With all overseas travel off the table for the foreseeable, sigh, everybody is digging deep into the domestic - and it doesn't get much more domestic than your own suburb-cum-island. It's very easy to write about the nice things to do, see, eat and drink on Waiheke. The hard thing is to do it differently. After many, many years of being off the radar, Waiheke has these days been well and truly discovered (including internationally) to the extent that it's starting to be regarded as a bit ho-hum by Aucklanders. Lots of them still haven't actually been here, to discover that error, though, so that was the angle for this story.
I was mildly surprised that, once the story was up online, that it sparked only two comments - but they were classics of their type. First there was this OWM (writing, significantly, under the moniker 'Caveman'): Got there ONCE, back in the late 1990s - GREAT DAY!...Yes, 20 plus years ago - could not have asked for a better day, great weather, great food, great wine all over the island!!! Her Indoors wants to go back again but it seems to me it's another NICE place (20 years ago) that's no longer the laid-back, casual, "GREAT DAY OUT from Auckland" that it was.
So, he was here 20 years ago, had a lovely time but never bothered to come again, and won't now because he knows it will be spoilt.
Similarly, the other commenter reckons: Waiheke is now just another suburb of Auckland... instead, check out Auckland's west coast where the natural beauty of our coastline still exists and tourist numbers not excessive.
Yes, I mentioned things like tours, shops, galleries, zipline and kayaks - but also beaches, bush, birds... Even in the height of summer when Oneroa is humming, it's very easy to get away to find peace and quiet - and now, especially, that's pretty much all there is. For proof, I submit the photo I took while on my walk to the dairy to buy the paper the story above appeared in:t there ONCE, back in the late 1990's - a GREAT DAY - first boat (f cc
"Her in doors" wants to go back again, but it seems to me that it's another NICE place (20 years ago), that is no longer the laid back casual "GREAT DAY OUT from Auckland", that it was.... OH and our visit was one of those mystery weekends with AIR NZ..YES 20 plus years ago - could not have asked for a better day - great weather, great food and great WINE all over the island !!!
"Her in doors" wants to go back again, but it seems to me that it's another NICE place (20 years ago), that is no longer the laid back casual "GREAT DAY OUT from Auckland", that it was.... OH and our visit was one of those mystery weekends with AIR NZ..YES 20 plus years ago - could not have asked for a better day - great weather, great food and great WINE all over the island !!!
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