Island 5, Waiheke Island, biked 23rd April 2014

Waiheke Island - 40 minutes from Auckland City Centre

Renting the bikes

On a beautiful 'autumn' day (what passes for high summer in Scotland), my sister, Treasa, and I biked Waiheke Island. This place has lovely memories for us as we have been coming here since I first visited New Zealand in 1990. This time we are biking some of this hilly island, some of which is just like it was all those years ago. Like the bike-hire man. We sign the form and pay the money but he requires no ID or deposit and just asks us to lock the bikes on our return and pop the lock key through the letter box. All very 'waiheke'.

So, after a brief photo stop in Oneroa, the main town, and a check with the tourist office that the place we plan to get lunch is open, we set off towards one of our favourite beaches. I am already blown away by the lovely views from just about everywhere. Why don't I just move here and settle down?

Lunch being cooked in a trailer

Lunch and swim spot - Little Oneroa

A short while later (it is not  a big island) we arrive at Little Oneroa Beach where the amazing Dragonfired people prepare pizzas and pitta fillings in this oven. It's worth a trip to the island just to taste this amazing food - all prepared and served from a trailer. A rest in the sunshine after this substantial lunch and then we went for a swim - my first of the year and Treasa's last (maybe) of the season. Delicious. Not very warm but a great deal warmer than the North Sea will ever be.

We bestirred ourselves after this lovely interlude and biked to another side of the island (there are lots of sides as the coastline is very 'wiggley') via Palm Beach where we stopped for yet another session of gazing at the sea. Going past my future retirement home (I've ear-marked it) we end up back in Oneroa only because Treasa knows her way around these windy roads. There we have delicious ice-creams - Treasa's was salted coconut and passionfruit. Amazing! Then we bought some things from 'Upcycle', a shop which sells things made from stuff found on the island. We bought an apron made from Ralph Lauren sheets from the 1970s and tea lights in wine bottle tops, filled with recycled candle wax.

A wonderful day, topped off by a double birthday celebration meal in 'Mexico', back on the mainland. Yum! Brought back lovely memories of my recent holiday there.