Living Downtown Auckland!

View of Viaduct Harbour, Downtown Auckland City and Sky tower from our Balcony

Finally, after 15 moves  and 8 months since leaving our Toronto apartment (that's schlepping suitcases, boxes and life's accoutrement) in and out of friends and family's houses, we have an apartment in Auckland City. After the sale of Piccadilly Place we had two gourmet stints with friend Susie in Mission Bay then two months in a fab house in Remuera where we recouped, regrouped and revived our spirits surrounded by birdsong and glorious views of Auckland Harbour and Rangitoto Island. Sunrise to sunset the changing moods of the scene inspired and uplifted.  

With our minds set on buying a home, we had a close call in Orakei, where I fell for a garden apartment with sea views...however the body corp. didn't fancy our four pawed friend (the million dollar dog and first class traveller Montreal Mcgregor!) living in their hallowed enclave (it really wasn't that smart!!!) so we were nixed before the deal was done and had to move on mentally and physically from that idea. After trolling both for sale and rental market we became quite despondent of ever finding somewhere suitable where doggies were kosher! Friends suggested looking at the city for an apartment, (I was not at all keen, thinking I'd had enough urban grit in TO and NJ). Long story short we were ushered into a Viaduct marina pad with views across the water to the North Shore and across the city to the Sky Tower. We snapped it up on the spot.

 

Our new home at The Stratis at Lighter Quay taken from Loch at south end.

Stratis building looking north toward new Viaduct Events Centre and footbridge, neighbouring KPMG's World Cup window, Sky Tower, Details of Stratis complex, marina at front and back with a Loch at north end to allow boats to escape.

The real scoop with this whole deal is that our pad is glass from floor to ceiling, is situated right on the water at the Viaduct, has a fab views from covered balcony which has aforesaid seamless sliding glass doors for inclement weather! Along with that comes pool, spa, sauna and gym so we are in total pig heaven!! A short stroll to the end of the street we have the NEW Wynyard quarter, with fish markets, gourmet shopping and restaurants plus the spanking new drawbridge across the viaduct to downtown! Waking to the sun on the water and yachts at our door is what we hoped living in Auckland could be!

Sunrise from our balcony dining room

Interior of apartment week one looking a bit shambolic!

What more could two weary repatriating citizens need. Well...possibly jobs and we have these too. Pip is Operations Manager for Sulco Tools in Wiri, Auckland. An NZ owned company that's been around for 50 years or so.He's loving that and its getting him around the country again which could just see the return of his contributions to the this blog! I am happily ensconced in Parnell being an office walla....girl Friday...well Monday to Friday...at software co. Prism Software, just taken over by an American software co. EFI (NASDAQ listed). Though not using any creative skill sets or a single god given talent day to day I find I am extremely happy nonetheless!!

Dog and me reflected in wharf art ships funnels

 So there you have it. Its taken nearly eight months to get our feet on the ground here. We are living a very different life to the one we came home to take up, but as fate has these things, its probably what is meant to be!

 

North Wharf. Jack Tar pub and The Conservatory bar with rattan swing seats on North Wharf

Wharf art and container house

The Wynyard Quarter and North Wharf abound with restaurants and bars, its great to see Aucklanders strolling over the new foot bridge to explore the parks and dine wharf side! Indian street food at Urban Turban, cool alfresco bar The Conservatory is an instant hit and we ate en famille with my sons Matt and Nick and niece Emma at Jack Tar  last week and will no doubt get to try them all in good time. 

 

The new Wynyard Quarter at the end of our street. You just can't get away from the Sky Tower or Pohutukawa trees. Wharf art, clever Native planting and the bright red Trams bring families and tourists. Stunning Viaduct event centre with huge timber recliners invite people to picnic or lounge in sun. The new footbridge in action. My new foodie mecca the Auckland Fish Market is across the road from the wharf. NZ spiny crayfish are a delicacy and super pricey.

Auction in April, Moved in May and Jolly in June!

Corks popped this week to celebrate Pip beginning his new adventure with Sulco Tools Ltd in an operations role. Meanwhile I'm doing a stint temping at Prism NZ Software for another month.

We are on the move again early July (give us a shout if you know of a 'house-to-sit'!) so have begun to scan the 'rental' and 'residential sales' about town.

Goodbye to our old home.

After six years away it was such a pleasure to have 8 weeks living in Kohimarama, the garden was at its best and we all fell in love with Persimmons from our groaning tree at the gate. Long evening walks on the beach and early mornings in the park make this our perfect area to live. James at the wine shop, the friendly Indian couple at my veggie store, the fish & chip shop for fresh fish, the Store, Kohi Cafe for sublime breakfasts with the best view in the bays, the Berkley cinema at Mission bay, the dog walkers at the park and beach, they all add up to familiar village life. A very good life.

Friends Rowan and Jim from Hoboken, USA, visited us just days before we moved house. Surreal to see our Hoboken family in enzed. The kids loved the spa pool and the short visit flew by too quickly.

Moving out of our old home in Kohi was tough, especially when we felt jobless and homeless at the time. So many good times to remember and leaving our wonderful neighbours made it all the more poignant. Still it was timely to go .... and while I worked my temp job son Matt and Pip put muscle to the fore and hefted our north American furniture back out of the house and into a truck.

