Auckland, NZ

What better way to cure the rainy January PNW blues, than a trip to a place that is summer in January? We had been dreaming of a visit to New Zealand since we first met our friend Penny in 2013.

We set off for 16 days in New Zealand on January 12. We made our way to NZ via a short stop at the Honolulu International Airport. We made sure to wave at our old house in the air and gulp down a cold Kona Brewing Co. beer at the airport before our last leg to Auckland.

We arrived late at night so we stayed at a hotel close to the airport. The next day we made our way to downtown Auckland and checked into our Airbnb, got some recommendations from the host and headed to take the ferry to Waiheke Island.

I was itching for some sun and shell hunting so we made our first stop after getting off the ferry, Onetangi Beach. We tried to pack in as much as possible on our day trip to the Island so we checked out a few wineries after the beach and ended the day with a picnic at Cable Bay Vineyards.

The next day we walked to brunch at Rosie in the Parnell neighborhood. It turned out to be quite a long and sweaty walk in the NZ humidity. We took our time and meandered around the neighborhood, taking in a French farmer's market and fresh strawberries that were sold on the street. I'd heard good things about Mission Bay so we decided Uber was our best option after our long sweaty walk from the morning. Mission Bay reminded me of Coronado Island (San Diego) with eclectic shops and a retro feel. We found tons of great shells at the beach and found a great spot to enjoy a glass of wine and take some people watching in. 

Our Airbnb was right near the Sky Tower. I would equate the tower to looking similar to Seattle's Space Needle.