auckland in Winter 2015, I knew there were some places I still wanted to see. While planning this trip earlier in 2018, I knew I wanted to spend the week before the retreat playing tourist around Auckland.

I arrived in the evening of Sunday 27 January. After some faffing around, I dropped my bags at the apartment on Shortland Street, not far from the Harbour. I headed out to Countdown supermarket to pick up supplies for the week.

I had researched things to do around Auckland but hadn’t settled on a plan. Monday morning was a late start, catching the ferry across to Devonport. The trip is a short hop across the harbour and was soon wandering up and down Victoria Road looking for a place to have lunch. Chicken focaccia and berry smoothie consumed, I headed up to Takarunga or Mount Victoria. It may be a ‘short hike’ for views across the harbour to Auckland, but being extremely unfit had me re-evaluating my lack of exercise.

Once I got my breath back, I explored the summit and the views across to Rangitoto and north up the coast. Heading back downhill I wandered through the residential area before rejoining the tourist traffic along King Edward Parade. Reaching Torpedo Bay Navy Museum I wandered around the exhibits. By this time it was heading towards 4pm, I was tired and my feet hurt, and the thought of exploring around North Head didn’t appeal, so headed back to the ferry and back to Shortland St.

Sadly, Tuesday found me tired with sore quads and feet from the hike up the hill the day before, and sunburnt from waiting for the ferry back to Auckland. I had walked around 10 km and up 26 ‘floors’. The day was spent close to the apartment, venturing out to forage for food. I managed to do some writing, not anything specific. More getting a bit of clarity on the things floating around in my head, putting them to paper/file.

Wednesday I was on the ferry by 9am for a day on Waiheke Island. There is a lot to do on Waiheke if you drink wine, zipline or ride horses. Sadly I can no longer drink wine, ziplining would be cool, but not exactly a fun solo activity and I didn’t know about the horse riding until we passed it. I was there most of the day, had a lovely meal and an ice cream to follow but it wasn’t my favourite place to visit. Waiheke may be a beautiful place, but best visited with a group that enjoys wine.

I had an epiphany walking back to the bus from Cascade Falls near Batch Winery: I hate hiking/walking/exercising. Although the temperatures in Auckland were mid to high 20s, it was humid. In Adelaide it can be 35 degrees Celsius and I think nothing of it. I am unfit, it’s hot and I hate exercise.

Okay then!

I still needed to walk up the hill to the bus stop so spent the time appreciating just how much something in me hates exercise. The walk to the falls and back was equivalent to 20 floors, so the hate is well founded.

Thursday morning I was on the morning ferry to Rangitoto Island. There are two ways to see the island: on the tractor-trailer and walking. We have already established that something in me hates exercise, so I got on the tractor-trailer. I do like taking tours as the dude driving the tractor was giving us loads of facts on the island. Last erupting around 600 years ago, most of the island is volcanic, with different types of flow. The lava fields can still be seen and over time enough soil is deposited along with seeds and eventually trees grow. It is quite remarkable. The tractor-trailer stops about half way around the island and we still have to walk up the 370+ boardwalk steps that make sure we don’t trample over the fragile landscape.

I take off like a rocket and power up the steps. Did I say something in me hates exercise? Huh! Towards the top I started to slow down as the quads were burning from so many steps. I got to the top, take photos and then slowly make my way back for the rest of the tour. The climb was 60 ‘floors’ and it was amusing that while something in me hates exercise, I was happy to power through the pain today. I’ve noticed the walk up Shortland Street is getting easier.

Easier, not easy.

I returned to Auckland around 2pm, heading to Britomart for lunch. Chicken with dips and a virgin sangria hit the spot. To round out my late lunch, I had an ice cream before heading back to the apartment.

Friday 1 February dawned with my calves being so tight that exploration was off the list. What I was able to do after a week of journaling my adventures was find the space to start writing content for the workshop I want to develop. This is what I want to work on during the retreat, and what I was hoping would happen by spending a week here on my own before the retreat: a mental clearing the decks.

Saturday I was up early for the two hour ferry to Coromandel Peninsula, transferring to the Cathedral Cove Tour. This was a bus trip to Whitianga then hop on a boat to cruise around Te Whanganui-A-Hei Marine Reserve. Something about being out on the boat was calming to me. We didn’t get off the boat at Cathedral Cove, but it was still school holidays, and the weekend before Waitangi Day: it was quite busy.

Transferring from the boat back to the bus, then heading back over the ranges to Coromandel Town, we caught a taxi to Mana Retreat Centre.

I want to cover Treasure Maps in another post: to sum it up it was a brilliant 6 days.

Friday 8 February I got a lift with my friend Su back to Auckland. Su and I had contemplated breaking out of the centre to go get a steak meal one evening but it didn’t happen (Mana Retreat Centre only serves vegetarian/vegan food). After booking into the budget hotel in Auckland for the last few days of my trip, I found a café where I had steak with mushroom sauce and chips for dinner. I got back to my room and fell into a food coma for a few hours. Was a good demonstration of the benefits of a more vegetarian diet! That evening I went out for a 30 minute walk that helped clear my head.

Saturday I had a beautiful late breakfast near Albert Park then went for a walk that was wide ranging. By the end of the day I had covered over 9km. I spent a lot of time writing my thoughts, a lot of which was about the project I need to work on to complete my certification. I am so grateful I had the time and space to explore these things. Some was about the project, and some was planning thoughts of the direction I may want to go in the future.

Sunday morning – the last full day in New Zealand – I head off to the Botswana Butchery for breakfast. The seats outside are mostly taken, and being a solo diner, I took a table near the door. The decision to return to Adelaide on Monday was good and bad. If I headed back on Saturday I would have more time to settle before heading back to work BUT I wouldn’t have been in a place where going deeper in my thoughts was natural.

I spent the day on the Auckland Explorer bus, stopping at Mount Eden and Auckland Zoo – it was hot so the animals were mostly lethargic, and in hiding if they could, so not many photos. The tour finished up at the War Memorial but by this stage I was ready to go home so only have photos outside.

I collected my luggage and made my way to the airport hotel. Had something to eat in the bar then back to the room to do the final pack for departure early the following morning.