BREAK! pt. 1
Well hello again, everyone!
My two week break flew by, let me tell ya. It began with a road trip to Auckland, a flight to Sydney (Australia, of course), and a week on the South Island. As soon as we got back - school hit hard! Sorry for the delay!
I want to start by covering my trip through the North Island. I encountered some amazing foods and some amazing views.
For this first leg of our journey, we rented a car and drove up the North Island. The roads here are crazy - the wind and curve like none other, and they are SO tiny. I drove most of this portion, so I got a real taste of driving on the other side of the road... I'm getting used to looking the opposite direction and driving in the right ride of the car on the left ride of the road. Honestly though, I still get the opposing windshield wipers and turn signals mixed up quite often! :)
Our first night we spent in Rotorua. Rotorua was cute and I got to experience my first redwood trees (although, per my California friends, these redwoods were tiny compared to the ones in CA, apparently!!). For dinner that night, we found a Mexican restaurant (insert tears of joy here). El Mexicano Zapata was delicious. I had chorizo soft-shell corn tacos and I felt my soul healing a little bit. There's nothing better than some authentic tacos after missing Mexican food for so long! The waitstaff were incredibly helpful and gave me detailed answers on what on the menu was safe to eat. This is always such a relief. Looky here - these homemade corn tortillas were absolutely wonderful.
The next day, we ventured to Hobbiton (DUH!) and got to experience the most incredible tour. At the end of the tour, you get the opportunity to have a drink (or two) at The Green Dragon Inn - and yep, you guessed it - I had one. They had beers, cider and a non-alcoholic ginger beer. Yay for cider, my new obsession! I had the apple cider and it was delicious! We got to sit and enjoy the view while drinking in one of the most beautiful areas - nothing short of a dream!
The next place we headed to was Coromandel home of Cathedral Cove. My friends and I found the cutest brewery and we ventured there twice during our two day stay. The brewery also made the BEST wood fired pizza. When we first arrived, I kinda thought I was taking one for the team, automatically assuming that I couldn't eat anything. When I saw "Gluten Free Available" on the menu board, I felt such a relief. My friends tried the pizza and they all said it tasted just like theirs. The owner even cooked my pizza on foil to make sure there would be no cross-contamination. I love homemade pizzas. The brewery also had ciders, and I instantly became a BIG fan of feijoa cider. If you ever venture to Coromandel, make sure to stop at Hot Water Brewing Company!
My two week break flew by, let me tell ya. It began with a road trip to Auckland, a flight to Sydney (Australia, of course), and a week on the South Island. As soon as we got back - school hit hard! Sorry for the delay!
I want to start by covering my trip through the North Island. I encountered some amazing foods and some amazing views.
For this first leg of our journey, we rented a car and drove up the North Island. The roads here are crazy - the wind and curve like none other, and they are SO tiny. I drove most of this portion, so I got a real taste of driving on the other side of the road... I'm getting used to looking the opposite direction and driving in the right ride of the car on the left ride of the road. Honestly though, I still get the opposing windshield wipers and turn signals mixed up quite often! :)
Our first night we spent in Rotorua. Rotorua was cute and I got to experience my first redwood trees (although, per my California friends, these redwoods were tiny compared to the ones in CA, apparently!!). For dinner that night, we found a Mexican restaurant (insert tears of joy here). El Mexicano Zapata was delicious. I had chorizo soft-shell corn tacos and I felt my soul healing a little bit. There's nothing better than some authentic tacos after missing Mexican food for so long! The waitstaff were incredibly helpful and gave me detailed answers on what on the menu was safe to eat. This is always such a relief. Looky here - these homemade corn tortillas were absolutely wonderful.
Our next stop, another small beach town, Piha, was tiny and beautiful. Almost everything was closed when we arrived, so I stopped at the local market and picked up clams and kidney beans for dinner - improvising. All of my friends ate at a delicious food truck, but I figured they would not have any gluten free options and I guessed right. Fresh seafood is yummy - so I didn't mind of course!
Our final stop in the North Island was Auckland. There were many yummy eats in Auckland!
To begin, we got lunch at Mad Mex, which I believe is a chain within New Zealand. I had a naked burrito with spicy chicken. It was just like a Chipotle burrito bowl and I miss Chipotle soooooo bad. Mad Mex is delicious and I would definitely go again! They did have a gluten free portion of the menu, which was so helpful.
Our next stop was a cute little rooftop brewery called Dr. Rudi's. Here I ventured out of my comfort zone and tried Zeffer Cider's Mango & Tumeric cider. It was incredible. I am becoming a huge fan of ciders and I love finding new ones to try!
My final meal in Auckland was at HeadQuarters Viaduct. The owner was helpful and he showed me each thing on the menu that is gluten free. I decided to get the beet and goat cheese salad with a side of fresh oysters. This was one of my favorite places we stopped at during our trip. I would highly recommend HeadQuarters to anyone in Auckland!
I am so glad that I often find my diagnosis not to limit me at all. I love delicious foods, and finding ones that are gluten free excite me so much!
In my next posts I'll discuss food in Sydney and food in the North Island!
Thanks for catching up with me!
Enjoy Earth Day.
Best,
Becs
(22 April 2018)
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