Things to do

Join my Tours!

November 7, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I just love hosting tours! I started in 2017 taking a small group to Vietnam and since then I’ve taken small groups of Kiwis to Italy, China and the USA. But for the moment it’s all about seeing beautiful New Zealand so here are three gorgeous tours I have coming up in 2021.

These tours below are for a week to 10 days and they tend to suit my demographic – that is the 50+! They are designed and costed up on one person per room, but if you bring a partner or friend, there’s a big discount on the second person.

I am also thinking about shorter tours and weekends away like a girls trip to Wellington for WOW in September/October or maybe events, festivals and shows. I’d love to hear from you if you’re interested in joining any of my tours.

Northland / Bay of Islands

14-20 February 2021

Duke of Marlborough Russell — Staying at the Duke of Marlborough in Russell and stepping out to this!

Starting and ending in Auckland, this 6 night/7 day tour includes: 2 nights in Hokianga to see Tane Mahuta, Opononi, Rawene and the Kauri Coast, then 4 nights in Russell to explore Paihia, Waitangi, Kerikeri and Cape Reinga.

Read the full itinerary over on Blogger at Large >

Nelson / Farewell Spit / Hokitika

5-14 March 2021

Starting in Nelson and ending in Hokitika, with the option of adding on a few more days to take the Trans Alpine across to Christchurch or see more of the South Island, we’ll

Read the full itinerary on Blogger at Large >

Queenstown / Central Otago

8-17 April 2021

Lake Wanaka — We will stay lakeside in Wanaka

Starting and ending in Queenstown, this 10-day tour includes 4 nights in Queenstown with day trips to Glenorchy, Arrowtown, wine tasting and exploring the city, then 2 nights in Wanaka and 4 nights in Clyde staying at the boutique hotel, Olivers.

Read the full itinerary on Blogger at Large here >

The whimsical life of an Auckland florist

November 3, 2020 by megan Leave a Comment

When Auckland mum of four, Richelle Leahy-Mullins, decided she wanted a career change in 2012 from the hectic life of an event manager to become a florist and open her own business, she dreamed of whimsical, soft, romantic, country styled flowers which appealed to French country lovers.

Richelle Mullins — Richelle shows off one of her dried bouquets

Inspired by her grandmother’s creativity Flourish Floral Designs is based out of a studio at Richelle’s home in the leafy suburb of Epsom and it’s fair to say it’s her happy place.

“I have the best office in the world,” she says looking around a room filled with fresh and dried flowers, as many of us pivot from working in grey offices to working from the dining room table.

Richelle is after a distinctive wild and whimsical, almost Renaissance, feel which she has acquired from her travels in France after visiting numerous French florists to study their style and return home with a definite French Country vibe about her designs.

Floral studio — The Flourish studio smells divine!

A day in the life of a florist

“The floral industry is pretty competitive in Auckland,” Richelle tells Auckland Scene. “There’s a lot of florists out there, however not many with the style that I create at Flourish.”

A typical day starts at 7 o’clock when local florists descend on the markets in Mt Wellington to buy fresh flowers from growers from all around the region.

Auckland flower market — A selection of dried and painted flowers at the Auckland Flower Market

Richelle gets most of her orders via her website the day before and can order what she needs from her buyer who gets it ready for her. The next morning she makes a bee-line for the markets letting her imagination run wild looking for the extra special pieces she can either dry or incorporate into a design.

She uses a wide variety of country garden flowers that are in season. Strong favourites in the summertime are peonies and roses, especially the big country garden variety, along with white oriental lilies.

Classic white and green arrangements are always popular but Richelle mixes in a variety of beautiful foliages like eucalyptus, stock, pierus, manuka, protea and whatever berries are available such s hypericum, and viburnum into her arrangements.

Trend towards dried flowers

Richelle loves the trend of dried flowers in bouquets and wall hangings, wreaths and dramatic arrangements. She dries a lot of them herself from her own garden as well as what she finds in the markets, and friends who let her come and pick.

“What I really love about dried flowers is that you can just go totally wild with your arrangements as they have a real strength about them and they’re not too fragile. They last virtually forever and there’s so many different ways of arranging them.”

