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.

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.

One of the most beautiful places I went to in New Zealand recently was Muriwai Beach, on the west coast of the north island. The sand is the colour of milk chocolate from volcanic activity. In changable weather I could not resist a quick swim though the strong rip and wind meant I was the lone swimmer in the water, with only a couple of surfers nearby.

After enjoying a long swim and bodysurfing some perfect waves, I went for a walk and looked around.

There’s lots to see and do at Coogee. On Sunday morning the aircraft appoaching Sydney Airport to land were coming from the north-east and flying towards the airport, which is south-west of Coogee.

As they passed over the beach, a giant shadow crossed the water and sand. I went up to the cliffs above the beach to watch.

The Surf Life Saving crew were out practicing.

Other boats proved to be less useful.

Coogee is my favourite beach in Sydney; when I have the chance I’m always in the water. On Saturday I had lunch at A Fish Called Coogee. They have various fish, prawns and octopus, some plain, some marinated. You choose your fish, and have it cooked with your choice of sides, such as chips, rice or bok choi.

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I’ve spend the weekend in Sydney, mainly to go to the short film festival Flickerfest, but also to go to the beach. I’m staying at Coogee, but more about that later. I went to two sessions at Flickerfest - Australian program 4 and the Celebrity program. It’s held indoors (daytime) and outdoors (night) at the Bondi Beach Pavilion.

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