We rolled out of bed yesterday morning with the intention of going for a leisurely run along the waterfront, which turned into a 6 km run/walk to beautiful Mission Bay, a suburb just outside of the Auckland CBD.
We soaked in all the sights and sounds along the way as the warm sunshine beat down upon our sweaty faces. We couldn't have chosen a better day for one of our epic strolls. Looks like the Kiwis felt the same way, as the ocean was sprinkled with people happily swimming, splashing and paddle boarding in the sun.
When we came upon lovely Mission Bay Beach, it suddenly dawned on me that I had not yet dipped my toes in the Pacific. So, quickly stripping off my sneakers and socks, I ran for the water and once again, found myself surprised at how warm it was. After all, even on the hottest summer day in Newfoundland, the ocean is still cold enough to freeze to death (God love thee North Atlantic!).
Afterwards, it was on to BurgerFuel, a gourmet burger joint, proudly NZ owned, and while it's a little pricier than your usual run of the mill burger place, it is worth every penny. I think those burgers are one of the things I'll miss the most about this place when I finally return to my home sweet home. And those kumara fries... Mmmmmm. Kumara is a local variety of sweet potato that, in French fry form, is delicious. At BurgerFuel, they serve them up with a dollop of their famous aioli (garlic mayo) sauce - a mouthwatering combo that would please the pickiest of palettes.
Our delicious dinner at BurgerFuel - boy will we miss this place.
Later that evening, we tossed around the idea of heading back to Mission Bay on Wednesday to play in the sand and sun, but ended up spending the day preparing for our upcoming trip on the Stray Bus. Check out the awesome clothesline we strung up in our room at the hostel - Newfoundland-style!
It was most definitely a good day on clothes.
Stay tuned folks, plenty more adventures to come!
About me...Linda Browne I recently quit my job as staff writer at Downhome, boxed up all of my belongings, sold the car and moved out of my apartment - all to hang out in New Zealand for a while. Will it all be worth it? Keep reading to find out!
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