“I am loving the dyed hydrangeas and fan palm and especially New Zealand natives. The toi toi, wheat, banksia and dried protea are so gorgeous and so very New Zealand. Every home should have a little bit of Kiwi dried fauna – it’s so uniquely us!”

Richelle’s dried arrangements might have a mix of dried, fresh, preserved flowers and even a sneaky little silk flower popped in occasionally.

She usually wraps them in brown paper and delivers them by hand, but as a keen second hand store shopper, has plenty of little vases to complement the right look.

How to keep dried flowers looking great

• Definitely keep them out of direct sunlight so they don’t fade, says Richelle.

• If you place them upright in a vase they stay looking fresher for longer.

• A really handy tip is spraying them with hairspray which helps to retain the colour. Also they prefer to be in a cool and dry area.

• Give them a little fluff up every so often – just blow on them to remove dust or if you have to, use a feather duster just lightly.

• And definitely, definitely do not get them wet! So absolutely do not put them in your bathroom!

Other than that, it’s plain sailing! 🙂

Another popular dried flower arrangement from Flourish

What’s coming up?

Richelle will soon be running dried arrangement workshops. Details on the Flourish Floral Instagram page. Be quick though as numbers limited to 4 per class with a glass of bubbles.

Step out at the Waiheke Walking Festival

November 2, 2020 by megan Leave a Comment

Waiheke Island’s annual, and hugely popular, walking festival is coming up and it’s bigger and better than ever, so dig out your hiking boots, get some mates together and start your stretches!

What is the Waiheke Walking Festival?

Now in its eleventh year, the Waiheke Walking Festival is this year an 18-day event offering a huge range of walks from 11 – 29 November 2020.

The walks vary in length from a couple of hours to a few days and offer various levels of effort to ensure all abilities and interests are catered for. You’ll find photography walks, music, conservation, fitness, history, story telling and even booze walks!

Josh Emmett and Oyster Inn are leading a 6km oyster and bubbles walk from Oneroa Beach this year. There’s a 4km Brewer’s Loop from Onetangi Sports Park with beer tastings along the way, and a gin and tonic making walk with high tea and bubbles ending at Batch Winery.

Park Point Sunset on Waiheke Walking Festival — Sunset at Park Point. Pic Dawn Hughes

How fit do you need to be?

Many walks are family-friendly and not strenuous, while some of the walks end up at Waiheke’s vineyards to allow participants to enjoy the local food and wine on offer. There are beach clean ups and scavenger hunts for the kids, some are dog friendly, there’s even a nine-day walk covering 10-12km per day.

Kids enjoying the glow worm walk — Kids will love the glow worm walk. Pic by Rainer Lehr

FAQs

How much does it cost?

Most of the walks are free, but as numbers are limited you’ll need to register as soon as tickets are released (see below about becoming a Friend of the Festival) as they fill up quickly. Several walks are in the $20-$35 bracket and one is $450 for 3-day walk with accommodation.

How many people can join each walk?

With COVID-19 now a reality in our world, walks will be operating at a limited capacity of walkers this year. But to counter the smaller number on each walk, the festival is longer in duration and some of the more popular walks are repeated more than once. See details for each walk here >

Becoming a Patron or a Friend ($100) of the Festival will assist with early access (starting from September 17^th) for booking your choice of walks, helping to increase your chance of getting onto the walks you want to.

Walking in Onetangi, Waiheke Walking Festival — Walking in Onetangi. Pic Rainer Lehr

A few Waiheke Walking Festival highlights…

Onetangi Progressive Lunch Walk – This year the walk offers two date options at different restaurants, hitting some of the best food spots on Waiheke Island. Eat and drink at Casita Miro, Tantalus Estate and Three Seven Two on Thursday 12^th November ($110) or Obsidian, Shed at Te Motu and Three Seven Two on Thursday 26^th November. Both walks are from 10am – 4pm ($95).

5-Day Te Ara Hura 100km Walk – This five day, 100km Te Ara Hura walking adventure which will see you circumnavigate Waiheke. Tackling 5-7 hours of walking every day at a moderate pace, you’ll get stunning views of Waiheke Island throughout the 20km stretches you’ll be doing each day. Wednesday 25^th – 29^th November ($150).

