David and Leah’s Honeymoon
Our First Exploration of New Zealand
After crossing the international date line, losing nearly a full day for only a five-hour flight from Tahiti, we landed in New Zealand ready for a significant change in pace. We had been lounging on hot, sunny, secluded beaches for the past several days and were now in the bustling city of Auckland, the largest city in the country of New Zealand.
The first sign was a good clue to what we had in store for us: the Auckland airport was clean, well organized, and the people were pleasant. Our cab driver, who drove on the “wrong” — meaning right side of the car, -was incredibly helpful and engaging. We’d have this same experience during our entire time in Aotearoa — the original name of the country in the indigenous language.
Auckland, is a large, diverse metropolitan city with 1.5 million residents on the North Island. The country of New Zealand is separated into two large islands, the North and South. We were heavily encouraged to travel to both, but we stayed on the North Island which gives us a great excuse to return to this charming country.
New Zealand is still a member of the British commonwealth, with Queen Elizabeth formally being the Queen of New Zealand. Her authority seems to be limited to the appointment of a national governor, whose responsibilities and power are unclear. The elected Prime Minister and executive of the country is Jacinda Ardern, who has gained international recognition for her effective leadership on gun violence and her national well-being-based budget.
After checking into our hotel in the Central Business District, a different type of CBD then we are used to in California, we dropped our bags and went to wander the city. We walked aimlessly for a while, feeling the great vibe of the people. We walked through parts of Auckland University and to an adjacent park that was idyllic and serene and full of large trees with gnarly trunks.

We made our way to Sky Tower, one of the most iconic images of the city’s skyline. After a quick and successful stop at the casino next door, we settled in for dinner at a nearby restaurant — the Depot. This is where I fell in love with Auckland. We had one of the most magnificent, delectable meals we have had anywhere in the world. The Depot quickly rose towards the top of our favorite all time restaurants. The food is tapas style and we tried several dishes. Leah absolutely loved the fresh oysters. The BBQ lamb was to die for. But then the fish was orgasmic! Paired with delicious New Zealand pinot noirs and I was in heaven.

It was hard to leave, but after a two-hour dinner we walked or waddled back to our room. The next day we tried to walk it all off. We did not know about the hills of Auckland though, making our long stroll to the museum more daunting than expected. We traveled through downtown again, and then up towards the trendy, upscale neighborhood of Pernell. Finally, we made our way to the Auckland Museum. We were focused on information about the Maori, New Zealand’s indigenous population. There was a Maori performance, rather corny but somewhat educational. And there was the very well-done museum exhibit on the history of the Maori and the exploitation, theft of land, and colonization by the British.

Having come from Tahiti to New Zealand, it was intriguing to see a large city in a much colder climate whose original people were the same. Not just the same as in Polynesian, but the original inhabitants of New Zealand migrated from Tahiti specifically. The Polynesian diaspora is spread throughout many island nations, including: Tahiti (French Polynesia), New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and Hawaii — all colonized by Europe or America. Polynesians came from the Lapita people who had come from East Africa and Southeast Asia and were the first to inhabit the Polynesian islands beginning five thousand years ago. New Zealand is the last land mass in the world to be populated, some 800 years ago, and today boasts the largest concentration of Polynesian people in the world.

Like so many of the island nations within the Pacific rim, New Zealand’s British colonization was preceded by a visit from Captain Cook. He came to Aotearoa in 1769 and “British settlers” soon followed. In 1840, the British Crown forced various Aotearoa tribes to sign the Treaty of Waitangi, formally ushering in an era of brutal colonization, including many years of war with indigenous tribes unwilling to agree to the terms of the treaty, which included Britain’s acquisition of all land.

New Zealand has had a deep reckoning with its racist, colonialist past. While equity and parity have not been achieved, the country has widely acknowledged the terror reaped upon the original inhabitants and have worked to make amends. One symbolic manifestation is the ubiquitous use of Maori language in the naming of streets, buildings, neighborhoods, and landmarks — with seemingly accurate pronunciation sliding off the tongues of regular Kiwis (the terms New Zealanders use for themselves). There is also a Race Relations Minister, a post in the federal government, and the much more meaningful Waitangi Tribunal, empaneled since 1975 and known for administering justice to the Maori people to remedy past tragedies. The beloved national rugby team, called the All Blacks, the most winningest rugby team in the world, perform the Haka, the Maori war dance, before each match.
The next day only brought about more fondness for this country. A day trip to the Island of Waiheke, formally still a section of the City of Auckland, revealed a lush tropical paradise with more than 30 wineries. A short 40-minute water ferry took us from mainland Auckland to Waiheke, an island of nine thousand residents, verdant green hills, fat and happy farm animals, and vineyards everywhere.

