202 1 the first day I went to rapids island.

On New Year's Day in 20021year, I went to Rapids Island to play with my children, and the overall feeling was not bad.

Riptide Island is called the back garden of Auckland and New Zealand is also called the back garden of the earth, so going to Riptide Island is the back garden of the back garden.

Of course, for us in China, Riptide Island is famous because it was once the place where Gu Cheng, a hazy poet in China, lived, and finally Gu Cheng killed his wife and committed suicide because of various emotional entanglements. This is really a great tragedy. When this happened decades ago, it also shook the whole Chinese circle.

I think many young people don't know that Gu Cheng is a poet. But you may have heard of one of his poems. The night gave me black eyes, but I want to use them to find light. I think it is such a poem that established Gu Cheng's position in China literary world or China poetic world.

Some people may say that this poem is no better than yours from now on. However, if you have been to the time when you just came out of ten years of storms, you will understand why this sentence has touched many people's hearts so deeply, especially many young people. That's because the young people at that time were full of water and longing for the future, and the ideological hormones just released from the extreme left and repressive political movements opened everyone's mind to embrace all the fashions in this world, whether it was literary poetry, Teresa Teng's so-called "decadent voice" or even bell-bottoms that look funny now, all of them were taken without thinking, eaten in their mouths and hugged. Whoever it is, don't try to stop it. To tell you the truth, I remember that nobody seemed to stop me. And I don't think anyone can stop it at that time. After all, this is a rolling wheel of history. Whoever stops it will definitely become a "clown who stops the wheel of history", which was one of the most fashionable words at that time.

I remember that poetry clubs among young people mushroomed everywhere at that time, and so-called literary youth could be seen everywhere, so reading and appreciating poetry was definitely the most elegant fashion among all kinds of ideological trends at that time. Therefore, a poet like Gu Cheng must make a splash and become a famous star in Wan Li. Its fans are numerous, and it is by no means comparable to later singers or movie stars. In fact, I think the idolization behavior should be more or less done by those who are young and ignorant, or mentally lack the ability to stand on their own feet. If the pursued person lacks enough self-awareness, then a morbid coupling state will occur. Therefore, I think that the later tragedy of Gu Cheng was somewhat because of this idolization and was confused by the deformity of idolization, so that it finally produced some pathological results.

In a word, Riptide Island is well known to Chinese people because it committed suicide in Gucheng. In fact, the real English name of Riptide Island is Waiheke Island, and Google translation is Waihiki Island. The reason why it is called Rapids Island is said to be Gu Cheng's own name, which is based on what Maori call waterfalls and rapids. But if you talk to any foreigner or Maori about Rapids Island, he will definitely stare at you and say "I don't know". But if you ask an China person "Waikiki Island", he will pop his eyes out and say "I don't know".

Well, whether it's Rapids Island or Waihiki, we went on the first day of 202 1. The purpose of going there is to send away the virus-ridden year of 2020, welcome the new year of 20021,relax and look forward to a bright future.

Why do you have to go to Rapids Island to relax yourself? Because that's our backyard in Oakland. You can't go to the back garden without relaxing. Have you ever seen the emperor go to the back garden to listen to those ministers discussing state affairs? They all accompany their queens and concubines, singing and dancing, drinking and having fun. Therefore, although I don't have a bunch of concubines like the emperor, there is still an empress in the palace, so this time I will take my wife to play and feel at ease.

As we all know, when traveling, delicious food and beautiful scenery are essential for every tourist, and of course they are also the main purpose. In domestic tourist attractions, under normal circumstances, you can't have both food and beauty, that is, there is no food when you look at it and no beauty when you eat it. But what is different about Riptide Island is that it has both delicious food and beautiful scenery, enjoying all kinds of beautiful scenery while enjoying delicious food. Cut the crap and look at the picture first!

Ok, let me take a look at the whole process of our trip to Riptide Island. There will be many pictures to annotate the text. Maybe these pictures can add a lot of color to the text.

Since you are going to the island, driving or cycling is definitely not acceptable. Of course, except for a few swimmers, they may be able to swim by themselves. But it depends on whether the shark has just eaten enough, otherwise it is hard to say whether it has swam into the shark's stomach. Or even if you can swim to the island, I'm afraid you can't enjoy the food and enjoy the beautiful scenery without arms and legs. So, from Oakland to Rapids Island, you should go by boat. We went there by ferry from the dock of Oakland port.

