On Tuesday, we were back to our active selves once again. We rolled out of bed with the intention of going for a leisurely run along the waterfront, which turned into a 6km run/walk to beautiful Mission Bay, a suburb just outside of the Auckland CBD.
We soaked in all the sights and sounds along the way as the warm sunshine beat down upon our sweaty faces. We couldn’t have chosen a better day for one of our epic strolls. Looks like the Kiwis felt the same way, as the ocean was sprinkled with people happily swimming, splashing and paddle boarding in the sun.
When we came upon lovely Mission Bay Beach, it suddenly dawned on me that I had not yet dipped my toes in the Pacific. So, quickly stripping off my sneakers and socks, I ran for the water and once again, found myself surprised at how warm it was - which isn’t really surprising at all considering it’s the height of summer here. Again, I thought to myself, if I was back at home, I’d probably be bundled up in my snowsuit and armed with a shovel. Not complaining of course - it’s just strange when you’re not accustomed to warm weather at this time of the year. Even in the midst of a Newfoundland summer, however, the ocean would still be cold enough to freeze d’arse off yourself (God love thee North Atlantic!).
After Jay pretty much dragged me out of the water (I could’ve stayed in there all day - as evidenced by my raisiny fingers!) we hopped across the street to a pharmacy to pick up a hat for him and a frisbee for us to throw around (oddly enough, it’s been a bit of a task tracking one down here in NZ). Then, it was onto BurgerFuel for a deliciously awesome dinner. BurgerFuel is a gourmet burger joint, proudly NZ owned, and while it’s a little more pricey than your usual run of the mill burger place, it is worth every penny. Seriously, I think those burgers are one of the things I’ll miss the most about this place when I finally return to my home sweet home. And those kumara fries…Mmmmmm. Kumara is a local variety of sweet potato that, in French fry form, is friggin’ delicious. At BurgerFuel, they serve them up with a dollop of their famous aioli (garlic mayo) sauce - a mouthwatering combo that would please the pickiest of palettes. And hey - any burger joint that uses Captain Planet references on their packaging gets an automatic high-five from me. (Long live the 90s!)
By your powers combined I loves me a good ol' Captain Planet reference.
After lunch, we made our way back towards the downtown core, passing once again through the Michael Joseph Savage memorial (which was a different experience sans the giddy Stray crew, who were with us the last time we came here; but lovely nonetheless).
Along the way, we meandered a bit and managed to get lost on what appeared to be someone’s farm (not sure, but the chickens cluckin’ around were a pretty good clue that we had stumbled into Old MacDonald territory).
Rangitoto Island in the distance.
After stopping here and there to admire the views, we eventually found our way out of the grassy maze and back into the city - but not before having yet another up close and personal encounter with the shark bus - accompanied by the awesome shark car! I swear, Kelly Tarlton’s has the coolest autos of any business I’ve ever come across.
Shark car! Note the license plate.
Nom nom nom...Shark bus sighting #2!
Later that evening, while getting ready to greet ol’ Mr. Sandman once again, we tossed around the idea of heading back to Mission Bay on Wednesday to play in the sand and sun, but ended up spending the day preparing for our big Stray bus trip. Check out our awesome clothesline we strung up in our room at the hostel - Newfie style!
I don’t know what’s in store over the next week, but chances are, there’ll be lots of adventures. Stay tuned! Or, p’raps I should say “Stray tuned.” (I swear, these cheesy lil’ puns take next to no effort, would you believe? I’m sure you can. : )
To see more pictures and video, click here.
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