With all our worldly goods in storage we had a lovely week with friend Susie in Mission Bay before taking up residence in a super house in Remuera for 8 weeks. Spirits lifted instantly at first sight of the miraculous harbour views encompassing an arc from Whangaparoua Peninsula to the Coromandel ranges. Eternal night owls and early morning wakers we've witnessed sunrises over Auckland so gaudy and brilliantly orange and mauve they seem surreal. Midnight and the moon hangs low over Rangitoto shining a silver stream of light over the water while beacons blink red and green in the shipping channel.

Its a time to refocus and re-group after a churning five months trying to settle back into life downunder.

Bridal Fashion Week at the Museum

We had front row seats at Bridal Fashion Week under the copper dome at the top of the War Memorial Museum. Not quite New York Fashion Week but fun none the less! I visited with my newly engaged god-daughter and the 'mother of the bride' to check out the latest and greatest in bridal couture from Cymbeline of Paris, Ruben Perlotti of Barcelona and locals Jane Yeh, Vinka Design, Annie Bonza were the best.

We loved the Annie Bonza gown hand painted with New Zealand native plants and flowers, the white gown that was a mass of organza flowers tied with black at the waist and the ethereal pink feathered dress which floated like a divine cloud as the model walked.

Time out at the Beach.

Lovely summer weather, sunrise over the ocean, sunsets over the hills behind, swims in the surf and surfing the net for a job. We've taken time out this week to get back to nature Coromandel style. Pip and Vicky created this delicious vivid dinner of chicken tagine and red cabbage slaw spiked with kaffir lime leaves.

Gathering shellfish is one of my favourite beach 'to do's'. While my friend and I dug for pipi's  at low tide, Pip swam across the harbour inlet to gather cockles (clams).

 Recipe for Feijoa Frangipane.

 For those who are not familiar with this fruit, feijoa taste a little bit like a guava or some say a cross between a guava and a pineapple.
Ingredients

• 225g sweet short crust pastry or about 8 sheets of filo buttered between every second layer
• 125 butter
• 125g castor sugar
• 125g ground almonds
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 2 eggs
• 6-8 feijoas or 12 if you wish to add fresh slices after baking

Method

1. Prepare 6 individual loose bottom tart tins or one large tin by greasing them and then dusting them with flour.
2. Pre heat oven to 170°C
3. On a floured surface roll out pastry thinly to fit tart tin
4. Make the frangipane filling by creaming the butter & sugar together until light and fluffy.
5. Gradually beat in the eggs one at a time.
6. Fold in the ground almonds and spread the frangipane mixture over the tart base.
7. Peel and slice the feijoas and arrange over the frangipane mixture.
8. Sprinkle some castor sugar over the feijoas.
9. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the frangipane is golden and risen slightly and is like sponge to touch. Smaller tarts will only require 25-35 minutes.
10. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream or mixture of whipped cream and greek yogurt.

House completed and on the market! Phew!

Entrance and courtyard on North side of House

At the end of a whirlwind seven weeks of making over the house our container of flotsam and jetsam arrived from Toronto and was quickly swallowed up by Piccadilly Place.

Pip was amazing taking on multiple roles from builder to electrician as the job evolved. We had professional help where needed and sweated through the hottest weeks of summer like a couple of labourers!

Sitting Room, Kitchen, Family Room with Eastern Deck area.

Bathroom, Loo on Main floor of House.

Master Bedroom.

Bedroom Three is west facing.

Bedroom Two on North side of house.

Stairwell and Laundry on lower level.

Media Room, Second Bathroom, Bedroom Four on lower level.

Garden and Driveway. 

You can find the link at Ray White Kohi. Auction date is April 19th at Kohi Cafe. 

The Pacific surges again.

Here's how I feel about whats going on.

We humans, in our arrogance, believe we are in control of our world. We expect our planet to be as we want it to be. Of course we do, what else can we believe. We love its natural beauty. We forget its a ball of molten fire covered by floating plates of rock!!

As I watch the shots on telly of Japan's northern seaboard states being devastated by quake and tsunami I can't help wondering what next for we Pacific Rim dwellers living along the pacific plate.

Map of World Tectonic Plates

Is our planet trying to shake us off it! Has it had enough of us mucking it up and sucking and digging out its guts??

This morning the waves will be relatively small when they reach us but enough for the NZ Civil Defence to raise their potential warning to a Marine Tsunami warning and coastal land warning for beaches and estuaries expecting 1 m waves and strong currents starting about now along our northern coasts.

Pip is at the beach in the north, Nick is at the beach in Coromandel.

I'll be glad when the waves have come and gone and we can get on.

God help those poor Japanese who have been swept away, their city burning and shattered. Its too close to home for many New Zealanders still struggling to cope with the aftermath of Christchurch quakes.

Our friends down there sent pictures of their home, all their belongings broken and strewn.

Last night dinner conversation was of survival kits and civil defence advice for the various natural disasters expected in NZ. I'm off to put mine together today as I have nothing, not even a torch. Though my suitcase does contain a Swiss army knife..like every good girl guide should!