Waiheke Island (6 - 8 February)

This past Friday was Waitangi Day in New Zealand which meant another public holiday. I went with friends, James and Paula, to Waiheke Island which is an island about 30 KM from Auckland by ferry. It's a great weekend trip as there are a bunch of beaches, wineries, and generally beautiful weather (even though it's so close to Auckland, it's generally more sunny here) and is less than an hour away from a ferry port within walking distance of my apartment.

James and Paula know people who own some land on the island and they let us stay there for the weekend. It's a really nice 12-acre plot of land. I brought along my tent but they also have a permanent tent-like structure that is also sort of like a Teepee called a Yuit (I forget how this is actually spelled). They eventually plan on turning the place into something like a commune and hippy get-away which should be interesting.

It was great to get away for the weekend. The place we stayed was nice and secluded and relaxing with some pretty views from up on the hillside. We barbecued a bunch of food, had some drinks, and played some yahtzee in the evenings (we played 4 times and I did not get a single yahtzee or win a game - needless to say I was not happy).

On Saturday, we also went to the Waiheke wine festival up the road where we sampled a bunch of wines and stuffed ourselves with food while enjoying some live music. The festival was right next to Stonyridge Vineyard which is apparently famous for its red wine called Larose but I don't know much about that stuff. Afterwards, we went to a stunning local beach, relaxed in the shade under the trees, threw the football around a bit, and swam in the water (which is getting surprisingly warm). In all, it was a terrific and relaxing weekend and I was sad to have to get back to work.

Setting up camp at the Yuit

My Tent with nice views of the countryside

Inside the Yuit

James firing up the lamb sausages, chicken, and steak

View of the land from up on the hill (that's the Yuit on the left and the ocean in the background).

James on the hike up the hillside

Paula taking pictures on top of the hill

The moon was so bright we could easily see at night.

View of the vineyard from the wine festival

Waiheke wine festival

Me and James relaxing on the beach under the trees