August 9, 2005
We grabbed a surprisingly delicious breakfast at a place that looked like a bar serving breakfast food. I ordered a stack of pancakes
Powered by our breakfast of champions, we got back into our trusty Nissan Pulsar and drove onto a car
There are about 24 wineries on Waiheke Island, but since it is the off-season, only 2 of them were open. We first visited Mudbrick Winery, started almost 10 years ago by a young professional couple looking to get out of the corporate lifestyle. We tried a nice sampling of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, riesling (very good), pinot noir, and various cabernet/merlot blends. Probably the most interesting wine we tasted was a Cabernet/Merlot/Shiraz blend, which had straight-forward Cabernet dark fruit character and tannin structure with some
A lot of land in New Zealand continues to be converted to vineyard properties because of past and present international critical acclaim and the world's more recent increasing awareness of the quality of the country's wines. There doesn't appear to be a whole lot of opposition to the transformation of large portions of the natural countryside... at least nothing like the opposition in Napa and Sonoma -- well justified in many cases because of the potential environmental impacts of the terraforming and vine-growing processes.
After gulping down a few delectable Waiheke olives, we bade farewell to our host and left the cozy little cellar shop. Our next stop was supposed to be Stony Ridge Vineyards, but when we got there, the manager told us that she had to close early that day, at that very moment,
No matter, we went next door to Onetangi Vineyards and Brewery, and ended up splitting not only a tasting of wine, but also a glass of beer and a platter of fresh Waiheke oysters! These buggers were medium sized and fairly meaty, but they had a refreshing, delicate taste with a clean finish.
At this point, it was time to check in to the Giverny Inn, a B&B that I had found online, which advertised 270 degree panoramic views and a Mediterranean style. As our host Gabrielle led us up the steps to the deck of our villa, we were absolutely blown away by what we saw. They weren't kidding! Sweeping views of the ocean and the ever shifting clouds illuminated by the late afternoon sun seemed to make time stand still. We sat down on the couch and tried to figure out how we could stay here forever. Jack, who is so attached to the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area, actually seemed to be contemplating a move! Sigh... do they need music teachers in Waiheke?
At around sunset, we decided it was time to go for our 2 year annivesary dinner. We wanted to keep things simple and low-key, so our hosts suggested Vino Vino, a restaurant down in Oneroa At 6 pm on the dot, we walked in to Vino Vino and got a cozy table by the fireplace and views of the ocean. After having eaten so many different types of protein the night before, I was craving carbs and ordered the spaghetti with sundried tomatoes in a rich butter thyme sauce, while my husband of two years ordered the coq au vin. It was nothing fancy, but it was perfect.
We headed back to our villa at around 8pm, where we rested and digested for a while, before jumping into the hot tub. The stars were so bright it was almost shocking, and I was able to pick out the Southern Cross, the predominant constellation in the southern hemisphere. At least I think I picked it out. In the distance, we could see the beams from the lighthouses in Auckland reflecting in the dark waters of the night.
Then it was off to sleep in our uber comfy bed. G'Nite!
We spent the night at the Auckland International Youth Hostel, easily the nicest hostel I've ever stayed at -- not that I've really been to that many, but I don't imagine they can get much better than this one. We left at 8 a.m. in search of the Parnell district of Auckland, a quaint shopping area housed in colonial styled buildings. 
covered in mangoes, bananas and passion fruit sauce, while Jack had a super juicy omelette filled with spinach, tomatoes, onions and ham. Upon tasting my cappuccino (a "flat white"), Jack declared that the Kiwis "get their froth right!"
ferry that would take us to Waiheke, an island in the Hauraki Bay, which was once more of an artist colony for folks who were seeking an alternative/hippie lifestyle, but it is fast becoming one of the major wine regions in New Zealand.
They were able to purchase a piece of land on Waiheke with a phenomenal view of the ocean and downtown Auckland at the horizon, and now they make several well-regarded varietals. 
softness from the Merlot, all accompanied by a slight edge of white pepper and complexity from the Shiraz. 
in fact, for she had to catch a ferry. She let us in to snap a few photos of the incredibly lush vineyard hillside, and then we saw her speeding away in her car, without even locking the place up! New Zealand seems to be a very safe country.
Turns out, they're farmed in a Waiheke island nature preserve, so they are probably the purest oysters we will ever have! As we were enjoying our little meal, we met KP, a young medical student from Singapore, who is currently studying medicine in London. He was just spending the day on Waiheke checking out wineries, but invited us to go back to Auckland later on that evening to party with him and his friends. Alas, we had a bed and breakfast booked and a 2 year anniversary to celebrate, so we passed on his invitation and wished him well.
village, about a 5 minute drive. We didn't really have a lunch, so we arrived for an early dinner at about 5:30 pm, but they don't open for dinner until 6, so we walked around town a bit. "Town" is a small street of buildings. two blocks at the most, but within these two blocks, we passed about 5 real estate agencies, all of them advertising Waiheke homes for sale in their windows. Hmm... with the exchange rate, it actually seems feasible. One can dream, right? 
