I Love…
Hawke’s Bay!
Here is a closeup of the spring buds of a wonderful thing that is grown here in Hawke’s Bay. Can you guess what it is? Hint: We have been enjoying the final product in the evenings and are taking some home.
Photo by Philip Last
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I’m in New Zealand!
Sorry for the silence. I’ve had a run of work (which is good!) and now I’m chilling out for a bit out in New Zealand. Well, you know I live here, but I mean that I’m out of the city for a short while to get some fresh air. See you soon and hooray for freelancing!
Level 2, 7.4 Earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand
We’ve woken up to some bad news here in New Zealand this morning. Christchurch residents were jolted awake by a 7.4 earthquake and there has been a lot of damage. So far only two people have reported as seriously injured and people are being told to report to their nearest medical facility if they need attention rather than go down to the hospital.
Reports will come in slowly as electricity and sewerage are down.
There has been some looting, but police seem to have it under control. There is a lot of damage to the CBD but luckily it was quite empty given the early time of the quake. There are some aftershocks and the CBD has now been closed and people have been asked to move away from the sea in case of tsunami.
There is a request that people NOT use cellphones as the backup batteries now have less than an hour of power left on them. If it’s absolutely necessary (ie. you are overseas and want to know about someone) you should use text (sms) messages, but keep it to a minimum.
The quake hit at 4.35 am 30 kilometres west of Christchurch at a depth that is estimated at 10 kilometres.
I am in Auckland (where we’ve felt nothing) but if there is a question I can answer I will stay near Twitter this morning on @shantiwallah.
Three best kept travel secrets for Auckland, New Zealand
Lots of people think of Auckland as just the place you have to go through to get to the “real” New Zealand, but you’d be missing out if you passed through without taking a good look around. It’s a great place to learn about the culture of New Zealand, have a bit of a relax on the waterfront with a coffee or glass of NZ pinot, or shop for high quality souvenirs. Here are some of my picks.
1. The Auckland Maritime Museum
I have to admit that it took me a while before I discovered this museum. I thought boats, meh, I could take ‘em or leave ‘em. But when my boat-mad in-laws came for a visit I finally discovered that it’s more about the history of our maritime country than just a couple of ol’ boats. There’s a fair bit of information on how the first people, the Maori, came to New Zealand. For first time visitors to New Zealand, gaining an understanding of this cultural history can really give you a sense of what New Zealand is all about.
When you buy your entry ticket you have the option of going out on a harbour cruise in a little boat, which I’d highly recommend. This is great for families and gives you a perspective of Auckland that you wouldn’t get on the land. It is a harbour city after all! Plus, if you’re lucky, when you go under the Harbour Bridge you might just catch sight of a bungy jumper overhead.
2. Benediction Café
Benediction café is a wee bit out of the way which is probably why it is so popular with locals. It’s just over the motorway bridge when walking from Karangahape Road away from the city centre on St. Benedicts Street in Newton. You can spot the street by the old Catholic church by the same name on the corner. Two-thirds of the way down the road you’ll start smelling some amazing coffee which will alert you to your arrival. I’d highly recommend you head in for breakfast or brunch at this friendly place. You order and pay first, New Zealand style, and then choose whether you’d like to sit indoors or out. Bring your book or borrow one of the magazines or newspapers provided while you wait for the perfect brew.
3. Pauanesia
All cities that host tourists have their fair share of cheesy souvenirs and Auckland is no different. But, if you are interested in taking home something a bit more representative of what Kiwis have in their own homes, try a lovely shop on High Street called Pauanesia. Using a play on words, Pauanesia (paua is the Maori word for the coveted shellfish abalone and ‘nesia’ reminds us of our position as a Polynesian nation) is a tiny shop packed full of New Zealand made, New Zealand themed jewellery, and soft home furnishings. This is where I go when I want to send a present overseas with love from New Zealand.
Come to think of it, there are lots of places in Auckland that are off the radar to visitors. Now, do I give away all our secrets?
This post was in response to being tagged by Liz at A Girl in Asia for Tripbase project about destination secrets. The only problem was that it was just as my blog went offline for the big revamp. Even though I missed it, I still wanted to contribute because I wouldn’t want anyone to miss out on Auckland’s secrets. Thanks Liz and good luck with the baby!
