Taking a peek in the North Island

I decided last year it was time to take a peek in the North Island, given I'd seen so much of the South Island.  I had a week in the North (before having a week in the South as well) and there are a few places I'd like to visit again. Needless to say, there was plenty I didn't see, so lots of reasons right there to go back again someday! 

You will notice this part of the blog is a bit chattier - it helps that I'd kept bit of a travel journal on this last trip which makes it so much easier when it comes to blogging material than relying on my foggy memory!!

I had a very bright and early start to the day, having to be at the airport by 4.30 am. The flight from Brisbane to Auckland was just 2 hours 20 minutes. I have to admit I enjoyed a moment of quiet amusement when the guy next to me asked for a chai latte as the air stewards came through the cabin with the tea/coffee cart. He obviously knows a good thing but I'm guessing he may not travel much.  

After you've disembarked, you come through the arrivals (I can’t recall if it was before or after customs) and there is a beautiful carved Maori welcoming archway as you go through the walkway. Such a lovely cultural greeting to walk through.

I'd decided to stay on Waiheke Island for my first night - one of my big mistakes was only booking one night! And the second mistake was not hiring a vehicle on the island. Going from Auckland airport to Waiheke Island by public transport is time consuming, but also a good way to make you consciously slow down.

I managed to find the sky bus from the airport to the city (no small feat for one who can be somewhat navigationally challenged at times!), then took the shuttle bus to as close to the ferry as it could go, followed by a 5 minute walk. All of that took about an hour or so, then I had a half hour wait for the ferry and a 35 minute ferry ride over to Waiheke Island. On arrival, I jumped on another island bus which then was a 10 minute ride to where I was staying.  

I think it was just over 3 hours from when I landed until I got to where I was staying for the night. I stayed at a little place called the Courtyard in Oneroa and found Jilly the owner to be absolutely lovely! She also had a beautiful scented garden with freesias and lavender in bloom which added to the charm of the place.

After I settled, I caught a cab up to the shops, then wandered about uphill and down dale (very hilly place) and had an early dinner at the Red Crab Thai as recommended by Jilly which was delicious! 

I went to catch a cab back and was joined by two young men who were married just 2 days before and were still celebrating. They were slightly drunk and ever so funny. They were cracking themselves up as well as me, and eventually the cabbie showed some amusement too. 

It was agreed to share the cab because my drop off was on the way to the next pub they were heading to (I think it may have been the long way round but anyway). They wouldn’t let me pay for my part of the fare, thanked me profusely for sharing my cab and said I was a very nice lady.  

After a good sleep and an early morning walk, I was wishing I’d booked more time on the island so it's definitely on the 'to do again list'! Alas, an extra night wasn't to be on this trip, instead I left where I was staying and lugged my bags up the hill to wait for the next bus. Talk about a mini work out! 

I managed to catch the right bus (always a bonus!) back to the ferry which was just arriving as we pulled in. It was a glorious morning to sit out on the deck and simply enjoy the water and the sunshine.  

There was another round of exercise when I got off the ferry as I was unable to find where the shuttle to the Sky Bus left from.  I was ‘helped’ by a homeless guy who said I was on the wrong side of the road for the airport and sent me to the stop across the road that I found out was no longer in use.  

I asked another bloke who talked a lot but essentially didn’t know where to go except a long way from here. I started walking back in the direction of the ferry and saw two other women on the other side of the road asking someone, so I went across and joined them. Together we walked another block and a half of the turn left part of the instructions, then left again and down to the end of that laneway, then cross the road to find I was almost back where I started (only half a block) and we'd finally found the stop. Yay! Who said exercise doesn't happen on holidays?

The bus driver was a Sikh gentleman and was absolutely hilarious as well as very helpful. He got off the bus and greeted each person individually, put their luggage in the racks, made a joke about the heavier suitcases and made sure everyone was settled on the bus before he took off. We’d been driving a little while and were at traffic lights when he noticed a guy on the other side of the road with luggage and called out the window, ‘can I help you mate?’ Not quite sure how we was going to do that though, but he gave him some directions and off we went again.

Just before we got to the Sky Bus terminal, the bus driver got on the microphone to explain we were almost at the terminal where we would get off his bus and onto the Sky Bus one. He wished us all a great day and thanked us for travelling with Sky Bus, before saying he would help us get our luggage off again. Meanwhile, he was cracking jokes again with half the passengers as they got off. He even got on the Sky Bus to help load our luggage on while the Sky Bus driver took the tickets. I think it was the most entertaining bus ride I've ever had!

I eventually got back to the international airport and of course was dropped off at the departure gate, so had to hoof it to the arrivals to pick up my hire car. The rest of that story next time! In the meantime, enjoy a couple of pics from Waiheke Island.