Arriving towards Auckland International Airport
My first full day in Auckland started with a ferry ride to Waiheke Island. I had heard it was beautiful and easy to access. It sounded like a great way to start my New Zealand experience (and get another boat to compare to the Staten Island Ferry). I would get my first taste of New Zealand price-points on this trip (hint: they are high). I would also get a first taste at what the rolling green hills of the North Island look like (so incredibly green!). There are extremes of wealth in New Zealand; I saw a lot of that too. What I did not expect was to become a tour guide for two non-English speaking Chinese tourists on Waiheke Island. I am incredibly proud to say that I took two strangers on a tour of an island that I knew nothing about with my iPhone, a map, and an unlimited bus pass as my tools.
I woke up in Auckland. I may have gone to McDonalds to get the Sausage McMuffin with Egg for breakfast. The historic district is the wharf, which has been recently developed into a trendy restaurant destination. The main train station is undergoing a massive construction project that will construct a curved tunnel to allow trains to go through the city. It’s apparently a project that’s been in the works since the 70s and it looks like they are making significant progress. You know I just love that stuff. Queen Street is the “Broadway” of the city. It’s the main avenue with the most people watching. Nightlife is on K Road, about a 15 minute walk from the cool part of Queen Street. I had a bit of fun on Saturday night on K Road going between the gay bar and the gay club. The locals can spot a visitor from a mile away.
On my way to the ferry terminal, I tried thinking about what Waiheke might look like. I figured it was an urban island because it’s 40 minutes from Auckland, not too far. Staten Island is 25 minutes from Manhattan and quite urban, I thought. Well I was completely wrong. Waiheke is a luxury beach destination sprinkled with beaches, vineyards and rolling green hills. It was such an incredible surprise. How could it possibly have such a trifecta of fabulousness? I bought a $10 unlimited bus pass and spent the day hopping between beaches and vineyards. I did a little unplanned hike between some beaches.
First beach stop.
At the first beach stop, a Chinese lady who was dressed like Jay-Z came up to me. She had a similar skater hat to mine. Her button down shirt was buttoned all the way up including the collar. She was giving me some LA gangster realness, which I appreciated. She showed me her phone. It had Google Translate open and there was an English language message for me: “can I walk with you?” Certainly she was not flirting with me. She was really going for the hip hop look. Maybe she liked my skater hat? I also saw that her older mother was trailing behind her. I, of course, obliged and wrote back to her that we can be friends. I got a nice smile out of her. We walked along the beach together and I was able to gather that she is from Fuzhan. There was not going to be much more English beyond that.
The rocks where I got to know my new friends and it became clear I was assuming my traditional, natural state of tour guide.
They did not know how to read the bus map, because it was in English. They pointed to some specific beaches and vineyards they wanted to see and lo and behold, I had an itinerary. It was really nice to have a purpose. I was able to take them around on the proper bus routes and enjoy a nice glass of wine at the vineyards while enjoying the view.
Literally enjoying a nice glass of wine at the vineyards while enjoying the view.
More beautiful beaches.
I wanted to go on a hike. I saw a sign that said there was a lookout point. I tried translating to my new friends what I wanted to do. They came with me. I don’t think there was a way any of us could have predicted the steep climb in the heat. I started feeling really bad for the mom. I turned around and I saw she was keeping up but they seemed to be getting impatient. I was wondering if they were cursing me in Chinese.
Oncoming storm
We got to the top and enjoyed the view very much. It started to rain. The coolness of the rain was refreshing! The hike was really draining. The mom and daughter offered me their umbrella and poncho and I refused. It was for them! I was ok with getting wet. Eventually the rain started to come down hard and luckily we had just arrived at the bus shelter. The bus was not scheduled to come for another 30 minutes and we were definitely caught in the middle of a storm.
At some point, Mom handed me some pastries they had brought with them. I didn’t bring snacks, I figured I’d stop at a cafe in town. They fed me!! How amazing is that?
At the end of the storm, we parted ways. It was that simple. I thought that if I met such friendly travelers on my first day in Auckland, I certainly cannot imagine how friendly the local Kiwis would be!