Auckland......So much more than the Sky Tower

Hello again from sunny and dry Auckland! Yes its been a fantastic summer so far for people who love the beach, not so for the farmers - everything is quite dry due to the acute lack of rain. 

Today I thought I would highlight the fact that Auckland has THE most beautiful beaches, a fact not really advertised by our tourist information providers, due to the fact going to the beach doesn't earn much revenue for the city, whereas going to the "sights" e.g. the Sky Tower, to name one, does. That is because going to the beach is free to do! I'm not saying that going to the Sky Tower is not something to do - it is - and you get some lovely views up there and can jump off if you are that way inclined, and please by all means put it on your list of things to do whilst here.

But the beaches here are really some of the best in the country. If you don't like one or there are too many people you can just travel a short distance to another. All our beaches are clean and tidy, usually with a playground for the kiddies and toilets and change rooms.

This week I am going to highlight four beaches in our neck of the woods that don't take long to travel to if your are staying at Haven Homestay.

Cheltenham Beach

Narrow Neck Beach

Cheltenham Beach is a long, sandy, family friendly beach situated in the suburb of Devonport. The beach is quite sheltered and is shallow at high tide making it safe for the littlies. Anchored a little way out is a floating pontoon for the "big" kids to play on and if its a windy day you can watch the kite surfers playing. There is a grassy area too with trees if you require shelter from the sun. Parking in nearby streets doesn't seem to be a problem. Just a little further North is Narrow Neck beach, with much the same facilities but with the addition of a sailing club makes it a little busier, a lot more to watch!

Travelling North again, about 10 minutes at the most, you arrive at Takapuna Beach. This is a much larger beach than the two previous with a multitude of things happening on any given day.

Boat ramp at Takapuna

Go down any day of the week to Takapuna Beach and you can see, boats being launched, jet skiers, paddleboarders, yachting and surf lifesaving training - gee it is a busy place, but as its such a big beach there is plenty of space for all this activity and certainly makes interesting viewing if you are a "people" watcher.

At the top end of Takapuna Beach is the amazingly popular Takapuna Beach Cafe. Yesterday I was down at the beach at 10am and the place was full!  I believe their food is just splendid and their award winning ice cream is to die for.

Yummies on offer!

many varieties of ice cream!

Finally a short walk along the coastal pathway (which is a blog all of its own) you arrive at the secluded Thorne Bay, surrounded by luxury properties it is a little gem of a place.

Thorne Bay

Thorne Bay is a safe, quiet beach, almost private. As there is no vehicle access close by I think its much more of a "locals" beach but very lovely just the same. Its a good place to stop for a rest and paddle if you are out on the Milford-Takapuna coastal walk.

Well as you can see I have covered just a handful of our local beaches. Beach lovers could in fact go to a different beach every day without having to travel long distances, and see a diverse range of activities each day.

I have many more to write about as the beaches just keep on going all the way up the East Coast of the North Shore and all within easy driving distance of Haven Homestay-we can even loan you beach towels!

I'd better get the battery charged up for the next big day of photographing our lovely beaches.......... which one to pick next!

Bohemian Rhapsody-Puhoi

Mural inside the ladies restroom!

Hello again, this week my lovely husband and I set off up the Northern motorway to visit the lovely settlement of Puhoi-just a 30 minute drive.

Puhoi is the place to go to get away from it all for a short while, it is situated off the main highway north in a secluded valley that runs along side the Puhoi River. In 1863 a group of settlers came from Bohemia, which is an area of the Czech republic near Prague. After an arduous journey they arrived at Puhoi and began settling onto their allotted land. There is a lovely museum to visit that details all their trials and tribulations at the entrance to the village.

The Puhoi Pub!

Puhoi is famous for three things - the cheese - the canoeing - and most importantly the 
PUB! The Puhoi pub is well over a hundred years old and is a popular attraction for locals and visitors alike. Most weekends groups of motorcyclists venture out for a days driving and usually end up here at the pub, they create a great atmosphere and there is much admiration of their bikes by all around. You can get a good pub meal here at lunch and dinner time.

Inside the pub the walls are completely covered with memorabilia from around the world.  You can spend quite a long time browsing through the notes and articles while having a refreshing drink, its all very interesting. In the winter time they also have a cosy fire to sit beside, if you can get close enough!

 Puhoi Valley Cheese Cafe

Well enough of drinking, what about the cheese you say. Just a little further up the road is the home of the Puhoi Valley cheese factory. Recent refurbishments means you can now watch the cheese being made whilst sampling their very tasty cheeses. You can also buy the cheese at a good price.
Outside are lovely grounds to stroll around or just sit and enjoy the view while enjoying lunch.

 On to the canoeing for those who are more energetic or just want to work off all that cheese and beer! At Puhoi River Canoe Hire www.puhoirivercanoes.co.nz you can hire a canoe or kayak for a leisurely 8km paddle to Wenderholm Regional Park. Don't worry about having to paddle back though as their service includes a courtesy coach return to the village. It looks like a fun thing to do, maybe we should have a go lovely husband!!!!

Also worthy of a mention are a couple of gift shops, a mustard makers, a ceramic gallery and a lovely cafe that reputedly sells the best scones in the district (according to my sister-in-law). There is also a good 3 hour bush walk and a beautiful wooden church, that is well worth a view.

On your way back to Auckland a side trip to the Waiwera Hot pools is quite the experience. There you can have a relax in hot, mineral pools and have a spa treatment if you so choose, or even go down the water slide! So make sure you pack your swimsuit and a towel.

