January Week 109 2017

Last week at work! Michael and I both had our last day at our respective jobs on Thursday. It’s definitely tough to think about leaving all of my students but I’m ready for a break. That night we met for a quick dinner, then headed home to prepare for Michael’s parents getting in early the next morning. We left for the airport bright and early on Friday to pick them up, then drove straight to Warkworth to do the Parry Kauri Track. This short hike through the NZ bush featured many Kauri trees, but the one in the parking lot was by far the most impressive. After it’s 800 years, this tree has grown to be a million inches tall and several meters across (OK, I don’t remember the actual stats, but this thing is HUGE). From there we grabbed some coffee in town, then drove to Brick Bay for a sunny sculpture walk, wine tasting, and lunch.

We spent the afternoon at the beach in Tawharanui Regional Park (one of my all time faves). The next day Michael’s parents got to see Matakana Cinemas while enjoying the weekly Saturday farmer’s market. After lunch, we drove back to Auckland, making a stop in Devonport to see an old Army installation perfectly situated on a hill at the coast.

Sunday was our only day to show them Auckland, so we started in the morning with a walk up Mount Eden. After that we went into the CBD for lunch and a walking tour of the town. Wanting to make the most of the beautiful sunshine, we went to Mission Bay Beach for the afternoon. That night for dinner we met up with a few of our friends here at our favorite dumpling restaurant.