Tag: Ghost Street

Travel Highlights of 2022

On By exploringthelongwhitecloudIn Uncategorized4 Comments

Just looking at this title, I feel very lucky to be able to write this post. The fact that I have done enough travelling this year to have a post on highlights is a privilege. Even more so that I get to do it here in beautiful Aotearoa.

As I reflect on this year, a lot of my highlights as usual, have been moments – where time seems to stand still, where I am completely absorbed in what’s happening, right there and then and nothing else is important. Like watching brilliant red poppies dance in the breeze at Albert Park, having early morning snuggles in bed with my niece & nephew. Laughing so hard I’m crying with my mum and aunt. The gentle hum of honey bees on a warm Summer’s day at a lavender farm. These kinds of moments are precious and what I believe makes life so sweet.

But I have also done some amazing activities this year that I would like to recap with you. So here are my top 5 travel highlights of 2022.

Dolphin Cruise – Akaroa

There were lots of great things about this cruise. A family owned business in Akaroa, they took us out into Akaroa Harbour (with their dolphin spotting dog) for an afternoon of nature and history. There’s a lot of interesting local history in the area and the guides were very informative. That alone made a fascinating tour. But the highlight of course were the dolphins. The little endangered Hector’s Dolphins with their ‘Mickey Mouse’ fin and silver bodies. They were magnificent. So playful. We saw so many on this tour. Several small pods that came right up to the boat, following along at the bow. It was a very special and memorable afternoon.

Swimming at Anchorage Bay – Abel Tasman

The weather wasn’t particularly kind to us on this trip. I had been dreaming of glorious sunny days, sunbathing on golden sand and swimming in warm crystal clear waters. We got to see Abel Tasman National Park while a tropical cyclone was hitting the country. The trip was still amazing (in a different way to what I had expected) and although challenging at times, there were some beautiful experiences. Swimming at Anchorage, while having the whole bay to myself, after a day of walking, was bliss. The cool water eased the aches and pains in my muscles and I felt completely weightless. It also rained a little. Small drops of water creating ringed ripples on the flat sea surface all around me was so beautiful.

Dining at Ghost Street – Auckland

I think partly why I liked this place so much was because it wasn’t planned, we stumbled across it. An unexpected delight. We were out looking for a place to have dinner, tried a few places that were fully booked and then told to try next door. We wouldn’t have even known there was a restaurant there. Walking down the dark steps into an underground room, we still weren’t even sure what type of cuisine they served. What a treat. This place surprised and delighted, from the decor to the food preparation, the meals and even how you order. It was such an exciting dining experience.

Cycling Lake Dunstan Trail – Clyde/Cromwell

Ok, so this wasn’t technically 2022, I did this right at the end of 2021 so it didn’t get included last year. My brother and I hired e-bikes and cycled the 55km trail from Clyde to Cromwell. I love this part of the country, the lakes are simply stunning. They are so vibrantly coloured. We had perfect weather and enjoyed a day cycling past lakes, cliffs, fields and vineyards. The e-bike made it so easy and we got to enjoy the landscape of one of my favourite parts of the country. It was also really special being able to spend the day with my brother. Memories are made for sharing.

The People

There are lots of things I love about travel, one of them is the people you get to meet. Hands down the most memorable were the group of 8 senior women who did some of their Abel Tasman Kayaking trip with us. Although we were at quite different stages in life, I was drawn to them. They all had their own stories, life adventures to tell. But what stood out to me most, was their sense of adventure, their care for one another and that they had all been strangers, brought together by a love for travel. I really do hope that I am as outgoing and well connected when I am their age. They were quite inspiring.

So there you have it. What have been some memorable moments or activities you have done this year?

Discovering a hidden gem.

On By exploringthelongwhitecloudIn Auckland Region, North Island1 Comment

For Christmas last year, I bought Daniel tickets to see Billie Eilish in Auckland. Since we were travelling up for the concert, we decided to extend our stay to 2 nights and do a little exploring.

We had an amazing flight up. It was so smooth, it almost made me forget that I hate flying and as I was reading through the Kia Ora Magazine I began fantasizing about overseas travel again, thinking maybe I could handle a long haul flight.

It’s our first time flying North in a while, almost 3 years in fact. Our holidays tend to be in the South Island which is far less populated and since we haven’t been doing any international travel, it made Auckland feel quite foreign – the size of the city, the height of the buildings and number of people we saw, everything was on a much bigger scale to what we have grown used to in recent times.

We check into our accommodation, Imagine Beach Road, it was only completed 6 months ago so everything is new and modern. It’s in a great central location too, perfect for our weekend getaway.

It’s already early evening so we decide to head out for a bite to eat before the concert. I had been planning on going to Saigonz, a Vietnamese restaurant, which was just across the road and had some great reviews. Unfortunately it was closed. So we head out for a wander down to Britomart in search of dinner.

We try a Mexican place which is full and notice how many people are out and about in town. Probably all heading to the concert, and probably like us, all looking for some dinner before the show. It never occurred to me to book something in advance. We try another restaurant that is also full, but they suggest we try the one downstairs. We look around, a bit confused, and the waiter points to a glass door with no signage. We head down some stairs into a dark hallway and sure enough, there is a restaurant. We ask the host if they have any room and he tells us they have space at the chef’s table for walk-ins.

So we follow him into a dark, underground, windowless room. We have no idea what type of food they serve (although by the decor I am guessing Asian) and no idea of the price. But judging by the buzz in the room and the number of people, this place is popular.

We are seated at the chef’s table, a prime spot for watching all the food getting cooked. On the menu I notice that we have arrived at Ghost Street and our waiter explains that they serve sharing plates from 3 distinctly different regions in China. To order, we mark on the menu the items we want and then peg it above us. It gets collected and the items served when they are ready. If we want more, we just mark down what else we want and peg it back up. No one goes hungry here.

The energy at this place is electric, the vibe is mysterious, the food is fantastic and I am buzzing! What an exciting place to have stumbled across. I love finding hidden gems like this. This would be a great place to go with a group of friends, the sharing plates lend themselves well to this. It’s a bit harder when I am a vegetarian and Daniel is a big meat eater, although, Daniel still managed to share my plates!

After our hunger is satisfied and my senses delighted, we head to Spark Arena for the concert. I haven’t been around this many people in a while, we are surrounded by 10,000 fans (a lot of whom are teenage girls who seem to enjoy screaming at the top of their lungs.) The concert was amazing though, Billie is so talented and has so much energy. I have no idea how she manages to jump and dance on stage like that and still manage to sing. She has a very inclusive presence and is clear how much she cares for and loves her fans.

I’ll admit, I wasn’t prepared for the amount of high pitched screaming, and as I settle happily into bed for the night, ready for sleep and resting my ears, I can’t help but feel just a little bit old!