62 I Weekend in... Auckland
now, with about 3,000 commuting to the city for work,” she says. The alternative lifestyle is a big draw – there are 40 kilometres of beach here, and surfing and sailing are major activities. Remnants of the old hippy culture still exist, seen in the New Age and surf shops in the main town of Oneroa, but it’s the success of Waiheke’s wineries that are its defining feature these days. Jenny drives me to an even more picturesque viticultural haven called Mudbrick Vineyard. Surrounded by terraced potager gardens, its barrel- filled tasting room is buzzing with people trying the vineyard’s award-winning wines, and the dining room is equally full, its hand-hewn mud-brick floor and walls supported by richly textured wood beams. (Oh, and the views are beautiful here too.) We drive down the main street of Oneroa, the
island’s largest “town”, where everything is done at a leisurely pace, pass the sweeping sand beach where sun- and sea-worshipping tourists cavort, then stop at a viewing point that looks down on pretty Palm Beach, whose well-spaced houses hint at a genteel lifestyle. Jenny has an obvious love for and pride in the many charms of her chosen home, as she reveals one breathtaking vista after another to me, from remote bays to cosy camping grounds next to calm waters. We stop at a final small vineyard – one of Jenny’s
favourites – called Obsidian Wines, where I taste a range of wines, from a sophisticated Cabernet Merlot blend to a powerful Syrah and a delightful Reserve called “The Mayor”. Introducing each wine is a knowledgeable lady named Lyn, who tells me of a recent Malaysian visitor: “He spent ages here, and loved our flagship wine ‘The Obsidian’ so much he bought up our entire stock of the 2010 – a great Waiheke vintage.” (Waiheke’s vineyards can ship crates of wine to Australia, the US, UK and Asia through a company called NZWine Home,
nzwinehome.co.nz.) On the boat back to Auckland I consider what a
wonderful place Waiheke would be to retire to – close to a vibrant capital city but a natural playground of inspirational beauty, with a benign climate and a truly great gastronomic scene. No wonder Condé Nast Traveler named it the “fourth best island in the world”. The following day I’m up early and waiting to be picked up for a day trip exploring Auckland’s environs with award-winning tour company Time Unlimited. My guide for the day is Ceillhe Sperath, one of its founders. Half Maori, half Irish – a formidable but joyous combination – she is hugely knowledgeable about the city’s history and culture. She begins by telling our group, a genial mix of US, Australian, British and Chinese tourists, that the reason New Zealanders are considered so friendly is that they understand and appreciate anyone willing to make the journey to this far-flung corner of the world. “Let’s face it – we’re a long way from most places, so if you’ve spent the time and money in planning a trip
NOVEMBER 2016
then coming here, you must really want to experience our beautiful country,” she says. “We love that, to us it makes you a friend before we even know you, so welcome to you all! Kia ora! [Be well!].” After a drive along eastern Auckland’s picturesque
From top: A picture-perfect view at the Arataki Visitor Centre; hiking to a wild west coast beach
Pohutukawa Coast, named after the magnificent red- flowering trees that fringe its shoreline, we stop at Achilles Point, a headland with gorgeous panoramic views, and here we are introduced to another Maori ritual greeting: the hongi, or touching of the nose and forehead. For those not used to physical contact with strangers it can be awkward and uncomfortable, but it’s actually a very meaningful and inclusive act, symbolically sharing the “breath of life” with someone. We cross Auckland Harbour Bridge and visit the peninsular district of Devonport, lunching in one of this serene suburb’s excellent restaurants before ascending the small hill known as Mt Victoria, site of an ancient Maori fortified village, then a gun battery
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