waiheke

we’ve just got back from our two days in waiheke.  after our mad few weeks of house moving things it was good to be away as just our family with no box packing or unpacking to do.

 

here’s what happened:

we got the car ferry (arrived nearly an hour early much to the bemusement of the ferry operator).  it was dark.  we sat upstairs in the ‘lounge’ as we chugged along for 45 minutes

it was chucking it down with rain when we arrived but we eventually made it to the holiday house ‘bach’.  we sent jane behind the house to fight some spiders and find where the key was hidden

there was time for hot chocolate but then bed

saturday morning brought better weather and a proper look at our accommodation which belongs to some friends from church.

we went to the nearby saturday morning flea market and the girls met a famous local author who wrote a brilliant book that kezia read as a class. the author was really nice

then it was a walk down a beach (not sure what’s happened to the colours in this photo)

then lunch at a cafe overlooking the beach

we then drove round the far end of the island

and stopped off at stony batter historic reserve

this area is famous for its giant rocks lying around which are ancient volcano remains

and one of the rocks has teeth

then we went down the tunnels.  lots of safety notices, but a real lack of safety once you got down there

 

it was a military installation built in secret to protect auckland in the case of an invasion during WW2, but was never needed

the remains of three gun emplacements and the huge tunnel system are being

for now you can go along with your torches, pay your money and wander round the pitch dark tunnels and trip over wired and walk in to head height hooks and slide in to metal covered holes

 

it really was excellent (i thought!). 

when we emerged out of the final hole up a vertical (actually leaning slightly backwards) ladder, we met some people from church standing at the top

 

we did more driving and viewing the amazing scenery looking back to the main land

then this morning we cleaned up the bach and had a look round some local shops

 

then we drove to a vineyard which was closed so we went back to the place we had lunch on saturday.

we saw this rather good parking signs

then went to mudbrick vineyard which is a really lovely posh place

we then visited another vineyard before heading back to get our ferry

 

the sea looked really rough all day, but the journey was fine.  in fact we sat upstairs and watched a live rugby game between the rugby team that plays at our local stadium (Vodafone Warriers) and a team in Sydney.  so that was good to watch a rugby game. 

and finally we made it home.   there may even be some snow in the nearby rainforest tonight which would be a novelty as a cold front sweeps in!

we drove back along pigeon mountain road.  (but we didn’t visit dead dog bay whilst in waiheke)