Weekend Plans...

Palm Beach, Waiheke

Thursday, on my run-commute home, I took the longer route along the water contemplating my lackluster weekend plans.  Watching the sailboats exiting the harbor reminded me that the motorway is only one means of escape from Auckland,  the water another.  I made up my mind to travel to Waiheke Island via ferry and bike on the weekend.

Less than a block away...

By Friday night,  I  needed to release the weight of work from my shoulders.  The run home had helped, but I wanted the cool water and seeming weightlessness of swimming. I struggled into my wetsuit over my sweaty self, walked to the end of the block and slipped into the  green opaque water that lapped at the stairs of the Bella Vista Reserve.   I was leery of swimming at dusk and only ventured a few yards out.  The water was refreshing, but not cold, the perfect antidote to the stress of the week.  I vowed to swim more often in the ocean, especially at the end of the week!

At high tide, the water is lapping on the first few steps...

Saturday proved to be somewhat sunny and I was eager to put my plan into action.
Much like Whidbey is to Seattle, so is Waiheke Island  to Auckland.  A large, mostly rural island, it has roughly 8000 permanent residents.  The summer population swells with Aucklanders and others enjoying the beautiful beaches, surfing, tramping, and  wine sampling  from one of the many vineyards. Like Whidbey, the people of Waiheke are reputedly progressive. The island is home to many artists, organic farms and vineyards, and has several clothing-optional white sandy beaches.   Mandated self-sufficiency of water and sewage for each dwelling has produced a sustainable lifestyle. As a result of that legislation, most  homes on Waiheke collect rainwater as their main source of fresh water  (mostly via cisterns), and reuse grey water for gardens.  Waiheke became the first municipality to declare itself "nuclear free" (no nuclear energy) in NZ.   It also boasts a somewhat dryer, sunnier weather than nearby Auckland. As the Auckland weather forecast called for rain with some sunny breaks,  Waiheke beckoned and did not disappoint.

View Rd. Waiheke

Seated next to me on the ferry to Waiheke Island was a fellow in his seventies and his dog, Hollie.  When he learned that I had moved from Whidbey Island to New Zealand, he noted that in coming to NZ and to Waiheke, I had sought out someplace similar to home, the island life.  I lived on Whidbey for four years, and on Mount Desert Island for three years.  Of 48 years, I have been an islander only seven years.  Do I espouse an island culture?  Culture, its derivations, and influences have been on my mind this week.  (fodder for later post).  What is it about islands that draws folks to them?  Does isolation from the mainland bring people together?  What is my culture?  Culture evolves  as events and experience influence groups and individuals.  I find it interesting that my culture varies from that of my parents, and my children.  Is it that our formative years were in different places with different world events?  New Zealand's relatively open immigration policy means that in Auckland, only 50 percent of folks are kiwi European or Maaori.  The evolution of  kiwi culture is very evident.  My Kiwi seatmate served as a tour guide to the islands and points of interest on the mainland.  His discourse turned the ferry ride into a "brilliant" introduction to my adventure.

The Bush.  Waiheke

The ferry landed at Mataitai and I proceeded to the bike rental shack in search of a map that might take me off the busier roads.  My American accent usually stands out, so it is with odd familiarity that I find other Americans.  Odd, because sometimes it is well beyond introductions that I notice the ease of communication not fraught with odd word pairings and inflections.  So it was with the fellow who worked at the bike rentals shack.  He hailed from Madison, Wisconsin and spent much of the sixties there.  He graduated from Cornell (in Iowa) where, he said, he majored in sex, drugs, and rock and roll.  He quickly noted that he had reformed since then.  He did supply me with a map, made a few suggestions and sent me on my way.

Two fellow travelers resting after a particularly long hill

I biked only 25 miles on Waiheke today, but those were a hilly 25.  Many of the roads were narrow, with many curves and switchbacks.  The wind came in bursts unexpectedly and seemed to be attempting to unseat me.  I enjoyed a lovely lunch of roast eggplant, garlic, olives and Parmesan at a cafe opposite Onetangi Beach.  As I marveled at all the soft sandy beaches, I wondered how I could have left the house without my "swimming togs".  Especially after the previous night's inaugural swim!

Onetangi Beach

Returning from Waiheke, I had the opportunity to study the swim from Mission Bay, Auckland to Rangitoto Island, the route of an open water swim event in March. (A mere 4.5 km, it is shorter than the  Fat Salmon swim in Lake Washington). The water was full of sailboats, fishing boats, windsurfers and other ferries.  There was a fair chop as the wind was  brisk.  The water clear, blue and inviting, but the distance between the beach and the island seemed farther than I had swum before.

Incentive for further ocean adventures and a trail run on Rangitoto, perhaps next weekend!