We joined a group tour that took to us to three wineries. The first was Kennedy Port. As I’ve grown to be a bit of a wine snob, I was pleasantly surprised to find these wines to be excellent. Waiheke has a warmer climate than most of the rest of the country, so they do not grow the Pinot Noir grapes I was expecting, but instead they grow many of the Bordeaux as well as Syrah varietals. The next stop was Casita Miro. The tasting room is beautiful and the views overlooking the water are breathtaking, but the wine was just okay. Our third stop was the multi-award-winning Obsidian winery. They offered a few Italian varietals in addition to Syrah. Obsidian gave large pours and had good wine.
The last stop was for lunch. We pre-planned a lunch at a restaurant different than our other group mates, who turned out to be very fun. Though we missed their camaraderie, we found bliss! We ate at the Te Motu winery’s restaurant, The Shed. Another exquisite gastronomical experience. Though the abundance of lamb in New Zealand was one of the draws that brought us to the country, we had not expected the culinary scene to rival France.
After our fantastic meal, we walked through the vineyards as we waited for our tour guide to collect us. We joined the larger group on the way to the ferry terminal, but we decided to get dropped off at a fourth winery and walk back to the dock. Though our last stop had sweeping views of the island and a staff member who used to work at my very favorite winery in the Napa Valley, Hall, the wine was not only too much at this point, but not great. What I would discover during this trip though, is that Pinot Noirs from Central Ontago on New Zealand’s South Island are consistently extraordinary!

We took one of the many walking trails on the island back to the ferry terminal and headed back into the city.
Our last full day in New Zealand we got out of the city and drove the countryside. That meant renting a car and driving on the right side of the car and the left side of the road — the opposite of America. It took a while to get used to, but I think I conquered the wrong side driving. As soon as we were out of the city, it was the same scenery for three straight hours of driving — beautiful, endless rolling green hills, littered with cattle everywhere, I do mean everywhere, along with an occasional flock of cute, scrumptious lamb. New Zealand has a whole other standard for “free range” and grass fed — the animals are beautiful, their setting serene. The green pastures, tall trees, and mountain sides made for a most picturesque drive. As we drove, we listened to local music stations, half of which were all playing old school American “Soul”.

Waitomo was our destination, a small town with more than 700 caves to explore. We booked a walking tour of a cave with glow worms. With an hour to spare before our tour, we went to a nearby café. Here we were in the middle of nowhere, nearly 200 miles from the city, in the gorgeous countryside, and the chef, who appeared Maori, was blasting Motown’s greatest while whipping me up a superb lamb shank. Was this country built for me: head on addressing its racist past, soul music appropriately enjoyed, delicious lamb wherever you go, and great tasting Pinot Noir in abundance. If it wasn’t so far away, it may be our preferred retirement destination.
Deep underground, it was as if we were back in Tahiti at night with stars all around us, but instead it was glow worms. Bright tails shinning in the dark to attract insects to eat. When our guide flashed his lights, we can see the tiny worms and the mucus webs they spawn to ensnarl their food.

Glow Worms shining in the dark in a cave in Waitomo
With the lights on, you can also see the fascinating stalagmites dropping from the cave ceiling. Our guide grew up in the area and his cave was one of the few still owned and operated by an indigenous family. After serving us tea in a quaint tree top tea garden, we were back to our car and on the road returning to the city.

Despite traffic, we made it back to our hotel in time to return the rental car and make it to the Taste of Auckland. We’d seen the advertisement the past few days but were thrilled to learn the event was adjacent to our hotel. It may not be the Taste of Chicago, but Auckland’s version is also large, exciting, full of energy and replete with good food and wine.
We scarfed down prawn tacos, goat corn dogs, BBQ lamb chops, charred fish sliders, along side Central Otago Pinot Noirs (and a New Zealand micro-brew or two!) that I’d put up against the best of Russian River. Next, we tasted a New Zealand wine, Man-o-War Bordeaux blend from the Island of Waiheke that we had visited, that was sensational. Writing these words may make me a heretic, but I’d put it up against any Cabernet from Napa.
Our bellies full, our palate satisfied, our minds blown, we ventured out onto the dance floor, where the DJ, an older man, was showing out, with an especially danceable remix of the Love Boat theme song. We closed the place down. A short walk back to our room and we made it just in time to watch the reigning back-to-back World Cup Champion All Blacks destroy Wales in a thrilling victory to capture the rugby bronze this year.
Our time in New Zealand was ending. The next morning we were headed down under to nearby Australia.

