Auckland is a bit of a multi-cultural melting pot, with many of our Asian and South Pacific neighbors choosing to take up residence in our little slice of paradise.
One of the best things about this is the plethora of Asian food establishments that have sprung up. You name it, you can find it, and usually for less than a tenner. Some of my personal favourites that fit into this category are the Thai place in Ponsonby food court, the Japanese place in the Northcote food court (I think it is called Briotmart Japanese), Renkon, and the numerous Korean BBQ places.
If you are feeling flush and want somewhere a little more upmarket (and where you don’t have to get your own chopsticks/cutlery out of a basket) there are plenty of options too. Give Sawadee, Tanuki’s cave, or Ken Yakatori a go.
And just today I found the Auckland Cheap Eats Reviews blog that does (or at least did do) reviews of some of the fine fare around town.
Super action wok cooking shot from Éole on Flickr.
About half an hour from central Auckland you can get lost in the forest for a few hours at one of New Zealand’s premier mountain bike parks. The team at Bike Parks have put together an amazing series of trails in the sandy dunes of Woodhill forest.
Utilising a plethora of ‘North Shore’ style structures they have managed to put together some great freeride terrain. With several significant drops, and a well maintained jump park (the Transition Airfield) you can get stuck into some pretty progressive riding.
It is not just for 8 inch travel bike riding, 30 foot gap jumping young people though. There are also many more sedate trails to entertain those riders who would rather just watch the guys hitting the huge drops and gaps. Indeed most weekends the carpark is overflowing with young families out enjoying the trails.
I end up out at the park most weekends, because it is another thing that I love about Auckland.
Piha is a pretty special place, just 45 minutes from the Auckland CBD on New Zealand’s rugged West Coast. Once you are there it is pretty hard to believe you are so close to New Zealand’s largest city.
In summer you can smell the burning brake pads as you make the slow winding descent toward the packed Piha beach. Of course you can opt for the more expansive, but less interesting North Piha beach beyond Lion Rock, but for some reason this just doesn’t have the same appeal.
Some of my favourite visits have include a trip up to Kitekite Waterfall in the bush behind Piha, escaping the crowds and enjoying the freezing water above and below the falls on a stinking hot day.
In winter it is still a great destination on a stormy day to watch the rain roll in over the sea, and the wind lash the dunes. It is also a great time to make the trip to the blowhole at the southern end of the beach.
And if you are feeling energetic, a trip up Lion Rock (that divides North Piha from Piha proper) is worth it any time of year. Follow it up with a grease injection from the local fish and chip store, you will have earned it.
All together Piha is awesome, and another reason why I love Auckland.
Beautiful shot of Piha beach at sunset from piotrzurek on flickr
