The Whiskey and Wedge Warriors
- Jan 28, 2017
- 6 min read
Location: Auckland, NI, New Zealand
Everything is so accessible when you have a car! We could borrow Ralf’s little red automobile whenever we liked! It was great being able to jump in the car and go wherever we wanted, such as a nice beach which we got very accustomed to. Let’s face it, there are plenty to choose from! A nice stroll along the beach while dipping our feet in the water is something myself and my Jay-Jay love to do! The feeling of the sand between your toes, submerging your entire foot in the sea water! Such a nice feeling! During the double bank holiday, we spent the whole weekend checking out Auckland’s famous western beaches near the ‘Waitakere Ranges.
The famous ‘Piha Beach’ was stunning. The water was so nice. It’s easy to see why this popular surf beach has been pulling in the crowds for so many years. Not only is the sand and water rather pleasing, there is lots to explore, especially at the other end of the beach with some vantage points to watch the furiousness of the waves crashing onto the rocks. Something that I won’t forget is my idea to trek up a hill in my ‘BARE FEET’ over a pathway made of small, sharp, extremely painful rocks! Why did I put us through this? For the perfect photo! Was it worth it, hell no! The pain! My poor feet! They have never been the same since!
The other famous beach on this side of the city is ‘Bethels Beach.’ We parked the car over a kilometre away from the beach as we were afraid we wouldn’t get a parking spot any closer. The walk was good for us. It was such a lovely day, which is why when we got on to the beach, we quickly got our stuff ready and into the water we went. Of course, we took turns in the water as someone had to keep an eye on all our things! The water was so nice. I had great fun with all the big waves. They were strong, but that didn’t put me off. I was like a big kid jumping up and down! The small things in life!
The ‘St Kilda’ of Auckland, ‘Mission Bay’ is another great spot in the city. We only spent a few hours here, but it was worth it. The town has a lot going for itself including some nice bars and café’s which we were only too happy to try out, before indulging in a lovely beach walk. Near the end of the day, as poor Jason was very dehydrated and there wasn’t a shop or water fountain nearby, he was not a happy bunny! Don’t worry, he made it home in one piece. If it were Australia, there would have been a water fountain nearby, but this is New Zealand!
Later on, that day, we got a bus over to the ‘Auckland Domain’ to the ‘Auckland Lantern Festival’ which celebrates the ‘Chinese New Year.’ The event has been very popular for several years, not only with the Chinese community, but also with the wider population. It draws in huge crowds who come to enjoy a large array of tasty Asian street food and lantern displays showcasing animals and Chinese culture to name but a few! I thought the event would be OK, but very small, going by how bad the New Year celebrations were a few weeks prior! On this occasion, I am very happy to admit how wrong I was!
We have made some great friends with Gordon, Valda and Ralf. Three lovely people. Both of us have thoroughly enjoyed the comfort of ’30 Lancing Road.’ It is probably one of the nicest places we have stayed. It is comfortable and a pleasure to live with people that treat you like you’re on the same level as them. Having a hot tub at our own dispersal, amazing! I told Jason I want one for our house! Let’s not forget about Ralf. What can I say about Ralf apart from ‘Wedges, Wedges, Wedges!’ What a lovely, genuine person. A bit like my Jay-Jay and my mammy, not a bad bone inside them! Location was perfect! It is such a nice area to live in with so much around, from the Asian quarter on ‘Dominion Road’ to the boutique coffee shops on ‘Sandringham Road’ a stone's throw away from the world famous ‘Eden Park,’ the home of the ‘All Blacks!’
In Auckland, there are lots of nice towns to check out, like ‘St Helliers’ which lies by the sea. We took a drive into the town a bit too late so all we could do was hit the beach. It would have been nice if we could have taken a browse through the town, but at least my feet could enjoy their regular ‘Beach Walk’ ritual! At our age, it’s very important! You must look after not only your mind and soul, but your feet as well!
After dinner on one of our final Monday’s in the city, we borrowed Ralf’s car and drove across the harbour bridge to the ‘North Shore’ where I bought Jason to where I used to work in ‘Takapuna.’ He was very impressed with the area and the beach. Both of us enjoyed imagining what house we would buy if we won the lotto. On the way, home we made a quick detour to ‘Devonport’ where I wanted to get some nice shots of the Auckland city skyline at night! It was certainly a change from the usual Monday evening stuck inside!
On what would be our final outing in Ralf’s car (Sob, sob, sob) I wanted to take some nice photos of the ‘Te Ara Whiti,’ the recently opened ‘Lightpath’ that illuminates the iconic magenta pathway in a beautiful light display. It is worth the visit as it just shouts, ‘Auckland!’ The walk down to the Lightpath was a bit dodgy as we passed by our old haunt, but we got there in one piece and we live to tell the tale!
While Jason has been unlucky with work after losing his HR role in ‘Metro Performance Glass,’ he did have the opportunity to work in his dream job in ‘NZ Lotto!’ A perfect role for him, if even for a few days! As for me, I have been very lucky with ‘The University of Auckland’ where I have made some great friends. Due to the fact, I have worked right until the day before we leave and I have gone to the gym every day without fail, I can’t believe the time has come to leave. Thankfully, all my hard work and commitment at the gym has finally paid off. I guess all that intense cardio was worth it. I have managed to lose around 5% body fat since arriving in Auckland last October and 8% over the last 12 months! Unfortunately, I gave it all to my poor Jay-Jay!
When your away from home it’s always nice to catch up on friends and family. We were invited for drinks over at Stephen Howley’s house in ‘Glenn Eden’ who I used to work with back home. It’s been a good few years since we saw each other! We all had a good night before it abruptly ended with our night controlled by the train timetable!
As part of our farewell do, all of us enjoyed a nice barbeque and some rather fancy whiskeys on the rocks, thanks to Gordon, our very own Whiskey connoisseur! The food was amazing, the drinks were incredible and even the company wasn’t too shabby either. Myself and Gordon had a very merry old time with Jay-Jay next to the fire, under the stars chatting in the garden with a glass of the hard stuff! He knows me too well! I am really going to miss this place! I will miss not only Gordon’s whiskey, but his cheeky giggle to!
It feels like only yesterday we arrived here in Auckland, now we are on the final stretch as we prepare to leave and wow, what an amazing time we have had. The friends we have made, the experiences we have enjoyed, it’s all been mind-blowing! Of course, let us not forget about the amazing Christmas and the unforgettable road trip we had! For me, that is something that I will never forget! The highlight of Auckland! For now, MasterChef Australia is over and Ralf ate all the ‘Wedges!’
By Andrew
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