Leaving

I’m going to feel sad, leaving Waiheke. I’ll miss the ferry trips into town. The moon setting. The calm bay at dawn. Weekends on a cold winter beach, deserted. Cold. But home. The corrugated iron boat sheds on the return of the bay at Oneroa. Scores of dolphins in the freezing evening dusk sitting out the back of ferry being buffetted just like we were when we were kids, sailing. Feeling like New Zealanders. Gannets flying alongside the ferry. Slightly nutty people. Slightly nutty in a New Zealand way that I’m very much not really quite used to. Another thing I’m not used to is just how long it takes the lights to change here. Sometimes you can wait five minutes to cross the road, or for a green light.

The best thing about here is the passionfruit yoghurt. And the moon-sets, the still dawns over the bay. Meeting old craft friends at random. Bumping into people. The organic shop at Oneroa is a gem. One day I’d like to taste the $15 a bottle ginger beer. One evening we treated ourselves to a bottle of Waiheke Pinot. We weren’t entirely convinced. But then again, pinot always tastes best at the Gypsy Tea Rooms.

And because we’re leaving, and we’ll be sad, we’ll also be arriving, and we’ll be happy.
Arriving in town. A whole new adventure… A whole new arrival!