fitzroyalty

There are many places to see and stay when on Waiheke Island, and based on web information I chose Onetangi beach, on the central north coast of the island. It is quiet and a wonderful place to stay where you can fall asleep to the sound of the ocean, which for me is an incredibly relaxing thing.

I’ve begun to realise how interested I am in Central Europe. I’ve been obsessed with the books of Czech author Milan Kundera for many years, and have published on him, including the article A Big Piece of Nonsense for His Own Pleasure: The Identity of Milan Kundera (48kb PDF), and also enjoy other works, such as Karel Capek’s War with the Newts.

I also find myself taking every opportunity to eat at restaurants offering Central European food, including Paprika Hussar (Hungarian) and Borsch Vodka and Tears (Polish) in Melbourne, and the Doma Bohemian Beer Cafe (Czech), Una’s (German / Austrian / Swiss) and Lowenbrau (German) in Sydney.

Most recently I had a good meal at the borderline Central Europe Occidental Belgian Beer Cafe on Vulcan Lane in Auckland. Although it’s a chain, the food and service was good, and after a long flight it provided exactly what I needed - great beer and the metre long sausage.

St Petersberg (Russian and Uzbek) in Auckland is also worth a visit.

With only two days and one night on Waiheke Island, I tried to make the most of my time. Lunch on the first day was at Stonyridge Winery, which proved to provide an amazing lunch, though I was disappointed with their wine. Three of the four available for the tasting (4 wines for $5) were not grown on Waiheke - some of the wines were made from grapes sources from Marlborough and some from Australia! That was not what I was expecting.

Fortunately, lunch was exceptionally good. We selected several of the tasting / sharing plates. From top to bottom: Pan Fried Calamari Tossed through Arugula, Fresh Melon and Zar’ta; Passionfruit and Vodka Cured Salmon; Mille Feuille of Fresh Beetroot, Thyme Goats Curd and Parmesan Wafers with Caramelised Red Onions and Horseradish Dressing; and Prosciutto, Caramelised Onion and Fresh Goats Curd Bruschetta.

When I went to Auckland recently I spent two days on Waiheke Island, which is about 40 minutes by ferry to the east of Auckland. It’s primarily rural and wine country, very touristy, with lovely beaches and a relaxed holiday atmosphere, though it is also a suburb of Auckland and people commute to the city from there by ferry every day.

I ate dinner at Vino Vino on Ocean View Rd, Oneroa, the most populated area on the island. With fishing a major industry in the area and also a popular recreational activity, dinner had to be seafood. We chose the Seafood Chowder with green herb pesto, which was delicious.

My girlfriend then chose the fresh Coromandel Mussels, which were very good.

I fortunately chose what turned out to be the best dish - scallops from hell - pan fried in garlic, chilli and white wine cream sauce. Amazing. Accompanied by some excellent Chardonnay from one of the island’s wineries, Cable Bay, it was a memorable meal. One special touch provided to diners keen to enjoy the outdoor bacony on cool evenings are blankets - everyone is offered a blanket and most sit in the open enjoying the wonderful view wrapped in a cosy blanket, no doubt made from the finest quality New Zealand wool.

A good breakfast establishes the potential of a good day. In Auckland, the SBS newsreader funky glasses types congregate at Dizengoff in Ponsonby for possibly the best coffee in the city. It is of the minimalist white wall style - the colour is provided by the clients not the decor. It was also voted best cafe in Ponsonby by Auckland’s Metro magazine.

Scrambled eggs with chirizo sausage and salsa verde was exactly what I needed on the morning I went swimming at Muriwai beach.

Auckland is a visually appealing city by day and by night. These are some of my best shots from my recent visit.