It was a relaxed start to the day, with everyone meeting up for brunch at 10:30am for brunch in a café / bar / restaurant going by the name of ‘Giraffe’. There was some speculation that the name may have had its origin in serving up giraffe meat – which Sarah for one was keen to try. It can now be confirmed that there was no such meat on the brunch menu; what was on offer however was a mix of standard brunch fare and a number of unique, healthy dish options that looked and tasted great.
When we had all finished eating, we set off through the growing crowds to stroll through the Viaduct and Dockland precinct. A walkway has been extended through what was previously docks, warehouses, chandlers, fuel storage and other drab and poorly maintained buildings. The area has been opened up with improved access to the Viaduct, and a good balance of office space, apartments, cafés and bars has appeared – together with plenty of outdoor space for families to enjoy.
The docks still function, and the area still attracts its fair share of super yachts. One can only look and wonder how much these vessels cost to build and maintain. It’s a world very removed from what most of us are familiar with in our day-to-day lives.
Our casual walk was interrupted by a performing Chinese dragon. It appeared to be a promotion for something, but it wasn’t clear exactly what was being promoted – a restaurant, maybe? Anyway, the performance pulled a crowd and temporarily blocked our meanderings.
We detoured down a side street to take a closer look at the “ship” pictured below, that was nearing completion in one of the specialist shipyards. It was huge and immaculate in terms of fittings and finish. We guessed it wasn’t far off being commissioned, but where it might be headed was anyone’s guess.
The timber work in another super yacht caught our eye. You would struggle to find better woodwork in the most meticulously built furniture. Keeping it looking that way must require an army of tradespeople. We did note that everyone onboard had discarded their footwear at the bottom of the gangplank before stepping onto the timber work.
Our walk continued around Queens Wharf, where there are commanding views east down Auckland Harbour towards Devonport (and beyond, to the outlying islands). Chris returned the rental car after topping up the fuel at $2.49 per litre. Elaine had volunteered to drive Wendy to the airport and it wasn’t long before we were saying our goodbyes.
The day for those remaining was concluded over a meal, while watching the sun set on the Viaduct from the balcony of Soul restaurant. We sampled their whitebait fritters and, while good, we unanimously agreed that the ones prepared by Fiona and Derek the previous day were much better!