Mindfulness in Whakanewha – This two-hour walk will invigorate the mind and body. Walkers will experience how to use their senses with intent and connect them with nature and themselves. The medium grade walk will finish with spectacular views and a delicious, specially priced optional lunch and bubbles at Batch Winery. To ensure the experience is intimate and connected, bookings will be limited to max 30 people for this walk, happening on Tuesday 17^th November, 10am – 12pm ($35).

ASTRONZ Night Sky Walk – This is a fantastic non-walking opportunity for an evening of astronomical adventure for all ages. View the night sky through telescopic equipment and hear fascinating information about what twinkles above from the experts at Astronz and Dark Sky Waiheke Island. Dress warmly and bring along a sense of wonder, Saturday 21^st November, free to all walkers, bookings required.

Night Sky walk at the beach — Star gazing on the Night Sky Walk, far from city lights. Pic Rainer Lehr.

Wild Herbal Gin and Tonic Walk – Join local Helen Elscott, well known medical herbalist, and gin maker, for the Wild Herbal Gin and Tonic Walk. Helen, from the popular Botanical’s Distillery, will lead walkers for a wander in Whakanewha Regional Park. The experience will then finish with a gin masterclass, high tea and bubbles at Batch winery, on Tuesday 24^th November 1-4pm ($95).

Shrinrin-Yoku Forest Bathing Walk – Accredited nature and forest therapy guide, Gabrielle Young will host a forest bathing (Shinrin-Yoku) experience in Goodwin Reserve. Walkers will get the chance to slow down, connect with nature, become mindful, and open their senses during this special two-and-a-half-hour experience. The Forest Bathing Walk will take place Wednesday 25^th November, from 9:30am – 12:30pm, and is free for participants, but must be booked prior to arrival.

Whakanewha Photograhpy Walk with Peter Rees – For moderately experienced amateur photographers, let brilliant landscape photographer Peter Rees guide you through beautiful Whakanewha Park sharing tips and ideas to further develop your photographic skills. Sunday 29^th November, 10am-12pm, free to participants with bookings mandatory.

So, grab a group of friends, put the dates aside and use the festival as a good excuse to become healthier and fitter, and support local, whilst having fun! Head to the website for the programme, booking information and to sign up to the e-newsletter for updates. Tickets to the general public go on sale Thursday October 1^st

See the full programme of Waiheke Walking Festival walks >

Scrambling up a hill on the Waiheke Walking Festival — All levels of fitness catered for! Pic Anne Proffit

Farm to fork master classes with Michael Van de Elzen

November 2, 2020 by megan Leave a Comment

Explore our own backyard with a farm-to-fork master class like no other!

With the global pandemic putting a halt on our usual international holidays, exploring what’s on offer closer to home never sounded so appealing.

Auckland Scene has found a fun and educational farm-to-fork experience for food lovers, gardeners and those who simply want to discover something new, less than 40 minutes from Auckland.

The Good From Scratch Cookery School on a lifestyle property in coastal Muriwai is offering visitors master cooking classes with one of New Zealand’s most renowned and respected chefs – Michael and Bee Van de Elzen.

The couple opened the Good From Scratch Cookery School with the philosophy that food is best when it’s prepared from scratch.

Michael and Belinda VandeElzen — Michael and Bee Van de Elzen. Pic by Babiche Martens

The Van de Elzen’s cookery school offers a fun-filled day or half-day class option, that involves gathering the various ingredients from their small farm and learning about that produce’s importance to the day’s menu.

The preparation and cooking of the dishes is a hands-on experience for all and ends with everyone eating the meal they made, washed down with a selection of local wines, craft beers and homemade sodas!

“The farm is a labour of love and we want to share this unique piece of paradise with our Kiwi whanau,” says Michael, who has starred in a number of Kiwi television shows, including more recently Eat Well For Less New Zealand on TVNZ 1.