From the boat, Auckland has a very special beauty. Because the sea sets it off, just like a paradise made of reinforced concrete.

One of the reasons why my wife and I like Auckland very much is that it is a seaside city. In Xi 'an, our hometown, it is almost separated from the loess high slope by a wall. So being able to live in Auckland is also a very, very correct choice among many choices in our life journey.

Our trip was very lucky. The weather is fine, and the sea is connected with the blue sky. There are almost no wind and waves at sea, and the ferry boat runs very smoothly, and the scenery along the way is panoramic. Let's take a look at some scenery along the way.

This island of Ranjitoto is a natural geographical coordinate of Auckland, which can be seen at a glance in many places in Auckland. This is an island formed by a volcano. The last photo above shows it lying quietly in the sea, looking like a huge flying saucer. I told my wife on the boat that I must visit this island when I have the chance.

Yes, even if it is really an alien flying saucer, we should go up and have a look. I must go to the top crater to see for myself. In case I happen to meet an alien who wants to shit, I will say hello to him immediately: "hello!" " ".Yes, I will greet him in the two most commonly used languages on our planet. I can't believe Ranjitoto has been lying here for hundreds of years, so these aliens have learned some Chinese or English. If they don't learn these two sentences, it's fucking stupid! ?

Haha, I believe that if I am so polite to them, these aliens will certainly be polite to me. If they really treat me badly, I will say to them, "Tell your boss to give me two bottles of Erguotou first, or I will immediately tell your grandson to get out of our Horaki Bay!" . Anyway, if I am really beaten by aliens, I don't know if I will be scared out of my wits. Anyway, I'll suck my dick here first. Be brave.

Horaki B. Yes, it's Horaki Bay. Its English name is Hauraki Gulf. This Horaki Bay is the sea area between Auckland City and Ranjitoto Island. Just look at the last Google map.

Maybe many people in China don't know much about this Horaki Bay, but in fact, this bay is famous all over the world. Because this is the venue for the 2020 America's Cup Regatta. The America's Cup. Of course, many people in China may never have heard of the America's Cup Regatta, but if we tell you that the America's Cup Regatta is the fourth largest event after the Olympic Games, the World Cup and Formula One F 1, then you may have an insight into the influence of this America's Cup.

In the previous stage, the America's Cup qualifier was held in this Horaki Bay that we passed. This is a video I recorded on TV and sent to you.

The America's Cup is an event that New Zealanders are very proud of. They have won trophies, and it is said that the helmsmen of several strong teams in the world are all New Zealanders. For example, the United States, as well as Switzerland, all won the Copa America trophy after they dug up excellent helmsman from New Zealand at a high price. However, it is said that the trophy has now returned to the hands of New Zealand chiefs, so according to the rules of the competition system, the championship will be held in New Zealand, and of course it will be held in Horaki Bay in Auckland.

It's just that we're going to Rapids Island through this Horaki Bay. Our ferry speed is quite fast, about 40 yards. I was a little hazy on the ferry, wondering if I was just an UAE sailor on the way to winning the championship trophy. Haha, in fact, people have no motivation at all, just rely on wind or artificial power to make the boat move forward.

It is a tradition for foreigners to talk about this unpowered sailboat. It was through this sailboat with the help of wind that they conquered America and even conquered many places in the world. After New Zealand was discovered by British Captain Cook's fleet, it gradually gained the Queen's jurisdiction over this beautiful land through the threat of foreign guns and ingenious "diplomatic means". Therefore, marine culture, or rather maritime culture, makes them westerners ahead of other nationalities on this planet, thus spreading their traditions to many places on this planet.

Speaking of windsurfing, I think of Hugo, my colleague from Flow Company, where I work now. The Chinese translation of his name should be Hugo. He is the leader of our software group who recruited me. He comes from Brazil, the hometown of football and rumba, and he is full of eclectic and proud qualities. When several of our new internships expired, he specially invited us to his beautiful seaside home in Whangaparaoa, Auckland, to celebrate the establishment of our software team.

