Finally sunshine again! After the rain in Brisbane and the cold cloudy days in Auckland the Traveling Hillbilly was glad to see the sun shining again. I was ready to get out of downtown Auckland so I took the ferry over to Waiheke Island today. It's just about a 30-40 minute ferry ride from Auckland.
What a truly stunning place. Every corner had a view more amazing than the one before. It was truly picturesque. After a 1 1/2 hour tour of the island, I decided to rent a mountain bike and explore it on my own. I can't even begin to describe how beautiful this place is. It was like riding through the hills of Tuscany but with beautiful blue/green water surrounding all the wineries. It left me speechless. I'll be posting pictures soon, but they'll never do it justice.
It was great to tour on my own, but those long, winding and hilly (very hilly) roads are not easy to navigate on a mountain bike. Especially when one is sick! Despite being sick, I decided to do a little wine tasting before heading back to the pier to catch the ferry home. You know how the Traveling Hillbilly hates to waste good wine, but when in Rome. If you ever make it to Waiheke, be sure and stop by Cable Bay Wineyards. They have a great Syrah and a wine called Five Hills that is a Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet blend and the most amazing view! This winery was like an upscale hotel. It was truly beautiful.
All in all a good day.
What's the plan for tomorrow? Well the Traveling Hillbilly had planned on taking the train to Tongariro National Park for some hiking and an overnight stay. Turns out there are no seats left on the train. Time for plan B. Rotorua National Park? Rappelling down a waterfall? The Bay of Islands?
We'll see. Log on tomorrow and find out.
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