This weekend we decided last minute to take the car ferry across to Waiheke Island. It's quickly becoming known for its wineries as it is dotted with vineyards all across the island.
Naturally, we had to check out some of them. We went for a really nice hike alongside the Poderi Crisci winery up the steep hill. We stopped near the top to have a picnic of wine, cheese and olives. The wind quickly picked up so we decided to turn back once we reached the top of the hill. About halfway down we got caught in a torrential downpour of fresh spring rain. Luckily it wasn't a very cold day so we didn't mind the rain. Looking back, I think it's one of my favorite parts of the weekend. Sometimes it's fun to run through the rain without worry!
The next winery we visited was in a country home with a full wrap-around porch situated right on the beach on the far east side of the island. Not only does Man O' War offer free wine tastings, but they had friendly service and a yummy cinnamon infused white pinot gris which I sipped from the wicker chair on the porch staring out into the sea. What a beautiful day!
Wine isn't the only thing Waiheke has to offer. We started the morning with a short hike through the regional park to visit an old Maori Pa site- a hill settlement which is now just a lush green hill in the midst of a forest. It was a nice park, and we even got to see some of the endangered New Zealand dotterel. According to the sign postings, there're only about 1800 of them left in NZ! 
It was a really pretty island to explore; driving along the windy roads, taking in the breathtaking views and stopping to smell the spring flowers and listen to the birds sing. It may sound over the top, but it really was like a little slice of paradise just across the bay from Auckland City. 
We passed through the weekly market and perused art, food and treasures. I thought of grandma and grandpa and visiting the Farmer's Market with them. Then we stumbled upon the stall of a local author selling his books. We bought a copy of Baa Baa Smart Sheep and he signed a personalized copy for us! He's quickly becoming famous worldwide, but is definitely World Famous on Waiheke as we saw his books dotted throughout the local shops on the island. We also grabbed some local olives for our picnic later (already mentioned above). 
On Sunday, we started our day with a rest on the white sandy Onetangi beach- the fine sand felt amazing between my toes, and running into the sea was a hoot too! As we were leaving the beach, we suddenly got the urge for a burger- the local bar was pumping out smells and seemed like the place to be. Unfortunately, they didn't have any burgers on the menu. So we wound our way into town instead and popped our heads in the little boutiques. We found a quaint little bar with a nice deck and views over the bay and as luck would have it- the best burger ever! It was meant to be.
We ended the day with a driving tour of the windy island roads and the secluded coves and bays of the west. Hope to go back some day and hike the trails!
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