At his barbecue dinner, his wife proudly told us the story of her family coming to New Zealand from Brazil. Although Hugo comes from Brazil, a big football country, he hardly knows how to play football, but he is a child who grew up by the sea. He is as familiar with water as his little penis. Not to mention surfing and swimming, I also learned sailing and astronomical measurement, and then bought a sailboat to travel around the world with my family in 2006. His ship is not an ordinary sailboat, but a very big sailboat. After preparing water and food, it can sail at sea for several months without stopping at the dock to replenish larger sailboats. With his wife and children, he first traveled almost all over the Caribbean coast, and then across the Pacific Ocean, from Brazil to New Zealand. According to his wife, as soon as they arrived in Oakland, they stopped at the dock. Then I rented a car and went to Rotorua, a famous tourist attraction in the middle of New Zealand's North Island. Then I was moved by the beauty and customs of New Zealand, and then I decided to stay and settle in New Zealand. His wife said that they were going to Australia and stopped at an island in the Pacific Ocean. I heard that New Zealand is also a good place, so we can go first. Then they went to Oakland first, and now.

After listening to this story, I really want to see Hugo. Crossing the Pacific Ocean by unpowered sailboat from Brazil, let alone doing it, is beyond my imagination. As the saying goes, dare not kill me! Later, after I told my wife this story, my wife was also shocked. She said Hugo was definitely a hero. Later, I said, "My wife said that Hugo is not only a Hugo, but also a hero because of mistakes. I think so." The whole company laughed at the standing meeting of our company on Monday. I know their laughter contains the feeling that you orientals look at this as a hero, but in the eyes of us westerners, this Hugo thing is just an ordinary thing. Also? Simple, too? Simple.

Therefore, no matter from the traditional history or from what happened around me, this kind of maritime culture in the west is something we don't have in China. Braving the wind and waves, wandering around the world and going forward bravely have to be admired. There seems to be only one legend and record about Zheng He's voyage to the West, but there are still some doubts about its authenticity. At least at present, no one can deny that it has not been carried forward at all. In fact, every nation has its own characteristics, both advantages and disadvantages. Take the coronavirus pneumonia-19 epidemic as an example. Their unwillingness to be bound in the west is obviously far behind our orientals' observance of discipline and rules in the face of the epidemic. Look at the tragic situation of these western powers facing the epidemic. Compared with China, it's a world of difference. Fortunately, New Zealand, where I live, is a western country, but it is a backyard far from the world. People here are generally simple, kind and law-abiding. So on the whole, New Zealand has performed quite well in the face of this epidemic test, which is perfect. So we didn't suffer too much here.

When I write something, there is usually one of the biggest problems, that is to say, I often digress things too far. Ok, let's stop here and continue our trip to Rapids Island.

This is the scenery of some other islands and coasts on the way.

We inserted something that looked like a New Zealand flag at the stern of the ferry. Later, I searched online and found out that it was actually a special flag for New Zealand merchant ships. The flag of New Zealand has a blue background, and this flag has a red background. It is said that New Zealand's navy has a white background, but I have never seen it. I may have seen it before, but I really can't remember what color it is.

It should take 45 minutes to get from Oakland Port to Matiatia Pier on Riptide Island, but I feel that our ferry will reach its destination soon after it leaves. It may also be that the scenery along the way is dazzling, so the journey time is greatly shortened, which is completely in line with Einstein's theory of relativity.

No, ahead is the small port of our ferry destination.

When the ferry quietly sailed into this small harbor, the first thing you saw was some private yachts of different sizes.

There are some yachts on the port side

There is also a yellow buoy here. I think it should be the kind that can flash lights at night. This should be what guides the ferry when it hits the rocks on the shore.

I think the owner of this yacht must be a rich man.

These two seem to be very good yachts. It seems that one is a sail and the other is a mechanical power.

Looking up, it is also an invincible sea view mansion.

I think this must be the holiday home of one of the yachts above. Many successful Auckland people own a yacht, so many yachts are parked in many ports in Auckland, so Auckland is often called the capital of Qian Fan. You can also see sailboats here, and you can also see this magnificent mansion. There must be a rich man who immigrated from nowhere.

I saw this billboard as soon as I got off the boat. This is for cleaning your shoes. Try to remove those things from your shoes that may infringe on the ecology of the island.

