As usual we rented our car at Apex in Auckland. They are easy going and offer reasonable prices. We had to return our car downtown, near Vector Arena at Apex and took the opportunity to run back to Ponsonby. As you see from the track we kind of curiously looked into various little streets or …
The weather forecast for Coromandel promised a wonderful clear sky influenced by a steady high – yet also predicted a rather murky outlook for the upcoming Christmas days. Hence we adjusted our travel plans at once and swapped “drinking wine in Martinborough” for “enjoying sunshine in Whitianga”. Another gain was: no 400 km drive while …
Leaving Matakana there is – what we call – ‘perfect travel-weather’: heavy clouds and light showers escort us throughout the whole day, until we arrive in Coromandel-Town. We move in into the ‘upper studio’ of the Indigo Bush Lodge and are excited about the first – and the last – rays of sunshine which get …
Coromandel – all agree it’s one of New Zealand’s most fascinating summer destinations. Partying on one of the beaches, especially on New Year’s Eve, is very popular and a rite of passage for many teenagers. But we were keen to spend some days in the Indigo Bush Studios. A beautiful accommodation outside of Coromandel, designed …
We were fancy a steak, a big steak and were more than happy that Matakana has got its own pub, a real good pub, insiders and locals simply call it The Matakana. Arriving late we grabbed a table inside, actually the last available table, Kelvin from Riverside Matakana organised for us. We ordered beer, a …
It is a short drive from Auckland to Matakana, another gorgeous wine region with more than 30 boutique vineyards and great restaurants. An easy drive – as long as you are not travelling with all the other hundreds of Aucklanders. But that is doable. We didn’t expect to find such a beautiful spot, I have …
Less than an hour north from Auckland city you’ll find Matakana Coast with its beaches, wineries, bistros, cafes, pubs and the well-known Matakana Village Farmer’s Market. The market is tight, with a lot of stalls offering a variety of great food and great people. Yet the most popular place in Matakana is definitely the village …
It is our fifth trip within 10 years to New Zealand, and you could call it almost travel-routine. Yet that’s not the case. The arrival at “the other end of the world” remains a special event: it’s the hazy feeling of “farer-away-is-not-possible”, which is surely known to each European traveller visiting New Zealand. It’s slowly …
It is probably one of Auckland’s most preferred neighborhood, hence, also most expensive. From Freemans Bay – near Ponsonby – you can run down to Victoria Park, Waterfront and then following the Marina to Westhaven. From there it is really up to you: follow the streets running parallel to the coast of Home Bay (Sarsfield …
“Kinda too small, too cosy, too unspectacular…”, that’s what I always think when I am hitting the Marina in Auckland, the Viaduct Harbour neighborhood. It’s just too small for such a big city – but incredible comfy. This time we headed to Sofitel, a beautiful Auckland Hotel, directly on the Waterfront. It appears business like, …
Granted. By the time we got back to Auckland Downtown I was tired, a little flabby and wet as we just returned from our roundtrip. I was hungry but too tired as well…I am sure you know what I mean. We strolled around Sky Tower, Downtown, looking for a great place to stop by, hang …