The weekend was really quiet… I first wanted to go out and party a bit, but in the end… Friday it seems I was too early, all the places I went to were still empty…
And I ended up watching Modern Family and eating chips. Bad!
Saturday I went up on the tower, and I was actually still awake late… but I couldn’t drag myself out. Like in every city so far, the beginning is always a bit slow, and difficult to kick me in the butt and go out.
Sunday then I just walked… I took the bus down to Coxs Bay and walked around the beaches and parks there, reading a bit in the sun.
The bays on the harbor are nice, even though a lot of them lack an actual beach, and you can go down to the water only – if there is water.
The tidal range is pretty pronounced, as the harbor is shallow… I wish I had the right shoes to walk out there. It seems to be relatively solid, not muddy….
I ended up walking around the Meola Reef, or Te Tokaroa Reef in Māori (meaning: long rock), a stretch of land and rocks going out into Waitemata Harbour, that is actually an ancient lava flow. It originated from Mount Saint John, 11 kilometers away, when it erupted 28.000 years ago…
It would also be nice if there was a walkway along the water, but most areas are actually private property, the houses having direct access to the water. Great stuff if you live there, but I had hoped for a nice stroll along…
The rest of the afternoon I hopped from café to bar, moving from coffee to cider to beer… and reading my book.
I have a couple of things planned for the next days, a visit to Rangitoto and Waiheke Island. I also have a number of museums on my list, from Modern Art to Māori culture to the War Memorial….
There’s plenty to do, but I am in a pronounced slow stage… After all those Megacities and the constant going out I seem to have entered a slow phase in Auckland.
With 1,3 Million inhabitants, the city has a size like Munich – and is stretched over an area twice as London! – but it feels decidedly smaller. Definitely a more quiet rhythm. I guess that’s fine, and probably good before heading to Tokyo.
I’m still fine-tuning the trip through NZ. I realized yesterday that Sebastián from Santiago could and would have joined me on that trip, had I asked earlier.
He also has a friend in Pauanui, where I will drive by. But by now it’s too late and too expensive of course… Lost opportunities….