ended up missing my bus to get me to the ferry by about one minute, literally saw it pulling away at the bus stop. so Sharleen picked me up and took me down to catch another ferry to get into town. this put me behind the group but that was ok i just got my voucher filled and caught the ferry an hour later into Waiheke. it really was such a gorgeous day i wasn't going to let this stress me out, plus i got some chocolate ice gelato and was feeling much better, ice cream really does fix everything. so i made it to Waiheke and i had to get cash out so i could grab a cab, well then all the cabs were gone so i called a company to send one. i was just sitting on the curb waiting when i heard a honk and someone asking if i needed a ride. without thinking i immediately said yes and hopped in the car, then i realized i hadn't even really taken a good look at this man. but luckily he was such a sweet elderly man, Paul, he was so kind to take me to find my friends. so i guess this was officially my first "hitchhiking" experience. i was quite proud of myself haha and was really so lucky that he was so sweet. we just chatted, and turns out i missed the first stop on the tour so he took my to the olive vineyard where i finally caught up with martin and danielle. it was a laugh, and i was happy to finally be there. and hey i missed the first stop but i had my own little adventure, probably wouldn't have changed it.
we learned a little about picking olives and making olive oil and then had some tastings. yummmmy. it was all amazing. and i love the lemon trees. we then headed to the brewery/winery called "wild on Waiheke" it was a cool little place with a fun cafe and an archery range. and lots of different chutneys and spreads for tasting, i wanted to buy them all and don't worry i tasted every single one. we had some great beers and good wine. fun fact this wine/beer is not sold anywhere else in the world (get ready for your surprise mom!). we also had a shot of their rum which well i'm not a huge rum drinker so it was a little strong for me, but we put half, into an alcohol free ginger beer and that was much more doable. then we went to one of the most beautiful places i have been all trip, i've said that a lot but seriously it was amazing. this was called mudbrick winery and its on the highest point of Waiheke, you can see Auckland city in the distance. the pictures will show you more, but there was a gorgeous little patio for eating and a wonderful big house with a nice restaurant inside and wines and trees and flowers everywhere. my favorite part was the big outdoor fireplace patio where i could've easily spend an entire day. they were even setting up for a wedding on the top patio, would die if i got married there, seriously. we walked up the hill to the top of the vineyards where we had somemore wine and got to see an absolutely amazing view. i have someone emailing me pictures so once they arrive i will definitely share! we headed into town after all of this and found a cute little restaurant called vino vino for an appetizer and a wine. then we met up with this awesome couple from san diego who was on their honey moon for a drink at a different bar followed by dinner. they were such a fun couple it was really cool to get to hang out with them!
we caught an evening ferry back into auckland and decided why not just get a hostel in town and stay the night. it was my first night in town and i had a good time. its fun going to bars that are right on the harbor. caught the ferry back to half moon bay the next morning, well around noon and had a relaxing day at home getting ready for the week. so thankful for awesome weather on saturday because since sunday its been raining like crazy here. all in all a great weekend.
ferry ride into the city.
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