Auckland’s West Coast Beaches
All you can do is follow the lines on the twisting road while you’re surrounded by walls of native ferns and the occasional house of some lucky soul who has dropped out of city life. But, you know you are getting close when you start to get those rewarding glimpses of the big space you are looking for, the open sea.
A nice little bonus of staying in Auckland is that you can get to a number of beaches within a short drive. The pick of the bunch are less than an hour’s drive to the west. Piha, Karekare, Bethells/ Te Henga and Muriwai are four beaches, each with their own character, that are well worth the drive over the Waitakere Ranges. It’s easiest to think of the beaches in two pairs.
Piha and Karekare
The dramatic thing about arriving at these two beaches is that you drop down from above. At Piha, there is even a popular place to pull over check out the view before descending. Make your own postcards here. And, you may recognise Karekare as the beach that The Piano was filmed on.
Although the West Coast beaches are known for their volcanic sand, here it is a mix of black and the more usual brown sand that provides a tiger-stripe effect in some places and is very soft underfoot. The pounding waves that produce this fine sand are also the reason that these beaches are a perfect venue for the surf competitions that happen throughout the year. Surf comp or no surf comp, it’s great to soak up the atmosphere and have a picnic. If you aren’t keen on loading up the chilly bin with your own eats, at Piha there is a small takeaway place where you can get burgers, chips and ice cream.
To get to Piha and Karekare, you point your car in the direction of Titirangi village, which is nice place to stop for breakfast, lunch or a coffee en route. There is also a small supermarket where you can pick up picnicking supplies. Immediately after Titirangi you will come to a roundabout where you veer on to the second left known as Scenic Drive. After a short drive you will see the Arataki Visitor Centre on the left which is the gateway to the Waitakeres and provides good information on local flora and fauna as well as directions to the various walks and tramps in the area. From there, keep driving until you see the turnoff on your left for Karekare, or continue on to Piha.
Muriwai and Bethell’s/ Te Henga
Muriwai is characterised by the gannet colony that exists here. You can climb up to the outcrop and look down on the migratory birds from a viewing platform. Depending on the time of year, the birds may be sitting on what seem like impossibly large eggs or flying off and back to feed the fluffy chicks, which is always fun to watch. Fishing off the rocks is fairly popular, but it is not recommended as people regularly get washed off. Instead, take a walk along the dark black, sparkly, and very hot volcanic sand. Or simply just relax and watch (or join in with!) the kite surfers.
Te Henga looks and feels very wild. You emerge between two large dunes to come out to a wide, and often windswept, beach. It’s great for surfing or a dip in the briny, but do have a look at the surf lifesaver’s board before venturing in as the conditions can be a bit rough sometimes. If in doubt, there is a great lagoon that is especially fun for children. Just bear in mind that if you choose the beach on the far side of the lagoon at low tide, you may find yourself on a bit of a hike to get back at high tide. You generally need to bring your own food here, but at some times of the year there is a little caravan café that serves up good coffee and snacks.
Muriwai and Te Henga are the northernmost of the four beaches and can be accessed by going up Scenic Drive as you would for Piha, and then taking Waitakere Road to Te Henga Road for Te Henga. For Muriwai, continue on to Kumeu and travel west until you run out of road.
As with all beaches in New Zealand, on the west coast beaches what you see is not always what you get in terms of calm waters. There are a lot of dangerous rips and undertows. Be safe and swim between the flags. And if there aren’t any flags or lifeguards, it means the beach is closed so don’t risk a swim. But with a bit of common sense and a slathering of sun block, New Zealand’s clean, beautiful beaches are an experience not to be missed.
Note: While writing a recent article on Matador.com about What NOT to Do in Auckland, I realised that I really wanted to expand upon the information I gave regarding the west coast beaches. Since I’m now a student at the virtual campus of Matador U, I thought it’d make a great assignment topic. So, here it is. Fire away with feedback!
I love…
jandal* days.
Please let us have a few more weeks of summer. Oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please…
*New Zealand English for flip-flops
John Key in the U.S.
I don’t like National, but at least John Key (our Prime Minister) did a good job on Letterman.I thought this was really cool of him to do even though most of us were really nervous about how it would come out.