“Bee and I love welcoming people from all walks of life to enjoy what our cookery school has to offer. It’s a unique experience and our ultimate aim is for people to walk away smiling, satisfied in the knowledge they’ve learnt and with the food they’ve created but most importantly, nourished in the understanding that ‘good from scratch’ is essential for a healthy life.

“Bee shares my passion of preparing food from scratch and has supported me immensely on my journey to educate New Zealanders, especially children, about healthy eating and showing people how easy and cheap it is to cook a healthy meal. The Good From Scratch Cookery School helps us to further to deliver that message.”

The school is a ‘dream come true’ for the chefs, with it being in the planning for over 20 years. Along the way, the ambitious couple have run many successful restaurants including award-winning Molten, Food Truck Garage and Boy and Bird. Michael is also the author of five cookbooks and works with a number of companies under his Good From Scratch brand.

“The initial thought was conceived when Bee and I were working in a small luxury hotel in an Irish village called Dundrody. What made this award-winning hotel such a success was that the majority of the produce cooked for its guests came from its own gardens. Both Bee and I knew then that this was what we wanted to create in New Zealand.”

Good from Scratch cookery school — In the kitchen at the Good from Scratch Cookery School. Pic by Babiche Martens

The first step to turn their dream into reality, was the Van de Elzen’s purchase of a small farm in the beautiful Muriwai Valley in 2015. They fell in love with the land so much they put an offer in without even looking at the house.

Set on 15 acres of land, Michael and Belinda have developed the farm to now include an orchard, greenhouse and kitchen gardens, where their focus is to share in the simplicity of creating flavoursome dishes from scratch, including gathering and picking seasonal produce, right at the doorstep of the cookery school.

The farm also houses chickens, honeybees, cattle and pigs all of which are reared on the property producing honey, eggs and meat for use in the classes.

Potatoes from the garden. Pic by Babiche Martens

The orchard and gardens have an abundance of heirloom variety specimens such as Early Strawberry and Peasgoodnonsuch apples, Billingtons plums, Monavale almonds and Warkworth apricots, to name just a few. The Good from Scratch classes will tap into all that the farm offers as well as local in-season ingredients from neighbouring farms.

The Good For Scratch Cookery School also offers bespoke cookery events, including a recent Pig. Smoke. Fireday classwhere home cooks learnt about butchery, small goods, smoking and cooking over flames. Pig. Smoke. Fire was led by talented butcher Francesco Visco alongside Michael. In the school holidays, look out for their classes for little chefs.

For more information and to book a unique farm-to-fork experience visit goodfromscratch.co.nz

The Waiheke Sculpture on the Gulf walk

February 8, 2017 by megan Leave a Comment

I’ve been meaning to walk Waiheke’s headland Sculpture on the Gulf trail for ages and finally last weekend I did. It was also the hottest day we’ve had so far this summer (of course!), but my friend had come over for the day so along we shuffled and nattered under the blazing sun and this is what we saw…

The views!

If you want views to to upload killer Instagram pics then the Sculpture Trail has it in spades. Here are just 4 of my favourite photos, but I could have filled this post for days!

Outside of this event, there are plenty of other trails and walks past lavish homes and rolling hills, so allow a couple of hours on your next visit to Waiheke to wander along one.

The sculpture!

From 250 initial proposals from artists, 34 were eventually selected. What I would have liked was a brief description from each artist as to their inspiration and meaning. Maybe artists just don’t do that lest they take away from my interpretation, but honestly some were too wacky for me yet probably had a cool story if it had been told.

So I probably need to write a small disclaimer here: I don’t really understand “modern” art. Wacky art. The Emperor is wearing no clothes kind of art. Don’t get me wrong, there are several stunning pieces here – and they’re all for sale. But some? Welllll, I’ll let you decide whether you want to fork out a cool $20K…

I did like this one. Like fish hanging on lines to dry with carved tuis on each post

This installment was weird! Buried gemstone, it was called. Bricks by any other name! And it could be yours for $21,000

I loved these flying birds catching the light. I understood that!

This was cool too. Phantom Fleet made from marine grade stainless steel. Three waka hanging in the gnarly pohutukawa tree and all for sale for around $50K each.

