The Undiscovered Roof. . .

View from the roof just after dusk

Sky Tower from the Roof of Avoka Apartments

Ok. The illusion/pun in the title of this blog post is probably not obvious. It refers to "The Undiscovered Room", which has great significance to me as a dream. More on that later. But the Undiscovered Roof is a Real Thing. Our landlord, who happened to be in town when we first checked in, told us to be sure to go up to the roof, and gave us the 4-digit code for access. For whatever reason, John and I kept forgetting about it. What? How could we? The roof, complete with view, from a highrise downtown. But we did. Maybe it was because the view was pretty spectacular from our 8th floor balcony. We finally remembered to go up there the other night. And it IS spectacular. However, it really is FALL here. The days are short, so by 5:30p, it's dark. Isn't it funny how science really does work? We really ARE in the southern hemisphere, and the tilt of the earth really Does account for reverse seasons. Yay. Science. Anyway, I'll let you see some other photos from the top. It is lovely, though a bit chilly once the sun goes down. As low as 51F, though usually only down to 55F or so. The structure that is reminiscent of the Space Needle in downtown Seattle is called The Sky Tower, and is a landmark for us, since if we're close, that means we can navigate home. Usually.

Panorama of view from the roof

The Pink Walkway really is that pink. It was a former exit ramp to the highway that was no longer necessary for cars, so Auckland turned it into a walk/bike connection between downtown and the K-street area where we live. Nice that they found a use for it. The lights actually change colors throughout the night.

The last image is a panorama, using my trusty IPhone. It looks sort of unreal, but I do like how the moon, nearly full, is centered over the whole scene.

And as to The Undiscovered Room. When we first moved to Boise, I started having this recurring dream about finding a room that I didn't know existed. Sometimes it was in the house I lived in, but more often it was in a house that I had never lived in (but was living in during the dream), or in a house that we were looking at with the intention of buying. It was one of those dreams that stuck with me.  It turns out that this is a THING. The undiscovered room dream has been analyzed extensively by psychology-types. As the story goes, it is a subconscious manifestation of the realization that one is not living up to a portion of their own potential. Here's some verbage from various websites:
******

To dream of discovering new rooms is often a symbol of realizing new aspects of your own personality.  The analogy is that you thought you knew yourself so well, but suddenly circumstances have arisen that have revealed there is far more to you than you previously thought.  These kinds of dreams are a great gift, they challenge you to outgrow previous limited perceptions, and to embrace growth and change in your life.

Even if the rooms you discover are old and neglected, it still is a positive sign that there are aspects of yourself you may have forgotten about, but still exist as very real parts of who you are.  The fact that you are dreaming about these rooms means there is still some value to be gained from going there.  It can help if you have a dream like this to take time to contemplate lessons from the past that may be relevant now.  Items you find in the room may give you a clue as to what the message is about.  Look for childhood toys, items you may have used in work or school, things that remind you of a close friend or family member who may have had a special influence on you.  Then consider how these may relate to what is going on in your life right now.

Discovering new rooms in a dream invites you to step outside of what you had accepted as reality, to expand your horizons.  Discovering new rooms can mean learning new skills, traveling to new places or taking on new responsibility, or it can mean rediscovering something special about your self and your history you thought was lost.  Dreaming of discovering new rooms challenge you to move past your self imposed limitations, and to embrace a new and exciting way of living that you never thought possible before.
*****
I had these dreams prior to embarking on my second career as a studio artist. I haven't had one in a long time now. Now I simply dream of walking through potential homes (no hidden or undiscovered rooms) and a black-and-white collie-mutt who lives with us. Let's hope that I haven't left any potential within myself unexamined at this late date. Or maybe I should hope that I have?

Devonport: What happened in between

John and Moreton Bay Fig Tree

This amazing tree is just adjacent to the Devonport library . . . another Moreton Bay Fig (remember? From Australia?), but this one was huge. Apparently I'm not the only one who has been bowled over by it. . check out http://www.tracenz.org/elements/Mo002.html.

The tree has large magnolia-like leaves, fruit (of course), and the aerial roots are just heart-stopping. John and I were speculating on the possible evolutionary advantage of those roots. Of course. What else does one discuss over wine? It could be that they give stability. This hypothesis is lent credence by the fact that you often don't see them on smaller trees.

Aerial roots

Not the biggest, but what a beauty

We saw this beauty while walking through town, and then stopped for coffee and bread stuffs. When in doubt, eat and drink. After that, we made our way along the coastal walk, seeing some wonderful houses on the way. It really is a lovely part of town, though by all indications it seems that housing prices are through the roof, and the historic residents have a hard time finding affordable housing. This was the story in Melbourne, too. My frequent refrain? Too many people. Good grief.

