Waiheke Island

It’s been a while! Let me catch you up:

I’ve finished working at the kumara farm in Kaitaia (a few days earlier than intended—my hands were a bit worse for wear) and am now staying in Auckland, where I’m trying to sell my car. The word “trying” is key here. The market is saturated, and there’s not much interest from buyers…

Not a whole lot has been happening in Auckland. Last Friday, I went to a sensory deprivation tank. For those who don’t know, you float in knee-high water that’s been loaded with over 550 kg of magnesium-rich Epsom salt—which keeps you effortlessly buoyant. The tank is pitch-black, so you feel like you’re suspended in outer space. It’s amazing for meditation and deep relaxation. (See last picture.)

But today was going to be awesome. I met up with Scott from Scotland (we know each other from the kumara farm) to go to the amusement park here in Auckland. On the way there, we realized it was closed. Well, oops. So much for planning ahead.

Luckily, we both also really wanted to visit Waiheke Island. (Waiheke is known for its beautiful vineyards, stunning beaches, and laid-back artsy vibe—it’s like a mini Mediterranean escape just 40 minutes from Auckland.)

We took the ferry across and started hiking to explore the area, heading to our first stop: Mudbrick—a beautiful restaurant and vineyard. We picked the perfect day for it. The weather was incredible. At Mudbrick, we enjoyed an absolutely superb tiramisu and panna cotta. Honestly, the best I’ve ever had.

Toward the end of the day, we went for a stroll along Onetangi Beach and had dinner at 372. We couldn’t remember the number for the life of us and got it wrong every single time—even when calling a taxi to pick us up. (To be fair, we told the taxi lady “375,” which was close enough… she really could have guessed.)

372 turned out to be one of those places where the food is just on another level—easily one of my top five dining experiences ever (creamed pāua, pork belly and frybread + pizzetta bianca with oyster mushrooms, braised leek, Annabelle’s truffle, black garlic crèmeux, and mozzarella).

All of this while watching the sun set over the water.

Even though the amusement park was a flop (I’ll accept 7% of the blame—they really should be open every day), this definitely won’t be our last attempt to go!もっと詳しく