Nope sorry. Didn’t get what this hose reel was about. We did wonder how the artist would recreate it exactly for the buyer too!

I’m sure this had a good meaning. Some kind of totem, but it was lost on me.

This was a close call with the bricks as to wackiness. Sorry. What? Why? Who would?

The coloured panels are called 12 Intervals and made of plywood. This could be yours for $26,000

I liked this one too.

These are just some of the amazing and weird installations and you have from January 27 to February 19, 2017 to see them.

For more info including buying your ticket for $10 (however they call it a donation) with your ferry pass, click onto headland Sculpture on the Gulf website >>

A taste of luxury on Waiheke Island

November 19, 2015 by megan Leave a Comment

A visit to Auckland is best done accompanied by a glass of the local nectar and if time is precious, then a day on Waiheke Island is the place to do it!

The sparkling Hauraki Gulf is dotted with islands and the largest is Waiheke, inhabited by 8000 people and home to 20 wineries that roll gently over its lush green hills. It takes about 30 minutes by ferry from downtown Auckland to Matiatia where a bus, taxi or even car and scooter rentals are your ride into Oneroa, the tiny heart of the island about two kilometres from the ferry terminal.

Here you’ll find cafes with tables spilling outside to drink in the views of the many bays and beaches that surround the island. Boutiques, homeware and souvenir stores vie for attention alongside antique shops and a small grocery store.

Browse along the main street, sit down for a flat white coffee and plan your wine tasting day, because the options are plentiful. Or better yet, book a bach (local holiday home) make a weekend of it.

This is worth driving over a dirt road for!

Five wineries to visit…

Man O War Bay

If you have a car then a trip out to Man O War Bay should be on your list. It’s about a 30-minute drive across the island, bumping over dirt roads and hills affording stunning ocean views, to a private bay where boaties pull up in summer to drink the famous wines and nibble on the equally famous lunch platters.

Don’t expect a full restaurant with tables covered in cloth, instead it’s a casual affair for friends and families to make their selections at the cellar door, then sit at an outside table under an umbrella while the kids play cricket on the lawn and when the tide is in, they can swim.

Passage Rock

Another family-friendly winery, Passage Rock knows how to keep the children entertained so the adults can get on with the serious business of wine tasting. The wood fired pizza oven will keep everyone happy and while the kids are bouncing on the trampoline or in the sandpit, you can sit back at an indoor or outdoor table among the vines and enjoy the day.

Their reserve Syrah is the most awarded wine on Waiheke with 18 gold medals and six trophies. The bistro is open only on weekends in winter.

Mudbrick Vineyard

Mudbrick’s exquisite gardens have been nurtured for 25 years and are the first wow that ensures visitors get their cameras out. Herbs and edible flowers mingle with cleansing teas and a formal design that draws you up from the car park. The restaurant offers local New Zealand flavours and stunning views, but for a more casual experience, the bistro, next to the cellar door and gift shop, spills outside onto the gravel path and is great on a fine day picking at small plates and trying their wines.

Cable Bay Vineyards

Located a stone’s throw from Mudbrick, visitors to Waiheke for just a day often choose these two. The energetic can even walk from Oneroa, about twenty minutes away (or two minutes by car).

Relax under the white canopies on the veranda with groovy lounge music and a bottle of Rose, or sink into a beanbag on the huge lawn that rolls down into the view of Auckland city. For something really special, book for lunch or dinner in The Dining Room. They also often have live music and events inside and outside in their sculpture garden.

Te Whau Vineyard

The drive along the peninsula to this winery is part of the enticement for coming out here. The restaurant and cellar door look down over Waiheke’s Kennedy Point or across the Hauraki Gulf back to Auckland, for spectacular 360-degree views. This is a small family-run winery with a big reputation for Chardonnay (which you can only buy in their restaurant) and a Bordeaux-style Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot called The Point.

Getting here

Take the 35-minute ferry from downtown Auckland to Waiheke.

Cost NZ$36 return per adult, $18 per child, $98 family.

Man O' War has a large lawn, picnic tables, and platters to die for. Photo / Megan Singleton — Man O’ War has a large lawn, picnic tables, and platters to die for.