Devonport Coastal Homes

We made an uncharacteristic decision to stop in to see the Auckland Naval Museum. This was in part to dodge the rain, but it was really interesting.  Devonport was the first line of defense, even prior to the World Wars. I always get blinded by tears in these places. . . so many people dead and mistreated, and yet it's fitting to go there over our Memorial Day weekend, yes? From there we hiked up the first (and smaller) extinct volcanic cone on Devonport, North Head.

All nicely arranged, easy to get around. And really not much climbing, given Rocky Mountain standards. I'm not saying that in a snarky tone. Believe me, I don't need a lot to challenge me these days, but still. . . .

The views from North Head are wonderful, but it's really about the big guns that were put there to defend New Zealand.

Red Sail on a cloudy Day

Once again, dodging rain, we decided to opt for the climb up Mount Victoria, which is the highest point in the area. It purports a "360 Degree View", but not all from the same place. . .just from the same plateau. I posted the video yesterday of about 180 degrees of that view, but thought I'd also post a few more images. It really was lovely.

View of Auckland CBD from Mt. Vic

And just as we were about to head back, the sun broke through the clouds and gave us this beautiful view of Devonport and the sky and the sea.

After the Storm, Devonport from Mount Victoria

Devonport

On to Devonport: The view astern

On Saturday we headed to Devonport, a neighborhood of Auckland. It is so easy and feels so urbane and sophisticated to take the bus to the ferry, the ferry to Devonport. All of this is paid for by our PT card, which we add money to either via machines (like the metro in DC), or electronically from the comfort of our homes. All so modern, right? 

Walking off the ferry: parallel dock

We left a little late. . . . 1p or so. It had been raining all morning, and while the weather reports decreased the chance of rain, we have learned that storms can blow in at any minute in an island nation. It's part of the charm. We did take the precaution of sitting inside the ferry rather than on top.

You've seen the ferry port at Devonport, and heard me wax philosophic about "the place that got away". But we hadn't actually de-ferried there before. It is every bit the small (likely extremely expensive) Victorian neighborhood. "It was clean it was neat. The water was warm, there was plenty to eat". Thank you, Dr. Seuss. 

Upon arrival in Devonport

The sea is everywhere in Auckland. You may not see it, but it is there. So as you gaze across the decking coming in from the ferry, you see a parallel doc. As you look ahead, you see alovely Victorian era building, which now houses a restaurant. So many restaurants and cafes in Devonport. And then there are 2 amazing book stores, an abundance of tourist-oriented shops (John bought a new jacket), a shoe store that I really want to go back to (but who has room to pack more shoes?) and at the top of the hill, there is the oldest continuously theater in the world. Who knew? I asked the lovely woman at the tourist information center is it was just for cinema now, and she said no! It is also used for live theater. Sometimes. Among a plethora of other movies, "Solo" has just opened.

At the base of the hill, by the theater, is the path that leads up Mount Victoria, the highest point in the area. I suppose that because the ground doesn't freeze here, and the ecosystem is robust because of the soil type and rain, the trails up the mountain are pretty much straight up. We were lucky enough to see a guy-walking-two-dogs take a side trail that went around the perimeter of the mountain, so we brazenly followed him. It was a little muddy and wet, but not bad. We were dodging raindrops and downpours all day, but we were able to do it. And we actually hiked up 2 extinct volcanic cones. . .Mount Victoria was just before dinner, and North Head, which I'll tell you about in the next post, was earlier in the day, after a visit to the Naval Museum.

Waiheke Island: Oops

Handsome Man In Hat In Jungle

I realized  that I never got to the "cathedral" part of the last post's title. I'll get to that. But first, check out the Irishman in the jungle, wearing hand knit cap. What do you think?

By the way, if you want to leave a comment, please do. Blogger doesn't make this obvious, but if you scroll to the bottom of any post, there's a "no comments" link in orange. If you click on it, a comment box will open up. So clear, right? And of course I would love to hear from you guys!  But. I digress.

We were so lucky on our last day. Cliff, our Airbnb host, offered to let us use the car after we checked out at 11a. So generous. Anyway, we had a pretty complete day of touring about, eating lunch, taking a very wet beach hike, and then returning the car, with Cliff getting us to the ferry by 4p. It also turned out that aside from being a spot of local color, Cliff is a photographer, and gave us a published book of his photos. Amazing.

