new-zealand – Just Pete Hiking

Ahoy, mateys! After a short sail down the coast of New Zealand, we made landfall in the bustling metropolis of Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand. If you’ve been following my adventures for a while, you can probably guess that cities aren’t really my thing…but I have to say Auckland and the surrounding suburbs are pretty cool.

Auckland is one of the few cities in the world to have harbors on two major bodies of water: the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea. Waitemata Harbour is the heart of the city. Sailboats dance on the water giving Auckland the nickname “The City of Sails”.

Auckland’s skyline is dominated by the Sky Tower, the tallest freestanding structure in the Southern Hemisphere.

We hopped on a bus tour that wound through the city’s streets until we reached the Auckland Harbour Bridge. We crossed that bad boy to the North Shore and the charming town of Devenport. If Auckland is the bustling city cousin, then Devonport is the laidback beach bum of the family. With water on three sides and several beautiful beaches, this was more our speed!

The clouds and rain did not make for ideal conditions for photography. I do have a couple of shots to brighten the day…even though I must confess, they were actually taken yesterday. I won’t tell if you won’t!

Our next stop? Well, let’s just say it will be a bit less city and a lot more nature. Brace yourselves!

Welcome to New Zealand!

After 1,300 miles and 2 ½ days of a roller coaster ride on the high seas, we are anchored in the Bay of Islands.

New Zealand has a North Island and a South Island. The Bay of Islands is in the northern region of New Zealand’s North Island.

The Bay of Islands is a cluster of 150 islands that are rocky, rugged, and easy on the eyes.

New Zealand’s earliest Maori settlers migrated here more than 700 years ago. Maori and British missionaries first met here in 1814. Charles Darwin took a break from evolving theories to stop by shortly after that. And in 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed here between British colonists and Maori chiefs.

Despite being tossed around like a salad for a couple days, we decided the best way to see this slice of paradise was, ironically, from a boat.

The many undeveloped beaches are surrounded by a vibrant blue and turquoise color water.

The area is also a haven for marine life. We saw bottleneck dolphins, schools of fish, a couple of chill seals lounging about, and even a penguin.

Seal barely visible to right of penguin.

Hole in the Rock is an iconic landmark on Piercy Island. The archway was formed over centuries by wind and waves eroding the island’s sorter rock, creating a large hole that boats can pass through when the tide and conditions are right. We had the right conditions, and our boat passed through the arch. Nature’s own thrill ride.