This post first appeared in Mabuhay Magazine for Philippines Airlines

A perfect weekend on Waiheke Island

November 19, 2015 by megan Leave a Comment

And so it was that myself and six family members found ourselves on the car ferry gently chugging from Auckland’s Half Moon Bay to Waiheke’s Kennedy Point for a weekend of frivolity and hilarity. Sans children.

Nicknamed Waibiza for our quick cousinly vacay, we drove ten minutes to our bach. Now I must stop right here. When I say bach, I do not mean like the one my grandparents had at Te Awanga on quite possibly the roughest beach in Hawkes Bay. When I was a kid the sand was long and wide. Today the bach is hanging there by the skin of its piles having been smashed by waves several times over the ensuing decades. There is no longer any sand and it’s only a matter of time before the current owners (who bought it for $1000) will abandon it.

No indeed. We had booked Waiheke White House, which sounds either like an official residence or one that has poles in the lounge. Neither are correct.

The deck handily doubles as the coffee and paper spot in the morning and wine and cheese at 5pm

This place is plush and huge. It’s a two-story home with decks all around to capture the sun any time of day. It has two living rooms, two bathrooms, a dining area off the new kitchen and sleeps eight. Three double bedrooms open out onto the aforementioned decks where various members of our party were gathered for functions like newspaper reading or coffee drinking.

Upstairs the living room has a daybed that is actually a king-single bed in disguise with a trundler bed underneath for making into a king for an eighth person.

Two bottles of wine from a local vineyard were waiting for us, plus a pot of Waiheke honey and a little bag of coffee. I was in my happy place.

What’s nearby?

Turn right out of the gate and in two minutes you’re wandering down the path to Little Oneroa Beach. This tiny bay has a children’s playground, a dairy and the owner makes a fine flat white. Next to them is a fish and chip shop – which does a mean wonton! Then on the beach front each night a mobile pizza oven pulls up to make delicious kebabs and pizzas to eat right there or take back home.

Within ten minutes walk is the main township of Oneroa that bulges with cafes, restaurants and shops along the main street. Plenty of brunch options abound.

Which wineries to visit on Waiheke?

We visited five wineries over the weekend and these three I would recommend taking some time to stop in at for a while:

The cottage at Man O War Vineyard

Man O War
Located at the far end of the island and reached by about 30 minutes on a dirt road – or you could just bring your boat – this is a hike to get to, but worth it. I had heard great things about their platters, so we ordered about five for the table, some cheese and some with meat. Both outstanding.

I love Man O War’s sauvignon blanc, so happily quaffed that while shooting the breeze, although not literally as we were sitting in a marquee with roll down blinds to protect us from that effect. Tables were dotted on the lawn with fellow imbibers under umbrellas and kids played cricket at one side of the lawn as the low tide sat about twenty metres away. Perfect.

The famous and scrumptious platters!

Cable Bay Vineyards
Even since last summer a lot has changed at this winery that is the closest to Oneroa – in fact about two kilometres away, so an easy stroll from the shops.

They still have their fine dining restaurant, but there’s a new tasting room which has allowed for the former tasting room to become a more casual dining option. Then out from that they have built the Verandah – a sunken outdoor dining area under huge white canopies. Bean bags are dotted on the lawn that stretches into the view of Auckland city and a new pizza oven accompanied by groovy lounge music means it’s easy to while away an afternoon here.

It’s very easy to stay until after the sun goes down here!

Mudbrick Vineyard
Set above a formal garden that will have any green fingers in your party twirling in circles, this has a lovely Italian feel. A styly dining room with white cloths is sought after for the multitude of nuptials held here, but walk along the gravel path to the tasting room and choose a flight from $10.

We decided not to queue up behind the tasting tour bus that had pulled in ahead of us, so pulled up enough outdoor chairs and ordered by the glass to enjoy drinking in the view with our splash.

How about a wine tasting tour by helicopter? This left Mudbrick and landed on the other side of the trees at Cable Bay!

How to get around on Waiheke

If you don’t take your car (at $160 without passengers) there are a few options on Waiheke for getting around:

Rent scooters or a car, book a wine tasting tour bus to hop you around several wineries without the need for one of your party to remain sober, or taxi.