We hiked along a trail in the jungle for quite some time, then took a spur loop called the Cacades loop. It was so breathtaking, and we didn't see another soul the whole time we were hiking. I've been thinking a lot about organized religion here lately. Flora (our Grand Daughter) was just baptized this past weekend, and as I looked down into this jungle pool with a stream flowing into it, all I could think was "Cathedral".  I think other trampers have had similar experiences. Sorry the video will likely take a while to download. I hope it's worth it! I did two sweeps of the IPhone. . one low and one high.

Oneroa Beach view

 It was close to 1p by the time we exited the Jungle, so we headed to Oneroa (the largest town on the island), and found a table for lunch at an ocean side cafe. Honestly, I feel like we eat and drink as much as we hike. We could see Oneroa Beach from the table, and figured out that there was also a Little Oneroa Beach that we could hike to along the coast.

Oneroa beach view 2

Have I mentioned how quickly the weather can change here? Never mind the tides? Anyway, sated and ready for another tramp, we headed to the beach. The hike we were taking is dependent on the tide being out (tides are huge here. . . 30 or 40 feet!), and it was just going out, so we found ourselves skipping on rocks over the incoming and receding waves. Good thing my ankle was better!

Then, a storm swept in with amazing speed. I was wearing a raincoat, but John was completely exposed, and we were both without umbrellas. We scrambled up underneath an overhanging tree on the beach edge, and watched the storm let loose. Lots of water, not much wind.

Truth be told, watching the rain is one of my favorite activities. The weather continued to be mild (only a 5F or so variation the whole time we were there. . .60-65F), so we were dry and warm. I actually shot a video of the waves and the rain, but figure you've probably had enough of my videos for one blog. . .

Oneroa beach view halfway through hike

Oneroa beach storm: watching and dry

Honestly. It was all so romantic and sweet. 

Visiting Friend

We headed back to the city, took our bus Home (which has a much more expansive definition these days), and prepared for another week as visitors in this place.

You may have deduced that we have really loved New Zealand thus far. We did have great things happen in Australia, but New Zealand has felt more welcoming and comfortable on all levels than Australia did. That is not to trash Australia, but just to make the observation. We met a high school friend of Sarah's for a beer on one of our first evenings here. A Kiwi friend of his joined us, and when I commented on how much I liked what I had seen so far in New Zealand (particularly all of the local products), he commented that he thought that Australia wanted to be America, and New Zealand didn't. New Zealand, in other words, was happy being who they were even if it meant being a small player on the world stage. It had a ring of truth to to it.

Oneroa beach storm: wider sweep

Waiheke Island: Jungles, Beaches and Cathedrals

Onitangi Beach view

Already I'm getting fuzzy about the order in which we saw things on Waiheke. When you stay for 2 nights, you only get one full day. On that second day, we drove to Onetangi Beach, one of several small towns on the island. There is a road called The Strand, which is graced by some lovely homes, as well as a couple of restaurants that Cliff recommended. The beaches are so predictably stunning and uncrowded that it's hard not to get jaded. We walked along this one for our morning tramp, then stopped at one of the restaurants for lunch.

houses along the beach

After that, we decided on a jungle walk at Onetangi  bird reserve. We got a bit lost on the roads (they are quite disconnected, going in and out but rarely connecting), but eventually found an entrance to the place. It was jungle, of course. I haven't been to Kauai, but I wonder if these volcanic Pacific islands aren't similar in climate and appearance to the Hawaiian archipelago.

Kauri Label

Kauri Tree looking up

One of the big concerns on Waiheke is the loss of their native Kauri trees. These are hardwoods that were huge when Europeans arrived, and they harvested and exported them as though they hadn't taken hundreds of years to grow.

Now they're being devasted by Kauri dieback, a Phytophthera root rot (we have phytophtheras that infect brambles and strawberries in the US) that is being spread on, among other things, the shoes of hikers. [This was quite a couple of days for shoes!] Every entrance to the jungle has a gated shoe washing area with spray disinfectant on hand. While I cleaned my shoes vigorously, as requested, both going in and out, I have to wonder how effective this is. All of our shoes have all sorts of crevices for the oomycetes sequestration (wow. That sounded so smart.  . . ), and the soil was constantly damp, often puddling, the whole time we were there. 

