Exploring Auckland

In between when things become too stressful and its sunny (the former is common, the later rare), Nitish and I step out.  One day, we ventured to a large park named Cornwall right in the middle of Auckland, just like the SGNP in Mumbai or the Cubbon park in Bangalore.








The moment you enter the park you are welcomed by large trees and unkempt grass on which lay heaps of shedded leaves of autumn. Kids cycle aimlessly, joggers run purposefully and oldies walk gravely. Amidst all of this, we are here with a resolve to walk up to a small hill called One Tree Hill summit. It’s an easy 45 minute walk up to the top where you are greeted with lovely 360o views of the city. There is also a huge obelisk, a memorial to Maoris, the first New Zealanders.


On another day, we head to the Piha beach, which is an hour’s drive. Piha has been on my radar for a while but many sunny days were missed owing to the lockdown. The road to the beach twists and twirls like a happy dipsomaniac. It passes through a reserve forest which is a bonus. This black sand beach is popular with surfers. We see lots of them, in their wet suit, their boards and their tanned skin, happy in the cold waters. Nitish shows me around as he has been here. We take a walk, laze, ape, talk, read, eat chips. We miss beer but there is none in the whole village.  The nearest is 15 kms away so we give it a miss.







Piha is spectacular. A huge rock on the beach adds glamour. We look at the houses close by and wonder what kind of lives people live whose houses are perched on a hill and whose balconies stare back at the blue sea. I think some of them may be longing a life in a metro.

We always need something we don’t have. Always.


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