Budding photography at Auckland Zoo

November 19, 2015 by megan Leave a Comment

I had a great day taking the God children to Auckland Zoo and the 10-year old was armed with a camera and ready to shoot.

I hadn’t been in years and was most impressed, diving between thunderstorms and the blindingly hot sun.

We fed the giraffe, held a tuatara, watched the alligators and otters being fed and fell in love with the one-week old baby baboon.

Here’s our day out at Auckland Zoo in pictures…

Zabulu the king of the giraffe/zebra/ostrich/springbok enclosure waits patiently with his zookeeper for feeding time

My little charge James feeds a carrot to Zabulu. Check out the tongue!

Fortunately this rhino turned around and stopped his spraying for this pic. He could be Zambezi or one of his two sons Inkosi and Mtoto.

We fell in love with this week-old baboon whose mother kept him close by dragging him around by the tail. He’s very active!

This baboon kid gets to pick the nits out of his mother’s back. Mmmmm.

“You whistled?” A great technique for getting an animal to look at you for a photo.

This is Smiley, the Galapagos turtle. He’s 40 years old and is loving having his back scratched by his keeper.

An upside-down smile more like!

Feeding time in the alligator fortress. Look how many zookeepers are involved to feed this lively lot.

Mmmm chicken carcass, as she slithers back into her river…

This cute little otter stands up to beg for lunch

And so does the meerkat but he’s on the look out. And yes, the meerkat domes for kids to peek through are still here!

One of the 16 spider monkeys that leap through the trees in the Rainforest. With very little fencing I don’t know how they don’t jump out!

The entrance to Te Wao Nui, the new New Zealand section with 6 habitats: coast, islands, wetlands, night time, forest and high country. Pic by James Stephens

Kate and James Stephens get a behind the scenes experience with Tipua the tuatara

Tipua was bred here to join the educational program. Her species is overbred, so she won’t breed herself. Instead she happily sits in the arms of adoring visitors who get to feel her lace-like skin and teeny fingernails

These little blue penguins take shelter under a row boat in their habitat

This is probably New Zealand’s cheekiest bird. The kea loves to rip wind screen wipers off cars and will take off with your stuff if you don’t watch out!

James and Kate still have energy to burn after 5 hours of walking the zoo! And when your feet have had enough but the kids are still on fire, the Kidzone is a great respite. It’s full of domestic pets (including pigs and chickens) too

These are just a selection of my best pics, but there’s still Burma the elephant (who was indoors having some work done on her feet), lions, tigers, hippos (who stayed under water so were a bit hard to photograph), the hilarious orangutan hiding under their sheets and sacks, kiwi, bats and morepork furrowing around in their dark habitat and that’s not mention the spooky tarantulas and a few more besides.

We spent five hours here, had lunch in one of the cafes and ran out of stamina to see it all.

If I were you, I’d plan to spend the whole day at Auckland Zoo!

Click here for the Auckland Zoo website>>

An afternoon at Riverhead Pub

November 19, 2015 by megan Leave a Comment

Whether you’ve got your own boat and want to brave the tides, you take a ferry from downtown Auckland, and cruise the upper Waitemata harbour, past the Chelsea Sugar Factory, Kauri Point, Hobsonville Airbase, Herald Island, the Poremoremo inlet and Huapai Golf Course to the Riverhead Pub, or just drive, it’s a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Tootling past Westhaven Marina and under the Harbour Bridge

If you don’t have your own boat, book a ferry with The Red Boats or the Riverhead Ferry which depart from downtown Auckland.

It was a bit lumpy out here so my pic is not that clear!

Meanwhile, I travelled in convoy from the Outboard Boating Club in Orakei on their family day out with my cousin and her family, and 166 more of us. Although some took their cars, which in hindsight was a great idea as the wind and swells really got up!

Cruising past the Hobsonville Airbase around Herald Island

After about an hour and 3/4 we see the Riverhead jetty where we waited our turn to stop and clamber out while our skipper went off and anchored in the muddy water and waited for the tender to pick him up

The Red Boat is docked out front

It’s BBQ time! On sunny Sunday’s the Riverhead can do 2000 covers.

