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.