February 3, 2024
On a blustery day, we drove across the Harbour Bridge to the North Shore and the seaside suburb of Devonport. From there we started walking along the waterfront toward the adjoining neighborhood Stanley Point, enjoying the views to the city on the other side of the harbour.
Along the way, we passed Devonport Naval Base, home of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN), also known as Taua Moana o Aotearoa (Sea warriors of New Zealand). The RNZN has approximately 2000 active personnel and 775 reserves. It has nine commissioned ships and Devonport is its only base that operates ships.
Stanley Point is a quiet residential neighborhood with a mix of old and new homes, many of which have beautiful views over to the city. Here are some of the homes we passed along the way.
There are also a number of small bays and parks by the water.
There weren’t too many people out and about. However, we were greeted by a few dogs as we walked by, including this little guy inviting us to join him for a service at a local church.
We decided to skip the service and seek nourishment of the body rather than the soul. Unusually for Auckland, we had to cover a few miles before finding a cafe to enjoy a coffee and an avocado on toast.
Mal and Lauren 