Today was Easter! We got up early again to catch the sunrise and make another delicious breakfast of eggs (and Cadbury Mini-Eggs as it was Easter) and hot chocolate. Today we would begin with a venture to the Kaitoke Hot Springs track. These were some natural hot springs on the island that flowed into a small river making the water as hot as bath water. It was a nice 45 min. walk to get to the springs where we spent about an hour relaxing in the warm mineral water. It was pretty cool, but also kind of gross as there were a bunch of other people around and the water was a bit muddy. See a few pictures below:
Michelle, Chi, Paula, Leslie, and me relaxing in the hot pool
Chi, Michelle, and Paula in the kiddie pool
New Zealand Fern (or Koru) on the hike back to the carparkThe next stop was Medlands Beach to enjoy the sun and pick some Green Lipped Mussels for dinner. If you recall from an earlier post, New Zealand is famous for its Green Lipped Mussels and we found a bunch of them on the rocks around the beach. We gathered handfuls of them for dinner then hung out on the rocks and the beach for a while before heading back to our Bach.
Medlands Beach
Picking Mussels on Medlands Beach
New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussels
Hanging out on the rocks at Medlands Beach
Picturesque View at Tryphena BeachOnce arriving back at the Bach, we all relaxed for a bit then started prepping for dinner. We would be enjoying yet another feast of the rest of the Snapper we caught the previous day as well as the fresh mussels we had so vigilantly hunted today with a bunch of veggies, pasta, and more. It was a great dinner and I could hardly move, but there was still another surprise waiting. It was Paula's birthday and James had arranged for one of the local restaurants to make her a B-day cake. We secretly picked it up during one of the petrol stops earlier in the day. We all sang happy B-day to PK, then sat around and talked for a while before hitting the sack. It was another enjoyable and relaxing day.
The women prepping the kitchen
Mmmm...those mussels were great!
Happy Birthday Paula
We even had noise makers and little pop rocket confetti things.The next morning, Leslie and I woke up early to do some sea kayaking. We had rented a kayak from one of the local shops the day before, and luckily it hadn't yet fallen off of the Bongo, so we took it out at around 7:30 to Tryphena Harbor. The sea was really calm and pretty and it was a gorgeous morning to get out on the ocean. We took our time paddling around the bays and checking out the boats docked in the area. The water was really clear and pretty warm, but I didn't want to fall in because we had heard there were sharks in the area. We had a great time, then headed back to the Bach at around 10:00 in order to pack up to catch our flight back to Auckland. When we returned the kayak on the way to the airport, we passed our favorite bakery called the "LunchBox" that made the best cream-filled donuts. We all had our fair share then headed to the airport to catch our tiny plane back. It was a great long weekend with beautiful weather, lovely company, and lots of relaxation. I really didn't want to get back to work.
The BEST donuts in the world
Steve and I partaking in our donuts (and discussing our future restaurant business that I can't give away any details of here as people will steal our idea).
The cozy plane back to Auckland
Me wishing I didn't have to leave
GBI from the airOnce we returned back to Auckland, I took Leslie to Mt. Eden to see the large volcanic crater in the city that you've seen pictures of in previous posts. Then we headed out to Mission Bay area to walk around and grab an ice cream while the sun set. Tomorrow I would be heading to Tauranga for a couple of days of work but was really excited to get through that as Leslie and I were heading to Queenstown Thursday afternoon to embark on the Routeburn track.
Leslie and me at Mt. Eden
Auckland sunset out near Mission Bay (Leslie's silhouette)
Me in front of Auckland during the sunset
I think I can retire from my blog now . . . as yours is so much more interesting to read!!! I am just going to refer all family/friends to "2 Years in Kiwiland"!
ReplyDeleteSteve is dreaming of donuts tonight . . .
Nate, more great pics - I particularly liked the one of the mussels, and the sunset silhouette of Leslie looking toward Auckland. Looks like you guys didn't suffer from hunger on this trip.
ReplyDeleteThat's the smallest plane EVER! Was it hard for you guys to fit? Erin said that she wouldn't have made it in that small plane.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures look awesome!
Yeah the plane was ridiculously small. I've been on small planes before but nothing like that. It was a bit cozy, especially when Steve and I sat next to each other. Luckily the weather was good, I can't imagine being in one of those in rought weather.
ReplyDelete