Auckland - New Zealand - page 124

( www.kumeuriver.co.nz ; 550 SH16; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 11am-5pm Sat) Owned by the Bra-
jkovich family, this winery produces one of NZ's best chardonnays, among other vari-
etals.
Coopers Creek WINERY
( www.cooperscreek.co.nz ; 601 SH16, Huapai; 10.30am-5.30pm) Buy a bottle, spread out a
picnic in the attractive gardens and, from January to Easter, enjoy Sunday afternoon jazz
sessions.
Getting There & Away
From central Auckland, Kumeu is 25km up the Northwestern Motorway (SH16).
Helensville-bound buses head here from Lower Albert St (adult/child $7.90/4.50, 50
minutes), but you'll really need a car or bike to get around.
THE GREAT GANNET OE
After honing their flying skills, young gannets get the ultimate chance to test them
- a 2000km journey to Australia. They usually hang out there for several years be-
fore returning home, never to attempt the journey again. Once back in the home-
land they spend a few years waiting for a piece of waterfront property to become
available in the colony, before settling down with a regular partner to nest - return-
ing to the same patch of dirt every year. In other words, they're your typical New
Zealander on their OE (Overseas Experience). Why are they called Kiwis again?
TOP OF CHAPTER
Muriwai Beach
Yet another rugged black-sand surf beach, stretching 60km, Muriwai Beach's main claim
to fame is the Takapu Refuge gannet colony , spread over the southern headland and
outlying rock stacks. Viewing platforms get you close enough to watch (and smell) these
fascinating seabirds. Every August hundreds of adult birds return to this spot to hook up
with their regular partners and get busy - expect lots of outrageously cute neck-rubbing,
bill-touching and general snuggling. The net result is a single chick per season; Decem-
ber and January are the best times to see the little fellas testing their wings before em-
barking on an impressive odyssey.