Piha Rescue

It would be most remiss, when staying in West Auckland, not to take a trip across the Waitakeres to Piha.  Yesterday was a lovely day so we packed a picnic and headed off over the hills to Piha.  The road took us through native bush that reminded us of Otatara in Invercargill where we still call home. If we had to live in Auckland this would be a place we think we would feel comfortable with.

The views from the top back across Auckland are spectacular and so we promised ourselves a coffee stop on way back in the restaurant built there just for that purpose.

Views of the Sky Tower and the bridge are visible
from this cafe/restaurant.

The drive over the hill and down the other side into Piha is slow and windy but is well worth the effort. It is easy to see the appeal of the beach that we are all familiar with seeing on Piha Rescue.  To get a really good view we walked up the Tasman track at the end of the car park at the south beach where we could see right along the both beaches and Lion Rock. A short walk south takes you down to a second lookout. The scenes could easily be on the West Coast of the South Island.

Piha Beaches with Lion Rock to the right as seen from the Tasman Lookout.

Views south from the second lookout.

We finished our day with a dinner party for five in the bus.  We wanted to cook Leigh a roast and he was keen to invite a couple of friends.  It is amazing what can be achieved in a small space with clever planning.  I cooked a large leg of lamb in my cast iron pot, roasted vegetables in the cast iron pan in stages and kept them hot, did a pumpkin/cream dish and steamed broccoli  and made gravy to complete the main course.  We did have a look around our campsite surrounds for some rosemary and/or mint but unfortunately we had no luck on this occasion.  We completed the meal with a deconstructed apple pie - stewed apple, pastry shapes and whipped cream.  Every one was suitably impressed with the only down side being a large sink full of dishes after they had gone home.