A trip to the other side of the world wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t meet up with someone we knew from back home. So we met up with Brevin’s coworker ARog and his traveling companion Lindsay for brunch at L’Arte Cafe. They were traveling in the opposite direction of us and on their way to Hobbiton. Turns out they stayed in the same hotel as us the previous night, in the very next room.
Despite still feeling off balance and wobbly, Ilana was so brave and went with Brevin on a 2 hour eBike ride along the Five Mile Bay (which ended up being about 16 miles total). We got some sweet mountain bikes so we could off-road on the pebbles and slightly uncut grass of the Acacia Bay paths. That was Brevin’s highlight of the ride. Pro: Got up to 30 km/hr. Con: We’re going to have bruises on our butts for days. Overall the views were beautiful, including the lake, cliffs, impossibly green trees, and fields of bright yellow flowers. To regain our strength after a tough afternoon, we stopped into a local bakery to get a few fresh snacks, including Ilana’s new favorite — a peppermint slice. Akin to the famous caramel slice, but, well, with peppermint instead. Then we took to the countryside and drove around aimlessly for hours, simply looking for the next sheep, rolling hill, or nice house. We found many. And we wrapped up the day with some kiwi Burger Fuel at the local eatery. Who woulda thought that putting shredded beets, mango, and mashed avocado with a burger could be so delicious? And Brevin had a burger with cheddar, parmesan, and mascarpone. Brilliant.
