The past three weeks have been wonderful – a superb tour director, Tauck’s customary pampering, an intriguing itinerary, and an interesting, accomplished, and funny group of tourmates have made for a memorable holiday. Our final two days were spent in Auckland, a bustling (i.e., traffic-clogged, in the same way that “cozy” in realtor-speak signifies tiny) city with easy access by ferry to the beautiful island of Waikehe.
Auckland faces onto Hauraki Gulf, roughly two-thirds of the way up the North Island. We were fortunate to have two days of beautiful weather to explore the area. Our hotel (the Sofitel, generic modern) abuts a yacht-filled marina, and a walking path extends along the adjacent harbor for several kilometers – a perfect (if largely theoretical) venue for burning off recent indulgences.
We landed in Auckland in the late morning and went straight to Parnell Street, a hip thoroughfare with a slew of places to eat, drink, and engage in retail therapy. Unfortunately, service at our chosen lunch spot was laid-back (as in glacial), so I didn’t get to do any shopping, window- or otherwise.
After lunch, we visited the excellent Auckland War Memorial Museum (usually just called the Auckland Museum). It’s a great spot for kids as well as grown-ups, with many interactive exhibits. My favorite space was a room that simulated experiencing a volcanic eruption; as in California, the “big one” is a matter of when, not if. After a mocked-up news report showing scenes of evacuations, there were loud bangs and the room shook, with a video screen showing a cloud of steaming gas and ash flying toward us at 100 meters per second.
The Museum also features an extensive display of Māori artifacts, including a war canoe capable of holding 100 warriors, an intricately carved storehouse, and a meeting house.
The Māori are renowned for their wood carving, all of which was accomplished with stone tools. It’s magnificent.
Our museum visit concluded with an excellent and educational presentation of Māori songs and dances. The group’s leader explained the meaning of each piece and emphasized that this was not a performance – clapping would be considered inappropriate and offensive – but rather a demonstration of their spirituality and view of the world. The front two rows of black, empty seats were reserved for their ancestors. It was a deeply moving experience.
Day two was spent on the lush island of Waiheke, reached by a 35-minute ferry ride from Auckland. More so than the main islands of New Zealand, Waiheke evokes a South Pacific vibe, with its long, crescent-shaped beaches, swaying palms, frilly ferns, and thickets of other vegetation that I’m not sure the Photos app correctly identified, so I’ll spare you any misinformation.
Waiheke was lush (or more accurately, we were) in another sense as well: our itinerary took us to a whiskey/beer distillery/brewery and one of the island’s many wineries.
The distillery (Waiheke Island Distillery and Brewing Company, “Heke” for short) is a new venture owned by two men named Mark (“Whiskey Mark” and “Beer Mark,” who I assume are related to Makers Mark). We sampled two beers, a Scotch-type whiskey, and a rye whiskey.
From there, we headed to Mudbrick Winery, a beautiful hillside establishment where we had a fine lunch accompanied by a tasting flight of four wines (a merlot blend, a syrah, the obligatory sauvignon blanc, and a chardonnay).
Climbing up the hill behind the winery – miraculously unaffected by the day’s libations, I might add – I reached a spot with a stunning, 270-degree view of Waiheke Island and its surroundings, including the distant Auckland waterfront.
We had our farewell reception and dinner at the hotel (more wine, of course), followed by lengthy, heartfelt, bittersweet good-byes – at least until this morning, when I saw many of the same people at breakfast (no wine), on the shuttle to the airport (still no wine), and in the airport lounge (wine!).
And so I’ll sign off for now, but first I need to thank the people who made this such a wonderful experience. Gary Andrews, our tour director, was everything you’d hope for in a group leader; several of us urged him to let us know what tours he’ll be leading in the future so we might join those trips. I was privileged, as a solo traveler, to be surrounded by a warm, inclusive bunch of fellow “Tauckies” – I enjoyed all 35 of my travel-mates, but particularly want to thank Elliot, Jane, Mark, Marcy, Bill, Beth, Ross, Cindi, the Three Amigas, and the Fort Worth crew, all of whom provided engaging company and lots of laughs.
I’ll post more in March, when I head to Southeast Asia. Until then, thanks for reading, be well, and travel with eyes and mind wide open!
PuffinlessTravel 