The City of Sails Part I

Many travelers will tell you that if you go to New Zealand, fly in and then get the hell out of Auckland as soon as possible. Having lived in the city for nearly 3 months now (crazy right?), I'm here to tell you that Auckland is much better than it's given credit for.  I have been taking every chance to get to know the city and its surrounds, and while it may not have the cultural opportunities of international cities, it most definitely has a healthy nightlife that is more focused on having a good time than the pretentious show that is common in more glitzy destinations.  There are also some amazing outdoor opportunities here.  There is a massive mountain range covered in native rain forest 30 minutes drive from the CBD for peat sake!  

Just last weekend I went for another trip to the Waitakeres and ended up at Whatipu Beach which lies at the mouth of the Manukau Harbour where it meets the Tasman Sea.  After driving over the pass the road descends into a beautiful valley before ending at the car park.  From there the walk to the water takes about fifteen minutes over cabbage tree and shrub covered black sand dunes and marshland.  Emerging onto the beach, I was floored at the sheer primeval look of it.  It was like stepping back in time, before man.  The blue waves were furiously crashing against the black sands that seemed to stretch forever down the coast before disappearing behind large dunes.  To my right stretched an endless marshland dotted with more shrubs and cabbage trees and permeated by streams that carved out pathways in the sand.  To my left, a large rock outcropping and some sandstone formations reaching out into the sea, and behind them you could see the cliffs of the Awhitu Peninsula disappear into the misty horizon.  The whole scale of it can't be described, only experienced, and I witnessed it alone.  To compliment it all, the dimming light and clouds created a sort of eerie, alien like ambiance.  It's a feeling you'll never experience so close to any other major city center. It was about this point when I realized that I just drove an hour into the mountains by myself, half of which was on unsealed roads, in a 18 year old minivan just a couple of hours before sunset, with no cell service and having told nobody where I was going.  I don't want to end up inspiring sequel to 27 Hours, so I probably won't do that again.  

Before I left I had to try a quick hike I had read about previously.  It's a quick but arduous hike to the top of one of the nearby mountains nestled against the valley.  It was projected to take 30 minutes to get to the overlook at the top, but given that it was already 5:00pm and sunset was at 5:22, I gritted my teeth and double timed and made it up in 15.  There was a bench at the top where I sat and soaked in 360 degree views of the valley and everything described above.   I made a peanut butter sandwich using the best peanut butter ever made (Pic's) and watched the sunset cast a red glow on everything before hustling back down.  I made it back to the car and out of the valley before dusk.  The whole day was magical, the hike was amazing, and since Kayleigh wasn't with me I have an excuse to go back.  Don't know if she'll like that hike as much as I did considering it's straight up hill, but if the pictures are any testament, it's totally worth it.  

To give you a sense of scale, that little spec in the water is a ship