Visiting the Land of Kiwis

At first glance, Auckland reminds me of a scaled down version of NYC, with tiny shops on busy main streets and skyscrapers at every corner. However the streets are much more unforgiving to the ill-fitted as some are so slopped that to say they are on a 45 degree angle would not be an exaggeration. Climbing up and down a few times provides enough cardio for a day. Another major contrast is the friendliness of the people, but I guess it's not really hard to beat New Yorkers on that aspect. Down by the harbor there is an array of restaurants and one in particular that came recommended. Soul Bar & Bistro sits right off the water and at dusk when all the yachts have docked provides a beautiful scenery to accompany dinner. Given the city's location, seafood is abundant and some of the best prepared dishes. Having said that I preceded to start my samplings of the varieties. First I started with the Sydney oysters which unlike the Coffin Bays are smaller, rounder and creamier. I think I preferred them over the ones in Melbourne. My next course was a white bait fritter in a butter and chive sauce. Though this was their signature dish, it was my least favorite. I found the sauce to be overly rich which detracted from the taste of the fish. My final sampling was the mussels which were the plumpest I've ever seen, each almost double the size of the ones from the Atlantic Ocean. The sauce unfortunately was slightly more salty than what I'm normally accustomed to.





All in all not a bad meal but second to the ones I've had in Melbourne. As I left the restaurant the city was still busy with people as most were headed to bars to catch the next game in the Rugby World Cup hosted in Auckland this year.

As a side trip I took a detour to the beautiful island of Coromandel, which is a quiet place whose predominant source of income comes from mussel and oyster farming.


The city town itself is only a 10min walk from one end to the other, with half the businesses catered towards eating. Though the town itself was rather unimpressive it is only an hr away from the famous Cathedral Cove, the location where Naria was filmed. Along the way there you pass numerous bays and beaches, some of which are completely deserted even during high tourist season. The ride there is however not for the faint hearted as the island is covered with mountains and requires many climbs and descends on very narrow winding roads. But it does offer astonishing views around each bend of the smaller islands off the coasts. Unfortunately getting around the island proves to be a little tricky as there are only two mode of transportation, by bus or by tour. I opted for the tour since the bus only runs twice a day in the mornings and doesn't return until the next day. In addition the tour also takes you to Hot Water Beach, a beach that has a thermal core so people dig their own pool on the beach and lay in there as the ocean water is heated.


If you don't control the temperature right however, the water can truly burn and I was told that it's actually hot enough to cook seafood in if you were to bring your own and have lunch there. The experience was remarkable as I stood there and watched people of all ages dig their pools only to hope that the waves don't sweep everything away. As I stood there one foot in hot water and the other in cold, I wished I was able to stay longer to enjoy this little wonder of nature. After lunch we were finally ready to visit Cathedral Cove. As this little beach is truly secluded, the hike there is 45mins each way through a jungle like path. When I finally stepped onto the beach, I was taken back by the simple beauty of the place. The beach almost enclosed between two cliffs was about as remote as it could be. The sound of waves crashing upon the rocks was the only thing that could be heard for miles. I closed my eyes for a moment and just let it all soak in, what a true hidden gem!

Rating:
Atmosphere: A very chilled city in a country where people are completely passionate about their sports and other out door activities. Aside from that many finds time volunteer on the surrounding island to help sustain the jungles and shorelines. It does not take long to sense the pride many have for their country.
Beauty: The city of Auckland itself is not extremely known for its beauty, however as with most places there are a few scenic areas. However once you find your way out of the city, the country is covered in luscious greens and under the sun sparkles like emerald. The beaches are comparable to any in Thailand or Indonesia but more remote.
Cleanness: I'm starting to realize that for a developed world just how dirty some of the cities in the state are. Auckland is on par with other cities I've seen in Europe and more mind for of not only trash but also preserving the environment through the promotion of using less water and electricity.
People: Also quiet friendly like the Aussies though sometime harder to understand. Can't pinpoint which sounds they pronounce weird but every so often I don't quiet get them. In addition they are also friendly towards their own as a cheery hello is often exchanged.
Food: Despite their abundance in seafood, the preparation of it lacks in uniqueness. I'v tried it in many forms from fried, to chowder to steamed to raw and though you can't question it's freshness, the flavor with the exception of raw was merely slightly above par.
Overall: Someone told me as i was hiking though the jungle that before Captain Cook discovered NZ the island was completely covered in trees. Though some there may believe that the "white man" destroyed the island I happen to think that it was all for the better. Otherwise the island would be similar to Papua New Guinea, full of beauty but untamed!

Scale 1-10: 7.5