We spend the last part of our morning just making sure we are packed correctly (we can only have 7K in our carry on bag – which isn’t as easy as it sounds) and finalizing our plans for today. Since our flight isn’t until 9pm, we have all day to get from Onerahi to Auckland – a 3 hour drive if we go straight. So we have picked out an area above Auckland to explore and have lunch, then we’ll visit the Museum of Transportation and Technology (MOTAT) before heading to the airport.
After packing up the car, we spend a few minutes chatting with Murray and Jenny, then bid them a fond farewell. They are the sweetest folks and have a wonderful apartment. Highly recommend staying there if anyone is ever interested. We’re on the road about 10:00 and with the exception of a little-Alice-taking-us-out-of-town-a-different-way-anxiety-attack, we’re off to a good start on our day’s journey.
It takes us about 2 hours to make it to the Whangaparaoa peninsula. We are in desperate need of a bathroom, so instead of exploring the area first, we head straight to Stan’s Eatery in the Stanmore Bay area of Whangaparaoa. We thought they were open from 9am, but apparently not today, as they are just putting out tables and getting things ready to go at 12 noon when we arrive. We are totally relieved – in more ways than one – and take a lovely table right by the open garage door type windows, overlooking the parking lot, but with a nice breeze that cools us off on this sunny day.
The owner? manager? who takes our orders is a doll. We get to chatting about the weather, travel and different things, she’s funny and chatty and makes the time go by quite quickly. We’re torn between breakfast and lunch options – so end up ordering both: Ed a huge breakfast plate and me a really good chicken and cheese quesadilla.
We figure we better fill up now because we won’t be eating for another 10 hours at least, an this meal fills the bill.
After lunch we do our explorations, first driving a few minutes down the hill behind the restaurant to go to the Stanmore Bay Beach – which is a beautiful stretch of sand on the bay. There are a ton of people here, sunbathing, out on wave riders or just playing on the sand. We hang out on a park bench for a while, soaking up a bit of sun and enjoying the lovely day.
We don’t stay too long, because a) we are on a schedule, and b) we don’t want to risk sun burn (heeding our the long discussion we just had with our Stan’s Eatery companion about the damage the sun can do – she’s a fanatic about not getting sun for all the very compelling obvious reasons.) Back in the car we head out to the end of the point to Shakespear Regional park (don’t know if they misspelled Shakespeare or if refers to someone else).
The drive takes us through a totally residential area with houses ranging from small little clapboard jobs, to larger more ornate places (but nothing like US McMansions). Here and there little businesses pop up – like an Indian restaurant in a house in the middle of a neighborhood. The zoning regulations here are obviously quite different than what we’re used to at home. We reach the park and drive to the boat landing car park – you can’t go any farther in this direction because the road is fenced off and there is some sort of training center and military area beyond it.
But, we don’t need to go any farther – its nice here with great scenic views back toward Stanmore Bay.
Plus this great sign:
Phew – glad to know we’re safe here today. But I want to know what sign they put up if you’re not? Look out for bullets? You’re in danger – bombs coming your way? Duck and cover?
Oh well, we won’t ever know, as it is time for us to make our way closer to the airport and the MOTAT
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