Well what a day that was. We are informed, fed, watered, exercised and also relaxed after a full day out to Puhoi Valley. 

Now to think about next weeks trip.............

Friday Frolicks-Devonport

Hi again!  Our blog adviser (daughter Amy), suggested that we start a weekly series of visits to places around Auckland that our guests might be interested in visiting - good idea!

So we start with the lovely, historic suburb of Devonport. Home of the NZ Navy!

Devonport is easily reached by car from Haven Homestay or from Auckland City , by ferry, and once here there are a variety of activities to occupy you all day.

You might like to start with a trip up North Head to inspect the beautifully maintained guns from WW2 and explore the tunnels that were used for storage or armaments www.planmyplay.co.nz/play/free-things-to-do-devonport-north-head-tunnels-ww2-military-site. The views over the harbour to the city are one of the most photographed scenes in Auckland.

From the far side of North Head are views of Rangitoto Island and Cheltenham Beach. The beach is a lovely place to take a picnic. You can pick up your picnic supplies from the many food stores in Devonport should you wish to have a relax and a swim or maybe just a lovely walk.

If picnicing is not your thing Devonport has a lovely array of cafes and restaurants, the only problem being which one to eat in! If shopping is your thing then you will be very happy! Do call in to Devonport Chocolates and have a look at their beautiful shop and admire the lovely hand crafted choccies, perhaps spoil yourself too! The art galleries are well worth a look with a faboulous selection on NZ and local art and crafts for sale.

After a relaxing lunch you might like to explore more fully the surrounding area. Devonport has many beautifully renovated old buildings and gardens. The surrounding streets are all fairly flat so if cycling is your thing you can hire a cycle from inside the Devonport Ferry Terminal,www.cylex.co.nz. Walking is very easy though and a walk along the waterfront will bring you to the NZ Naval Museum. This is worth a look if you are a history buff, they also have a very nice cafe for that cuppa you might need after your walk. I  might mention admission is by donation!

Well after all that walking and shopping you might like a liquid refreshment and the place to go and watch the world go by is the grand Esplanade Hotel, right on the corner. Its a lovely building, recently renovated and looks like a splendid place for a relaxing drink.

There is so much more to do for a day out in Devonport, go and have a look for yourself, you will have a wonderful day.

I wonder where I will go next week.................

Where have all the snapper gone??

Hello again from Haven Homestay! My lovely husband is despondent at the moment......awwww!
This past year we bought a newer boat so fishing could be accomplished without the drama of damaged shoulders and sore backs, but the fish have all disappeared. This little fellow (quite the legal length I might add) is the only fellow to be eaten so far this year.

We have been fishing a number of times in different harbours to no avail....but he is not on his own as after questioning a number of fellow anglers they are not catching any also. One fellow was reported to have gone five miles out to sea only to catch a couple of fish... now that's what I call expensive eating!

Enough of the fish.... We have a lovely guest Steve, from Colorado staying at the moment. He is busy visiting as many sights as he can before he goes South tomorrow. As I mentioned in my previous blog you can read of his adventures here..www.aroundtheworldwithblade.wordpress.com. His blog is very entertaining and full of photos of his adventures. The latest blog even has a photo of my kitchen, would you believe!

He has been an interesting guest, full of knowledge gained from his extensive travels around the world. We will continue to follow him long after he has left us.............
Happy travels Steve and drive safely!

A brand new year

My goodness how time flies- its been a long time since my last post as you can see!

Last year was a difficult one, with members of the family having health problems. Happily they are mostly resolved now, so we can get back to the job of being B&B hosts here in the lovely Auckland region.

The year has started off in a splendid fashion, with a flurry of bookings and enquiries here at Haven Homestay. We are looking forward to meeting all who are booked and excited at the prospect of being able to help them with their trip in and around Auckland. With new guests in mind, I have been thinking of new breakfast goodies to offer. "Santa" was kind this year and gave me a yogurt maker - so along with homemade museli, preserves and breads, I will now have homemade yogurt to offer guests at breakfast time and I can assure you its yummy!

In the next week or so we are expecting a guest who is on a world trip. He is blogging about his adventures along the way - you can read about them here:www.aroundtheworldwithblade.wordpress.com - we are looking forward to meeting him and hearing of his plans for his trip.

On a sad note we have recently said goodbye to our lovely cat Louie, who sadly passed away just before Christmas. He was a lovely fellow and is missed by us all. No plans for a replacement yet though!

Well that's all for now - I have some bread ready for the oven hmmmmmm...... till the next time.

Whoopies Cakes

Amy and Zeb recently came over from Australia to spend some time with us at Haven Homestay.


Whilst out with Amy one of the days we stumbled upon a shop in Grey Lynn selling these glorious cakes.www.whoopie.co.nz. We of course bought a couple and were hooked!


So after all the visitors had left HH I set out to re-create them and as you can see my first effort looked mighty fine, and tasted just as good too - these ones are red velvet filled with cream cheese frosting - not for the dieter I'm afraid.


When the next visitors arrive to stay at Haven Homestay I am sure that they will be sampling them too. Till next time tara....

Blue Skies

Autumn has arrived at Haven Homestay, and so far it has exceeded all expectations-it has been spectacular!

Each day has been clear and blue for days on end, as you can see from the pictures above. It gladdens the soul, especially as we know winter is just around the corner - who knows the blue skies may continue - fingers crossed x