A day off!

I had the day off last Monday, so I decided to take advantage of it and head over the water to Devonport which is a pretty town, set around some old volcanoes in the Hauraki Gulf. The ferry ride, albeit fairly short, was just magic! I felt like a kid again, the wind in my hair, the salty spray in my face and seagulls flying overhead, as locals hoisted sail and drifted happily along the waters dividing Auckland CBD from this spot of tranquility.

I began my day trip with a short stop to the visitor centre, picking up the all important map and guide!!! Camera in one hand, guided walking map in the other, I set up off the main street - only to quickly abscond into the nearest pub for a Ploughman's lunch and a glass of pinotage! It's a hard life. Whilst Aucklanders sat hard at work in their city offices, I gazed over the gulf from my little piece of heaven and enjoyed the sunshine.

After lunch, it was time to work off some of those fabulous cheeses and so I decided to climb Mount Victoria, to the summit in order to get the best 360 degree panoramic view over the city and the Hauraki Islands. The mountain, once a volcano was amazing, with lots of little pockets of history dotted over it - an old war bunker, a "disappearing" gun - which was never fired (all of this in case of attack on Auckland as this was a perfect place to have a lookout post) and suprisingly, some really strange mushroom things... no idea why they were there, but they made for an interesting seat!

From Mt Victoria, I headed along the Old Town walk, taking in some of the nostalgic buildings and pathways. The township was beautiful, a great place for a weekend retreat. After perusing the shops and walking along the beach, it was time to catch the ferry back in order to catch sunset over the harbour!

Definitely a day well spent...