The day she arrived the weather really took a turn for the worse and we had some really gloomy, rainy days, but we still managed to make the most of it. A few sunny days on the beach really helped even things out!
We picked her up early from the airport and went straight to Mt. Eden for a view of Auckland. After she had settled in, we met Andy for Riba's fish and chips in the park. Somehow we found ourselves wandering along the water to a pub for some drinks with a sea view while we caught up!
Our first big day was a trip to Waiheke Island. We ferried over and had lunch in Oneroa before a walk around the coast that gave us some beautiful views. Afterwards we bused to huge Onetangi beach for a chilly swim and drinks at the beach side bar. Calie was apprehensive about jumping straight in, but at least she gave it a shot!
We spent the next few days waiting out the weather and hanging out in Devonport and the city. Calie and I met the boys for drinks on Friday evening after work and we spent a very rainy Saturday pub crawling in the city. If we were hiding inside, we figured we might as well be social while we did it! Along with some of our favorite bars on Vulcan Lane and the Viaduct, we went to Minus 5°, where we sported Ugg boots and Parkas to drink out of ice glasses in a completely frozen bar.
At the beginning of the week we took off for our trip to the Coromandel Peninsula, more specifically, Whangamata on the southeast coast. It was a stunning beach town with a big surfing crowd and huge stretch of light sand beach. The waves were bigger than we expected, but we still managed to get in some swimming... the water was frigid, but worth it!
We had expected to spend several days here, but decided that it lacked some of the key activities we hoped for, so we only stayed one night (at a sweet hotel w/ our own hot tub on a deck that overlooked the pool), spent the next morning lounging on the beach, then headed north. We visited the infamous Hot Water Beach where we dug (rather borrowed) a hole in the beach and sat in our natural hot spring spa. The hot water comes up from underground and mixes with the cold ocean water for a very interesting experience.
That night we stayed in the small town of Tairua (at a sketchy hostel) and were off the next morning for our original destination, the very sought after Hahei, where we were lucky to get a room for one night. We spent the sunny morning lounging on the beach at one of our very favorite places! That afternoon we set off for sea kayaking adventure on a half day guided trip - one of the must do's on Calie's list.
Calie paired with our guide and Andy and I took our usual places together while we paddled all around Mercury Bay. We made our way along the cliffs through a marine reserve, to Gemstone Bay, and Stingray Bay (where we spotted several small sting rays just below our boats) to Cathedral Cove. Each bay had a different color of water from aqua, to deep blue, and bright turquoise and were clear enough to see everything below!
At Cathedral Cove, we beached for a "coffee" break and explored the huge cave carved out by the sea and the beaches on either side. It was truly stunning... and I really wished I'd brought more than my disposable waterproof camera for photos! Back out to sea, we paddled around some rocks/islands out in the bay and listened to the history and legends of the area. We were lucky to have the best weather yet on a kayaking trip!
The next morning we took off on a hike down the beach and up to a cliff top that overlooked Hahei for some incredible views before saying good-bye and heading home. Calie took a turn at left-hand driving and got us to the highway with no worries! Across to the west side of the peninsula, we drove along the coastal road at the edge of the water before crossing the one-lane bridge back to the Auckland area.
Unfortunately, a bad wreck stopped traffic and turned a 2.5 hour trip into something like 5 hours, but luckily we made it all the way to Auckland's west coast just in time for a stunning sunset! We broke out the cooler for drinks and snacks as we watched the surfers fight the rough waves while the sun set.
On Calie's last full day she took a walk around Devonport and up Mt. Victoria while I caught up with work, then we took the ferry over to the city in search of some local artwork. We struck out on the paintings we were after, but had a good time looking around at the Victoria and Aotea markets. Calie found a few souvenirs and I got my very own pair of (girlie) gumboots. A trip up to the top of the Sky Tower was a nice stop and for a great view over Auckland so Calie could see some of the places she'd been. Back in Devonport, we met up with the boys at the Patriot again for drinks, then picked up some more fish from Riba's and stayed in for the night... in fact, we were up ALL night chatting. This made for a difficult early morning trip to the airport, but we had a great time and were sad to see Calie go. I'm so glad that she came to visit!
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