Eastern Rosella

Pukeko

We ended up getting slightly lost, hiking for longer than expected, but we got out before dark. Absolutely beautiful, and the birds.  Right. I haven't mentioned the birds in Waiheke, have I? I know you likely tired of hearing me go on about Australian Avian life, but Waiheke's (and New Zealand's) is also extraordinary. For one thing, many are large, and they are unafraid. You can see Ring-necked Pheasants wandering around openly, but they are easily twice the size of any pheasant I've every seen. They were imported, so it's even stranger for that. It must be the environment that accounts for their size, not their genetics. There are also large turkey-like birds that are blue and black with white wattles. Also completely undeterred by human presence. And because there are no predators, the possums that came in from Australia, and the hedgehogs and rabbits that were intentionally introduced are now viewed as vermin. Possum fur is used in making a luxury yarn (with merino wool, silk, or bamboo), but the poor little hedgehogs are just trapped and killed. Poisoned. There are signs everywhere warning you to keep your dog controlled because traps and poison are on the trails.

Tui

Unknown but appreciated

I'll close on a happier note, with some images of birds that we saw. There are a ton of forest dwellers (see http://www.nzbirds.com/birding/waihekebirds.html) that we didn't see as well, and more seabirds yet. One last thing: A section of the trail was covered with these pink honeysuckle-ish flowers, but we couldn't for the life of us figure out what tree they had come from.

Waiheke Island Adventure: I. An Ode to Ballet Flats

Auckland in the stern

On Saturday, we took our backpacks and a small suitcase on the CityLink bus to the ferry terminal, hopped on the ferry (using our bus card) and made our way to Waiheke Island, a long dead volcanic cone-of-an-island. Much as I imagine the Hawaiian Islands. Perhaps smaller. I was surprised at how industrial Auckland looked in that stern view. It doesn't feel that way when you're wandering about, but clearly it is a major port, complete with those star-wars-looking cranes and huge round vessels for oil. Reminds me of Newark. Or Philadelphia.

The first stop, 12 minutes in, is Devonport. Devonport is actually on the mainland, but because of the convolutions of the peninsula,

First Stop, Devonport

it makes more sense to access it by Ferry than road. It's also "the one that got away". I had originally inquired about booking an airbnb in Devonport for our stay here, but there was hesitation and confusion about John's time of visit, and by the time I got back to it, it was no longer available.  At first I was pretty annoyed about this, but I actually think that our high-rise here in the CBD is a better bet, at least for John's work. Taking the ferry every day might have been cool for a week or so, but it would have been added time and expense. We're going to take the ferry over to Devonport for the day this Sunday. The ferry stop was really lovely, and the town looks like a little Victorian village from the water.

View of Ferry Port in Matiatia Bay

 The ferry ride from Devonport to Waiheke isn't long; maybe 30 minutes. We stayed on the top deck the whole time. It was windy, but pleasant, and seeing the port from the outside was well worth the bad hair.

Cliff and Gaye's Airbnb

View of Ferry Port, boats anchored

View of Ferry Port from Matiatia Bay, 2

I was so pleasantly surprised. Even though it was Saturday, and the weather was fine, the ferry wasn't over crowded. And the port itself, located in Matiatia Bay is beautiful. For some reason I've been bracing myself for the overpopulated tourist crowds that we experienced in places in Australia, and so far (knock on wood) that hasn't been the case.

Jungle trail on the way to the beach

Cliff, our Airbnb host, picked us up at the ferry, and drove us to his property on one of the many coves on the South Coast of the island. Cliff's "hook", by the way, is that a car comes with the place. It's brilliant, really. The island is big enough to want exploring, and there isn't a car ferry. There are buses from town to town, but for trampers like John and I, that's pretty inconvenient. You can also rent a car, but of course having one come with your Airbnb is even better.

You can see that the view from Cliff's Airbnb was amazing. After we settled in, we took a dirt track down down down, through the jungle, and eventually came out onto the beach Wakanewha (hard to say and/or remember) which was deserted.

Here's where the Ballet Flats come in. Before I left for Australia, I went to the Expensive Shoe Store in downtown Boise, and allowed myself to be sold a pair of pretty expensive walking/running shoes that were purported to be what we all should be wearing. Remember Earth shoes? Along those lines.  They feel good enough on my foot when I try them on, but they are very wide through the toes, so that each toe can be articulated. Long story short? After hiking up and down for about 15 minutes, my ankle went from barely twinging to being awash in pain. I was So Bummed. I limped home, and decided to just slip on my sturdy leather ballet flats. Take some vitamin I. And guess what? There were no more ankle issues. In fact, I hiked in said flats for hours during the rest of the trip (which I will regale you with in subsequent posts), and my ankle (and feet) were fine.

The beach at the bottom of Cliff's place

I'm embarrassed to have been sold this particular bill of goods. So many times in my life, I've "treated" myself to something extravagant: the dream kiln, the best spinning wheel, the expensive shoes. . .only to find that not only is the splurge a disappointment, but that I really liked what I had in the first place, after all. It must be my plebeian roots. Smile.

