February 6, 2023
If you start at the center of downtown Auckland by the port and drive east along Tamaki Drive, you pass through a number of pretty bays before ending up at St. Heliers. With the sun finally out, we decided to drive out to St. Heliers, have an early dinner and then go for a walk along the waterfront. Mal lived in St. Heliers during his High School years, so he is always a little nostalgic going back there. In the following photo you can see the white apartment building where he lived with his parents.
And here are some photos of the St. Heliers shops and beach. It doesn’t look much different from when Mal lived there, although the restaurants are much improved.
From St. Heliers, we walked along Tamaki Drive, passing by Kohimarama Beach and ending up at bustling Mission Bay, before turning and making our way back. Anyone with doubts as to whether Auckland is truly a multicultural city, should take a trip to Mission Bay. People from many nations were out and enjoying themselves, welcoming a respite from the endless rain. On such a beautiful evening, it is hard to think of a more idyllic city anywhere in the world.
Mal and Lauren 