In fact, New Zealand is one of the best countries in the world in terms of ecological protection. Because New Zealand's ecology is not only rich, but also very fragile. The most striking feature is that there are no natural enemies and snakes here, and it is a paradise for birds. Many birds are not afraid of people at all. Just as I was writing this, a bold bird flew to our house and made a big visit to our bedroom, which scared my wife to run out of it, fearing that it would poop on the carpet. This guy used to beg on our balcony, but this time he broke into the bedroom. Haha, this kind of harmony between man and nature can be seen everywhere in New Zealand.

During the epidemic, many restaurants and shops were closed, so many birds came to our house to beg for food because they had nowhere to feed. We fed it several times, and then we recognized our family. Then he often comes and pokes around to see us.

The following is a road map from this pier to the main scenic spots of Riptide Island. Of course, the scenic spots on this map are also the main activities of our trip to the island.

First, we went to a bigger beach on Rapids Island.

As you can see, generally speaking, there are not many people on the beach. If this is a beach in China, it is estimated that nine times out of ten it will turn into a beach on earth. This is also one of the characteristics of New Zealand, that is, no matter how good the tourist attractions are, even in the peak season, there will never be a scene of overcrowding. Plus, it happened to be during the epidemic, and there were basically no foreign tourists coming, so it still seemed a bit deserted here.

There are also some photos near the beach below.

Since I came out early in the morning, I found a place to have some coffee and replenish my energy. I saw a certain popularity in the cafe. Of course, it is mainly the popularity of foreigners. It seems that there are only a few Asian faces in the coffee shop, and the others are foreigners. Drinking coffee in cafes is definitely a street culture of westerners.

Then we went to a restaurant facing the sea for lunch. As a result, I didn't expect that the seemingly empty restaurant was fully booked, and there was no room for us at all. We had to walk away and go straight to CASITA MIRO, a famous Spanish restaurant in Riptide Island, which we liked before we came. This Spanish restaurant is very famous and many tourists have mentioned it in their travel notes. I have seen it on some Chinese blogs.

This Spanish restaurant is really good. It is actually a brewery and restaurant. However, because several of us are hard to drink, we didn't taste the wine, just tasted their dishes. Generally speaking, these dishes are good in appearance and taste except for quantity. In fact, the quantity of western food can't compare with the big names of China people. We still have this common sense, but after personally trying it, it is still unforgettable and refreshing.

Let's look at some dishes first. In fact, when serving, the waiter in the restaurant will report the name of the dish. However, due to my limited English level, I basically don't know anything, so I can't comment on them one by one here. Everyone can only appreciate the taste from the photos.

First, some appetizers and things like that.

Then there are a few things to eat.

Of course, dessert is served at the end.

This is the name of their restaurant.

You can see the scenery outside from the restaurant when you eat.

There are also several Liberian ham brands hanging above the bar in the restaurant.

Looking down from the restaurant, there is a vineyard below.

There is also a view, and there is a sea view in the distance.

The happiest time for us to eat is around noon 1 p.m. It can be seen from this table that this restaurant has a certain age.

Next, we came to another wine estate. The main purpose is not only to rest us, but also to rest the little udon noodles that come with us. Look how soundly he sleeps.

Haha, by the way, my daughter adopted this Japanese Spitz puppy two months ago. This puppy is so cute and looks so beautiful. Although he is a boy, he doesn't look like a young man at all, and he is more beautiful than a little girl. Although my daughter hasn't brought me a real grandson, this grandson of udon noodles is actually not bad, which really made me like it once. Moreover, he was particularly likable along the way, and at least ten people came over to make out with him. Since we boarded the ferry. When we boarded the ship, the captain of the ferry came straight to us. At that time, I was scared. I thought there was something on us that wouldn't let us go aboard. I didn't expect him to kneel down and touch little Udong and ask, is that him? Or her? Is it a boy or a girl? )。 Then he came to see it again on the way to the boat and showed us his dog's photo. Then no matter where you go on the island, someone will come and greet him and ask questions. To tell the truth, Xiao Wudong is much more popular than us big living people. On the way, a girl came to pick up Xiao Wudong and played several times. This girl seems to be from Vietnam or Thailand, and my daughter is very worried about whether she will let the baby go.