We went out to dinner at a winery that first night: Batch Winery. We sat at a table along a wall of windows of a large rustic dining dining room. I think the view was spectacular, but it was dark by then. We had a terrific meal, lovely conversation (which included our French server), and a HUGE rainstorm under a transparent ceiling. The rain sometimes came down so hard that we couldn't hear ourselves. It was amazing, especially for desert dwellers like ourselves.  And after a languid 2 hour dinner, the rain had stopped, and we went home. End Day One.

The Second Walkabout in Auckland. . .and on to Waiheke

The Clock Tower at University of Auckland

I walked down to see John's new office. It's "off campus" a bit, though not far, just like the Yanke building is at Boise State. He shares an office with a grad student who is very accommodating (translation: gracefully endures his conference calls to students at Boise State), and I met his host and a gaggle of students at the seminar he gave today. A very engaging and convivial group.

Much of the central business district is much as you'd expect, a busy thriving metropolis, full of bustle and traffic. But the campus, while very urban, is also quite lovely. The clock tower can be seen across a large swath of the city, and is quite iconic, as you might imagine. We ate lunch at Father Ted's, and Irish bar. Truly bar food, complete with slightly sticky tables. But a decent glass of beer and wine.

We also walked through Albert Park, a much larger urban park than Western Park. There were several HUGE specimens of Moreton Figs. They are astonishing. They remind me of the huge old Weeping Purple Beech trees that were on Penn State's Campus. . .

Moreton Fig Trunk

John with a huge specimen of Moreton Fig

Here's another cool thing. There was this marble and stone memorial in the park. Check out what it's commemorating: Journalism! What a crazy idea. What, a free press is valuable? Who remembered?

I also keep forgetting to mention this: Auckland is really quite hilly. . . .about halfway between Boise and San Francisco hilly, so exercise is to be had. . .

 

For all of those Rational Types

Here's another cool thing: Look at the name of this building! We saw it walking back to John's office after lunch. I've made up my mind. I want to live there! In truth, it was bought and paid for by the New Zealand Association of Rationalists and Humanists: Promoting Humanism, secularism and reason. Who knew? (rationalists.nz).

Finally, yet another view of the sunset off our balcony. While it's true that I am not, at core, a city mouse, I am really enjoying this view. And! We leave for a small adventure tomorrow. We're taking the ferry (about 40 minutes) to the island of Waiheke (I know. The native names are tough, aren't they?) for 2 nights.  It's supposed to be full of hikes, art, wine, food and native history. I'll let you know how it goes. . . 

Auckland. . .the next excursion

Sidewalk mosaic in front of Western Park

Plane Tree Lined streets

 

 

 

Entrance to Western Park: Fallen Pillars

 Two days. Two walks. Two different directions. A couple of days ago I needed to go to the grocery store. My ankle is considerably improved, so I walked up the hill, past the Girls Grammar School, past the Western Park to the Countdown grocery store. This is an area in Ponsonby that has had a sort of renaissance; lots of hip shops, a great grocery store, and even a bulk food shop. This mosaic is a Maori inspired sidewalk design that is just in front of the Western Park. Maori culture is everywhere here. In fact, the first thing you walk through when you come into the airport is a huge Arch/totem carving clearly of native origin. I don't know what the whole history is, but will endeavor to find out. Perhaps with Red Wine. Anyway, the park itself looks positively fecund after being in Melbourne for four months. It's too cool, temperature wise,  to actually be tropical, but is a very moderated temperate climate. Palm trees and Norfolk Island Pines live here, as well as the camellias pictured in an earlier post.

The Enforcer

There are also an abundance of these Plane Tree lined wide streets, making parts of the city look very New England-ish. This one is alongside The Girls Grammar School, which is clearly a place for very wealthy children. All in their uniforms, chatting away. The grounds of this school also look like a lush park.

If you click on the image of the Fallen Pillars, above, you'll see that they look like what remains of some long destroyed building. We saw this in Melbourne, too. There, at least, it was a reuse effort . . the pillars really had come from some long deconstructed building.

Main Building of The Girls Grammar School

This little green dog is a sweet addition to the ever-civilized admonition to "Clean up after you pets".

Lush with Life

Unfortunately, this image of the park path doesn't begin to give the viewer the feel of rich green life that I felt as I was taking it. Plants are sprouting out of the ground everywhere, and everything is incredibly green. It is a wetter climate than Melbourne is, but it also rains a lot here. It feels like the air is clean. The sidewalks get cleaned by the rain. It makes me realize how much I miss rain, though I've heard that Boise has been particularly blessed (or cursed?) with it this spring.