LIBRARY POINT

This morning a very chirpy toddler and two rather tired parents sat down to a pancake breakfast and tried to decide what to do with their sunny, Sunday morning.  We finally settled on an old favourite that we haven't visited for well over a year (I'm pretty sure Ayana was still in the back pack last time we went).  In order to get to Library Point you have to head further out into the country until you see the large and completely intimidating high security prison sprawled out before you.  The important part is to turn a sharp left and head down a small, uneven road just before you hit the prison gates!  Suddenly you find yourself at the entrance of a large reserve (complete with a dog park and horse/ bike trails).  The walking track eventually leads you to a completely magical spot at the very end of the point where the tidal waters quickly turn from murky brown to a radiant blue (when the weather is right). It was here that the first settlers established a mobile library system for those living in these remote regions.  Once a month somebody would row down the river in a small boat laden with books, and lucky locals could collect some fresh reading material.  You could only imagine what a treasure it would be to have a book to get lost in when you're otherwise living in total isolation!  Anyway, nice history aside, this particular spot is just so tranquil that it's a great place to come a re-energise.  I definitely plan to visit more often again!

SALTY SEA DOGS AND DESIGNER HANDBAGS

Sometimes on a Monday morning when the house is a mess and there's promise of sunny weather, you just have head out in search of adventure.  By mid morning we were bouncing along the motorway on the bus to the Auckland port in search of fishy sea air.  In my mind I like to imagine it the way it might have once been, salty sea dogs with peg legs and glinting earrings, the pungent odor of fish guts being fought over by greedy gulls, drunken sailors tripping out of illegal whiskey bars and fish mongers yelling their best price.  Instead you're met by this very odd combination of luxury apartments, gleaming yachts owned by Russian billionaires and huge restaurants that transform into meat markets (basically imagine Jersey Shore), jumbled in with rust bucket fishing boats, plastic containers of freshly caught sea life gasping for breath and the odd real weather worn sailor looking disheveled and a little out of place in this surreal surrounding.  Regardless of this, I love walking down the pier and watching the scenes unravel. Squeals of delight and gasps of 'look mama, a boat', 'look mama, a bird', 'look mama, strange lady' coming from Ayana's mouth in a constant flow as she sprinted along the harbour confirmed that she was a fan too! And so we ambled along the water for a couple of hours battling the wind (so much for sunshine) and taking it all in until the grumble in our bellies got the better of us.  We found a dingy ramen house, slurped our way through a big bowl of delicious noodles while the broth dripped down our chins and before we knew it, it was time to run to our bus and get home for a very late nap.
Now I'm sitting here typing and my house is still a mess, but for the morning we had it's totally worth the fact that I now have to scrub the toilet shortly before dinner.
xx

ZOO

Imagine if you're a kid and suddenly your favourite story book animals have sprung to life.  Imagine if they were towering over you, exaggerating the wild noises you've making for months, tearing apart large hunks of meat and gnawing on fish heads.  As a parent you think you're giving your little dreamer the mind blowing experience of a life time, to your kid it's the stuff of nightmares.  Clearly we hadn't thought that through properly when we rushed through the gates of the Auckland Zoo this morning with great anticipation.

I can't honestly remember the last time I visited a zoo.  I've always hated the idea of animals being confined to small enclosures so far away from their homelands.  But I've heard so many times that the Auckland Zoo is different and the animals live the good life there.  So I eventually agreed to go (for Ayana's sake), and by Sunday morning I was impatiently counting down the hours.

People were right, this place is animal friendly and the enclosures are miniature replica's of their natural habitats.  On the whole everybody seemed reasonably happy, if not a little bored.  And yes I enjoyed watching the animals go about their morning, but somewhere in the back of my conscience it still didn't feel right. Here these poor creatures are trying to get on with their weird lives and all the while they have hoards of people pointing cameras at them, tapping on the glass and making awful noises.  It's like Big Brother with a live audience.  Anyway, would I go again?  Hmm if Ayana begged hard enough I suppose I would.  Conscience aside, it was still a beautiful morning spent with great friends,
x  

MIMOSA CAFE

There aren't many good cafes over this side of the bridge.  In fact if I'm perfectly honest I can only think of a couple, and Mimosa* is at the top of my list.  It's one of those places that just make you feel at home, or at least the kind of home I wish I had!  It's a little vintage, a little rustic, it has local influences and is just the right kind of quirky.  We come here when country life is getting the better of us and we're craving a bit of cafe loitering and people watching.  We hang out by the window sipping our coffee's and devouring our sushi rolls (well that would mainly be Ayana, she rates their sushi pretty highly).  You see this cafe has a little twist, it's run by the sweetest Japanese woman and therefore the food has a delicious Japanese influence.  Everything also happens to be organic and fair trade which is something I'm finding increasingly important. So if you ever find yourself stranded on the North Shore and would rather pretend you were somewhere more exciting then this cafe serves as a great refuge.
Must try: A Japanese breakfast (which I haven't actually tried yet but am dying to!)
Parking: Plenty of 30 minute parking on the street outside, 120 minute prepay parking on the side streets or if you're sneaky you could park at the mall for free.
Highchair: No proper high chair but a cute retro kids stool for the slightly older ones.
Vegan/ Gluten free/ Vegetarian friendly: You betcha!
* Psst, Mimosa isn't just the name of a prissy cocktail, in Japanese it means Silk Tree.

Address: 460 Lake Rd, Takapuna
Website

KOKAKO CAFE

For years this old building on the corner of Williamson Ave in Grey Lynn stood casting a gloomy shadow over the shops.  It housed Auckland's most depressing post office. Outside it the local glue sniffers, meth heads and crazies huddled together on the park bench across the road screaming the odd obscenity at unlucky passerby's.  If only somebody would make use of that building and it's hidden deco charm, I often thought.  Then one day I heard a rumor, psst there's a new cafe in town!  They're roasting their own coffee, are quietly vegetarian  and proudly fair trade.  Going into town has become a bit of a luxury since we moved out to the country, but this one seemed worth making a trip for.  The transformation was amazing!  The space was light and bright, the staff (many old hospo comrades) were easy going and friendly, the food was unique and delicious, and when you really ran out of conversation you could let your gaze fix on the coffee roasters to the right.  Anyway it's safe to say we came back, and then again... and now it's our number one spot for a coffee fix in town.
Must try: The cold drip coffee!
Parking: Any side street is best (main street parking times have been reduced to 30 and 10 mins)
High chairs: Yup
Vegan/ Gluten free/ Vegetarian friendly:   Sure are
Kokako