Down Under with Gusto (Last Part)

Arriving from Auckland the night before, we had only one full day left to enjoy Sydney before taking an early flight to Manila the following day. Our main agenda was to catch South Pacific at the Sydney Opera House. But first, I had to look for triple brie cheese for my sister-in-law, Joy. I found it at David Jones. I made arrangements to pick it up after the show.



With the cheese business settled, we proceeded to the ferry terminal area and looked for a place for lunch.



The opera house was a short walk away so we took our time. The sun blazed happily and so did we.



When we arrived outside the theater, we still had enough time for a latte and some people watching. The attendees were mostly old white people so we looked a little out of place.

The theater was small, more like the Ateneo college auditorium, but it felt cozy. Too bad we weren’t allowed to take pictures. It was my first time to see South Pacific and I thought I wouldn’t enjoy it because the theme is a little dated but I found myself humming the songs Dites-Moi and Carefully Taught. I found myself swooning over the male lead who was such a dreamboat that even the old ladies in front of me looked moonstruck every time he sang.

It was a perfect way to end the trip. I will be back.

For a recap of my trip, please visit the links below:

Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Part VII
Part VIII
Part IX
Part X

Because my flight was in the evening, I still had a full day in Auckland and I made sure I put it to good use. I made a mental note the day before to go to Devonport, which was a 15-minute a boat ride, according to guidebooks, but I wasn’t sure if the weather would let me.

A blazing sun and blue skies greeted me so I went to the Fullers office at the ferry terminal to buy a ticket.  

(Above) Devonport from the boat

I wanted to ride the buggy with cute horses

Devonport has all the requisite clapboard homes and flower-paved roads that define charm.

I looked around the stores first before settling at the Stone Oven Bakery and Cafe for lunch.

I took my time, reading a local newspaper and magazine while enjoying the food and coffee.

To burn off some of the calories that have piled up during this trip, I hiked to the highest peak of Devonport, which offered a sweeping view of Auckland. As I walked up, I looked back and saw the view above. Lovely.

From the top



A playful touch



Going down, I took another road and saw beautiful and bountiful blooms.

Next time, I’d really like to spend a night at a bed and breakfast here. 

Down Under With Gusto (Part IX)

Although I am a big Lord of The Rings fan, I had misgivings about joining The Hobbiton tour. I wasn’t sure how much of the set was kept and the tour wasn’t exactly cheap. But I also knew that I’d regret not going, so, waiting until the last minute, I booked with Red Carpet Tours. Cheaper rates can be had if you arrange your own transportation to Matamata where most tours depart but, seeing that the weather was erratic, I opted for an all-inclusive tour with lunch and hotel pickup.

In the two hours that it took us to get to the sheep farm where the movie set was located, I was so taken by the beauty of New Zealand. No matter which side you looked, there was always a view to be admired. The grandeur reached its height at our destination, with its undulating terrain carpeted in a dense green and dotted with hundreds of fluffy white sheep.

We got off our van and boarded a bus, which took us to “The Shire.” During the ride, it was all oohs and aahs. When we finally arrived at the set, the child in us simply took over.





I felt for a moment that there was nothing better in the world than living in a hobbit-hole facing a vegetable patch.



I was so into it that I even went inside one house and had my photo taken while looking out the window.



The biggest was Bilbo Baggins’s house, which had a sweeping view of The Shire and the sweep of green beyond it.



By the time we got to the Party Tree, it started to rain. Hard. We had seen all the houses by then so we rushed to the Green Dragon pub for a refreshing ginger ale.






Ahh! I was as happy as a hobbit can be.

I got back at my hotel at around 4 p.m. I wanted to explore and have dinner at Parnell, which was described during our bus tour as a charming, high-end neighborhood.

All city buses and trains depart from Britomart, which was a short walk from the hotel. Aside from being a transport hub, Britomart turned out to be a happening place clustered with charming shops and restaurants. I considered having dinner there instead but decided to stick to the original plan and took the bus to Parnell.



It was a chilly weeknight and Parnell was quiet. I had no idea where to eat so I chose the busiest place, La Porchetta, where I had my fill of spaghetti and pizza.

P. S. Before heading out that morning, I grabbed a latte and a bran ginger muffin at Sofitel’s 21 Viaduct Cafe. The muffin was sooo good. It was beautifully moist and flavorful. It was genius.

Down Under with Gusto (Part VIII)

The travel to Auckland took up most of the day. I was dreading this flight. I flew Virgin Atlantic because it offered the cheapest fare but I noticed during the booking process that the system didn’t ask me for my preferred baggage allowance. I looked for an option to add baggage after booking but, upon closer inspection of the fine print, discovered that my fare rate did not allow for checked luggage. This should have been made more apparent during the booking process! Travelocity, never again. I ended up paying $200 for my checked luggage at the airport.



I took the Airbus to the city and got off at the last stop at the Ferry Terminal. I was booked at the Sofitel Viaduct Harbour, which is a short walk but seemed longer because I was unsure of the way and it was cold and windy even if the sun was out. I was jubilant when I reached the hotel, especially upon seeing how pretty it was and well located.



I didn’t have the courage to go out again with the wind blowing so hard so I had dinner at the hotel and went to bed early.



I headed out before lunch the next day and stopped by at the first nice restaurant I saw called Jones, drawn by the clean downtown hip design and chalkboard menu. I wasn’t crazy about the food but the ingredients were fresh and organic. It was a charming neighborhood restaurant, a place you’d like to go for a quiet afternoon to nurse a cappuccino.



What I didn’t know then was that, if I had just walked a little farther and not let my hunger lead the way, I would have discovered better options at Market Square. I made a mental note to have dinner there.



I went in to Champions of the World, a store selling mostly All Blacks sports outfits, and bought a sweater for Joaki. The Ferry Terminal was nearby and I was able to catch the last Hop On, Hop Off bus for the day.


Auckland is a small, scenic city that is more laid-back than many of the cities I have visited, including Hawaii. We finished the inner and outer loops of the tour in less than two hours.

There was something beautiful everywhere I looked.



During the bus ride, I learned that Auckland has the most number of boat owners in the world. You can tell that just by looking.








When the tour was done, I was craving for sushi and, by luck, I chanced upon a sushi train on my way back to the hotel. I am craving for sushi again as I’m writing this.



I rested a bit as I had a migraine, but I was well come dinner so Market Square it was. I had a hard time deciding which restaurant to try but finally settled at Degree. The food was good. The specialty was stone-grilled steak but I opted for the curry and buffalo wings.



Weird combination but certain cravings had to be sated.