The Beach...My Paradise

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So we had to do something with our day.

I got up at 10.30 to try and fianlly retrieve my own debit card, and after and hours searching in the humid heat i found the poste restante...shut. I wandered back along Queen Street (Yes, there is one in Cardiff and Sydney and any other commonwealth town...) and had a look in a book shop which was far to expensive.

I got back to the YHA about 12.30 and Rob was still asleep. I thought i could use the time to finally catch up on my written journal that i had neglected over the alst few days. I managed to get as far as the night of the 1st January, which is good and will probably catch up the rest later or tomorrow. Rob was now sat opposite me and had had "breakfast", more like lunch, and we decided we would catch the ferry to Waiheke Island.

Neither of us knew anything about it which made it even more of an adventure. The ferry took forty minutes to get there and we stoof on the top deck in the open air watching as we left Auckland in mist as the storm closed in and approached a humid and misty island covered with green. We passed many such islands on the way. They were thick green, mountainous and occasionly had dramatic cliffs and crags. Small clusters of village were on some, while others looked completey void of human interference.

The island of Waiheke, as far as we could tell had one major village a twenty minute walk by road or thirty minute walk through the forest. We went through the forest. The noise, the soudns, the green, the creatures, the plants. I couldn't name half of them and had never seen the other half before! It was a good walk, but very humid, very much like a rainforest! We reached the village of Onerau.

I say village. Every now and again we would come across a colonial house/building. (One turned out to be a church). typically would and painted with a pastell colour. They had long drives and were set back from the road. It was a very calm and slow paced place. The "centre" consisted of the police station, a bar called Lazy Lounge, a store, a bank and an estate agent. We hit the bar. It was amazing!

The bar was open plan with tables and benches everywhere and no-where was indoors while most of it was undercover. The table markers were cartoon characters, that is how cool this place was. Anyway, the storm had cuaght up with us to we decided to chargrill there for a bit, got another drink, played some pool, had a chat with the owner, had a picture with the owner, left.

We walked on the beach and the water was cool, but not cold. We then discover our Beach. A secluded spot across some rocks where there was no sign of any human life. No foot prints, no nothing! It was, quiet simply, paradise.

Had it not started raining again we would have stayed on The Beach longer but we decided to shelter in one of the many caves. When it was obvious the rain was not really going to subside we dashed from cave to cave.

We took the high route across the mountain and through the forest. It was a little slippery but still beautiful. The colours were so much more vivid and the smell now there had been rain was delicious.

We were just in time for the 6pm ferry, so boarded and sat down. We nearly got off by accident at devonport but corrected our error and say back down until we reached Auckland. We decided a stew would be a good dinner idea. We could buy enough stuff to last us the two days fairly cheaply. Stews are easy after all too.

We bought lamb and potatoes as we already had a bag of frozen mixed veg. I must say its not the best stew i have ever cooked but not the worst i have ever eaten! The lamb was tender, the broth was tasty and the veg was good, baring in mind it was frozen.

Gonna hit the straw soon and then get up early to shake off the jet lag. We have to be on our bus at 7 on Monday Morning so dont want to miss it.

Peace out for now!

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