[NZ; 2024] Day 3 | All Blacks Experience \ Auckland Art Gallery \ Domain Wintergardens \ Westhaven Drive
Day 3
Intentionally scheduled this as a chill day out in Auckland, started off my day right with brunch!
Brunch
Best Ugly Bagels
They have a couple of stores around Auckland - even at the airport. And this store is more of an industrial vibe as they are located within some commercial space.
I ordered the most tempting bagel on the menu - king salmon bagel! How can you visit New Zealand without a taste of salmon :) It was really good - the cream, the salmon, the bagel. I thought I would finish it but I was wrong!
All Blacks Experience
I decided to do something touristy again - all blacks!
All Blacks Experience
I don't know much about All Blacks - but since it is popular in New Zealand I thought it would be interesting.
I didn't get the the tickets into the experience space, but the design and the merchandise was quite nice to explore around.
I ended up buying 2 customisable caps as a gift!
Auckland Art Gallery
Auckland Art Gallery
I love visiting the art gallery at every new city! You get a wristband after keeping your bags in the free locker.
Some art I enjoyed while roaming around the gallery:
The gift shop was nice to look around too, so many exquisite stuffs!
Albert Park
Albert Park
Another Cherry Blossom tree and it is right in the city:
Auckland Domain
I walked towards the domain, passing by Auckland National University, there was another row of cherry blossom trees at the entrance of the park. Roughly around this location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/91DAfroTkzamS54H7, I wished I brought along my phone stand, it was no crowd with a good row of trees and angles to take nice solo shots.
Feeling a little thirsty - I stopped by this cafe:
Wintergarden Cafe - New Zealand
Perfect spot to rest your feet after a long walk into the domain.
After a good rest, I continue my walk to where I wanted to go:
Domain Wintergardens
It was quite a pretty Victorian historical building, especially with the purple / violet flowers:
There are 2 sides of the building, both with flowers displays:
If you love flowers / gardening - this will be for you, otherwise it will be quite a nah. It was rather small and limited unlike Singapore's garden by the bay. For the vibe - I liked it, but I will not come unless someone is dropping me at the door, the walk was rather long.
Sudden civilization at the end of the path - the metro / train:
Happy Hour
I took the train ride back to the ferry terminal - it was gloomy and super windy!
This was the place I wanted to go and I arrived around 4-ish pm, just in time for oysters!
Oyster and Chop
This place is super famous for it's happy hour oysters!
NZD$2 / oyster! But a minimum of 6 pcs per table, there were also house wines at NZD$12!
Here I go with my happy hour:
How fresh it was:
Did you know? Oysters have a mild intoxicating effect on some people. This is due to a compound called dopamine that is found in oysters. Dopamine can have a slight mood-lifting or euphoric effect, and some people might feel a little more relaxed or giddy after eating a large amount of oysters. Also, oysters are often served with alcohol (like in a seafood platter with wine or a cocktail), which could amplify that feeling. (credit Chatgpt)
Yes, that's right, I was "drunk", "tipsy" after having 6 oysters and a glass of white wine. I couldn't walk in a straight line for at least an hour.
Westhaven Drive
So the tipsy me decided to go for the Westhaven Drive walkway in this bad weather:
I must be really out of mind back then. But it was really an interesting walk (if the weather is nice).
So many oysters around the area:
And the pathway was decorated by shells:
The sky was getting gloomier:
Something I was very thankful for the walk was the clean public washrooms on the way. I drank so much water to flush off the "tipsy", and with the cold windy weather, I needed the washroom like 3-4 times.
At the end of the walk was a private yacht parking - it was supposed to be a pretty sunset at the foreground...
But the city landscape was quite pretty:
Would love to come back again when the weather is good!
Dinner
It starting raining, pouring like no tomorrow. I was drenched and really wanted something warm. I was craving for pasta, but I couldn't find somewhere that fits in my budget. So I decided to go for this thai food which had very high google rating:
Mali Thai
It was rated one of the best foodie place in Auckland? The owners were very friendly, but I felt it was a little salty for my liking. Nevertheless, warm food in the cold weather is always appreciated.
This marks the end of my cold night in Auckland!
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