It’s non stop sizzling – except for a quick photo

Live music starts at 2pm on Sundays at the Riverhead Pub which is one of the coolest places to spend an afternoon. In 2010 new owners Stephen and Paula bought the pub which was in receivership and frequented by a rather shady clientele. They had been sailing the world for 9 years in a boat they had built themselves before becoming landlubbers. It’s been such a successful venture, they haven’t had time to look back!

If you come by car (or hog) this is the pub entrance

There are several bars, nooks of restaurants, outdoor seating – it’s huge!

The Riverhead is the 2nd pub in New Zealand to have applied for a liquor license and Stephen and Paula have done a ton of research and printed out century-old newspaper articles mentioning the pub and its sometimes dodgy past!

Andy whips up a chocolate martini with a flirty smile

Quirky decor and historic documents as art adorn the walls providing an insight into this pub’s skulduggerous history

This boar watches over one of the dining rooms

Gardens sprawl all the way down the water – and kids are discouraged from playing in them!

We set off just on high tide where the upper harbour was nice and calm. It was a different story heading into the wider harbour with an extreme wind warning in force, swells and gusts of up to 40 knots!

Home time

Next time we have visitors from out of town, we’ll be bringing them here for sure.

Go west!

November 19, 2015 by megan Leave a Comment

It had been a year since my cousin an bestie, Kate, visited me in Auckland, so to celebrate the auspicious occasion we decided to go somewhere we hadn’t been before. Out west.

The view from our balcony at Ara Station over the sand dunes

Auckland’s wild west coast is a bit of an undiscovered gem. Well to me at least. It’s spacious and rugged. The sand is volcanic black and the Tasman sea washes the dog prints and horse hooves away as surfers armed with their boards make their silent way out to the breaks.

Ready for a surf lesson on the beach?

It’s September, barely spring and the rain was falling intermittently as we set off towards the view from our window for a walk along the beach as the tuis sang of their love for the kowhai trees.

There are more tuis out here than in a brewery!

The river that we can see from Ara Station winds its way down here

Take a left and wander down to this cave – before the tide comes in!

Mist, boulders, waves and sand. You’ll blow the cobwebs away out here!

Where to stay at Bethells Beach

Ara Station stands halfway up the bush-covered hill facing the sea at the end of the silver slither of river that runs past the road below.

I must admit we cheated and took the car as far as we could, but if we’d felt so inclined, or the weather was more reliable, we could have walked across the Lake Wainamu sand dunes draped towards the east and running down to the beach.

The timber is all ecologically sourced. Lovely to flop on a couch and listen to vinyl on the old-fashioned turntable.

It has a rustic farmhouse feel, Ara Station. Named for its position on the Hillary Trail, this is a great spot for walkers and hikers – or those like us who just fancy hunkering down in front of a roaring fire out in the wops. Ara means a traditional Maori pathway and the ‘station’ denotes the style this timber house is built to replicate: an old railway station.

Pick a spot and curl up with a book

If you have the run of the place, there is one huge master bedroom upstairs with a bathroom and large living/dining room with a balcony edged in party lights to signify a good night. Or when the owner is in residence (she was in Spain when we stayed, as you do!) you can take the ground floor and she’ll provide breakfast.

I love this tiled shower floor!

Downstairs there are 3 double rooms and another bathroom. About $400-$450 a night gets you the whole place.

Tip: You can’t buy wine from supermarkets out west, so a separate stop at a bottle store is required. Or do what we did and stock up with happy hour nibbles, dinner ingredients and wine before you hit the motorway.

I reckon this would be a great place for a group of friends who want a week far from the madding crowd, and in summer the burger caravan is open at the bottom of the road which sounds like such fun!

About Me

Things to do

Northland / Bay of Islands

Nelson / Farewell Spit / Hokitika

Queenstown / Central Otago

A day in the life of a florist

Trend towards dried flowers

How to keep dried flowers looking great

What’s coming up?

What is the Waiheke Walking Festival?

FAQs

The views!

The sculpture!

Footer

About