OH CREPE!! -
Darcy and I were so down to see what Rangitoto was about but before that we swung by the French Festival at Queens Wharf. I wish I could have jam jarred the patisserie scents wafting throughout the stall-packed, former cargo shed. The air smelt so French with the tasters of sizzling chicken and bacon saucisson, the most pretty and dainty macarons and home made crepes of chocolat! My crepe and I were busy loving each other as the miracle worker cooks whipped up crepe after crepe for the hoards.
Somehow I had carelessly lost my ferry ticket at the festival and Darcy stepped up to make things right, pretending hers was gone as she had proof of receipt on her cash card and I had paid with cash beforehand. We didn't need to cry or lay on the charm with the cashier *PHEW!!* The ferry over Hauraki Gulf was blustery on top deck despite the sun beaming above Auckland and the hole in the Ozone.
LIVING MY LIFE OUT LOUD -
As the island practically doesn't have any streams, its biodiversity is heavily dependent on rain. The Department of Conservation officially declared Rangitoto free of pests in 2011 after eradicating them with poison.
HOW CAN YOU SAY 'NO' TO RANGITOTO? -
The scenic reserve is radiant with scores of scoria, lava fields and forest. We scrambled across the uneven black, heat absorbing rock, passing more than 200 species of fern and flowers - some as old as 250 years. Our ears were gratified with bird cuckoos, tui warblings and fantail flutterings and I cheekily took home a memento of volcano rock from the rugged terrain.
We'd planned to pay for a shuttle upwards but learnt this was reserved for Fullers Volcanic Explorers tour only so we had no choice but to ascend the 800 metres above sea level. Our worry was that if we missed the final ferry back, we'd have to survive the night somewhere when no inhabitants can live or stay overnight and there's no source of food, running water or toilet facilities. On a rest stop, Darcy and I found a perfect shelter (as would Bear Grylls) just in case and it provided shade from heat. Had we known we were a mere 3-5 minutes from the top, we wouldn't have taken the break. Alas, this frail, ol' bag o' bones made it in one piece. Congrats to us!!
WHEN ARE THE VIEWS GOING TO START TOOTING THEIR OWN HORN? -
The crater crown is a staggering 60 metres deep and 200 metres in width; it's made quite the imprint in the land and were it still active, we'd rather possibly have been burnt to a fiery crisp! Another special feature is the world's largest Pohutukawa forest but that's not something we had the time to inspect very much. After an hours trail and 300 steps to the summit, we picnicked looking out at the attractive landscape.
I stacked it at one point, bashing my knee on a rock and grazing my skin as we clambered inside lava caves. These dark, narrow tunnels formed by old lava flows are best explored using a torch but it was more thrilling without although this is ill advised. As way of reviving our energy levels, we hit up Fokker Bros for freakshakes. Mine, the Candy Mountain strawberry milkshake mayhem - an artificial overload of obscene sweetness. The drink was an explosion of gummies and horrifyingly artery-clogging but the sweetie adornments were joyful.
PUGS ARE A PHENOMENON OF CUTENESS THAT TAKE YOUR TROUBLES AWAY -
The first Saturday of September, Zani, Kalolo and myself attended Parnell's Hug-a-pug event but we'd vastly underestimated how popular the event would be in the rain. When we walked up, there was already a queue snaking around the block with an hour's wait time just to enter with a gold coin donation. We decided not to bother joining the line as there were plenty of puggies outside to meet and greet for puggle huggles with the poochies who look like grumpy-faced old men. It became apparent that they were overwhelmed by all these strangers petting them and thrusting mobiles in their face for selfies so this began to bother us morally. It became a circus of anxious pets :(
Zani recommended that we grab a bite for lunch at BBQ King back in the city centre and I had an awesome, ginger chicken stir fry. I feel we don't make a big enough deal of stir fries and this must be changed for mine was gloriously gingery. Pud was also pulverised at Melt in the shape of a berry chocolate, ice cream cupcake - the ultimate cupcake of celebration. What delusional reality are you living in if you don't want to SCOOP one up??
THE BEST SATURDAY NIGHT I'D HAD IN WEEKS -
After deciding in haste that Vinos Wine Bar wasn't a suitable venue as masses were to descend for a PJ night at the bar and the lads weren't permitted to wear hats inside, we relocated to Albany Karaoke to rock the mic right. I get along best with the girlies when we're being silly and I'm so lucky to have found the kind of friends who sparkle with sunshiney energy. Syndi smashed song after song with some Mariah, Leann Rimes, Miley, Michael Jackson and the Lion King. Lin was a surprise pop starlet with her renditions of T Swift's 'Love story' and Frozen's 'Let it go'.
Pocket-sized Pen serenaded her fiancée Brayden with Bruno Mars 'Marry you' in her voice of silk and The Carpenters 'a kind of hush' a beautiful song I never knew existed before. Brendan and Anthony are amazing vocalists; they entertained with 'You raise me up', 'Wherever you will go' and Queen. My karaoke jam 'You're so vain' always has the power to get me on my feet belting out the song badly. Finally, thanks to Syndi's joyous, Whoopi Goldberg gospel stylings to Sister Act's 'OH, HAPPY DAY!!' with us as the choir of rapturous nuns, the management added extra time for us. Lin, Brendan, Anthony and I went onto Denny's for a pre-midnight feast of coconut and cranberry French toast por moi. Declarations of love should be written for it!!
Pen organised for some of the girls and Brendan to have a catch up at Paper Moon in Mairangi Bay, for a grand dessert. The chocolate bomb, a milk chocolate 'dome filled with vanilla bean anglaise, forest berry nut cluster & honey comb pieces, served with oreo crumbs, hot chocolate sauce & vanilla bean ice cream' kissed my mouth and lit up my world. No one will think any less of you for trowelling the lot as it's an exquisite work of art.
On my last day of work for Gallagher Bassett, midway through September, my lovely colleagues had organised a morning tea with a card and some unexpected but thoughtful gifts. Some of the ladies also took me out to Snowman for a wintry lunch of strawberry shaved ice juiciness and another heaped mountain of Oreo shaved ice - which we spooned through collectively as best we could.
After running some errands, Tastehouse Bakery along K Road hooked me up with a Pieffee; a steamy, novelty baked good I'd not encountered before. It's essentially a hot chocolate inside a biscuit crust (in place of a mug) with a rainbow sprinkle rim, NZ fern-stencilled foam and marshmallows on the side. A really weird concept that you drink and then eat but somehow it kinda works, pleasing the tonsils. Love certainly soared!
Before tidying, cleaning and room swapping on my move out date, all the roomies came out for a sweet farewell brunch at Hello Friends and Allies. The red velvet and fairy floss hotcakes with lemon berry coulis embodied everything I could ever want in a stack of pancakes. I would be doing the world a disservice if I didn't express how extraordinary these chefs are with a pancake. Then I abandoned the broth who have become a dysfunctional family to me and bussed up to Paihia for a few days in the beauteous Bay of Islands. I shall miss my little nut jobs!!
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