Mel's Life: #Auckland

In February, I headed to Auckland for a bit of R-n-R. It was my first 15 hour flight but I drank got through it like a champ. The free flying half bottles of Australian wine may have made the skies a wee bit more friendlier and Qantas my new favorite airline. We stayed at the Auckland Hilton, which is centrally located and a quick walk to the popular Queen Street. The first couple of days were rainy and overcast which lead us to the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. This museum is stunning, I wish we could've enjoyed a cuppa but the cafe was ridiculously crowded. We took in The Māori Portraits: Gottfried Lindauer, which featured over 100 portraits of Māori chiefs and leaders.

After a couple of days in Auckland, we headed for Waiheke Island. The was one of my favorite parts of my trip to New Zealand. The picturesque island is filled with wonderful wineries and sheep! We stayed at the Gorgeous Inn, a cute little cabin with big scenery. I recommended it if you are ever staying in Waiheke. We took a half day wine tour to sample some of the offerings of the local wineries. My favorite spot was Thomas' Bach. Needless to say I left for Sydney with a suitcase full of delicious wine. Over all I really enjoyed my trip to Auckland, the people are friendly and the food is exquisite. I hope to make it back to New Zealand to explore other areas. We headed for Sydney after, I will dedicate another post to my time in Australia.