KEY POINTS:
We could have had eggs from the menu at the nice little streetside cafe where we stopped for lunch. Or, that night, at the restaurant across the road where they make an authentic fettucine carbonara, in which, of course the eggs are a star ingredient.
We could even have had them scrambled for breakfast, whipped up especially for us at the luxurious bed and breakfast where we were staying.
Instead, we had them served up on our car. Not exactly what we would have ordered, or expected: this was Devonport after all, one of the earliest settled - and now one of the most charming and well-heeled - areas of Auckland.
But there we were, ready to leave Devonport after a lovely weekend break, wondering how to get the dried remnants of at least half a dozen eggs off our car. (A tip: running it through a commercial carwash is useless; eggs take lots of hard, soapy scrubbing.)
A colleague, who lives in Devonport, later snidely remarked that we might not have had this problem if only we'd thought to remove our "Proud to Be Westies" bumper sticker. He was also insistent that the egg-throwing delinquents were visitors - local folk, he was sure, would never do such a thing.
He's probably right - on the whole they're a very welcoming bunch in Devonport. It must be all that seaside air and old world English village feel.
Admittedly, for a couple of long-time Aucklanders, Devonport may not seem the most exciting weekend destination - when you go on holiday you want it to be more than a 25-minute car ride away. But the lure of a night at an antique-filled historic home, set just metres from the beachfront, and the chance to discover the suburb's culinary offerings were too good to pass up.
As well as its gorgeous seaside setting, great walks and boutique shops, Devonport is also a bit of a foodie's delight - for an area that has just a few thousand residents, there is a disproportionate number of cafes, bakeries, restaurants, bars and takeout spots. Around 20 in fact - take a stroll down the main strip and take your pick.
We lunched at the Manuka cafe, where the food is the fairly standard offering but done well, and it's a good place to sit in the sun and people-watch.
For dinner that night we headed a little further up the hill to a great suburban Italian restaurant, Portofino, that several people had recommended.
It has possibly one of the longest menus we've seen in a while: we counted no less than 45 dinner options. Judging by the lack of empty tables we assumed they were all pretty good.
If finer dining is called for, the Esplanade Hotel - which was built in 1900 and underwent a major refurbishment five years ago - is the spot. Across the road from the Ferry Terminal it's a great place to pop in for lunch if you feel like escaping Auckland for the day and taking a 10-minute ferry ride.
The Devonport Stone Oven Bakery and Cafe is not to be missed. Popular with locals and visitors, it's particularly famous for its organic breads and sweet treats.
Everything is within easy walking distance so you can walk the length of the main strip and do a quick study of the cafe menus before choosing.
Once you're on first name terms with all the cafe, restaurant and bakery owners, you can explore the rest of Devonport.
The historical museum is worth poking your nose into, but don't expect to spend the afternoon - it's far better to head for the hills: North Head and Mt Victoria to be precise. Both are good walks and offer terrific views of the harbour across to Rangitoto, and of Devonport itself.
North Head, a 15-minute walk from the ferry terminal, was our pick so we could roam through the collection of military tunnels. The tunnels date back to the 1870s, when there were rumours of a growing Russian fleet in the North Pacific and possible invasion.
North Head was turned into a fort with trained soldiers stationed ready for battle, but when it didn't eventuate by the turn of the century most of the guns were dismantled. What is left now are the old bunkers, tunnels which are just dark enough to be a bit spooky if you meet someone coming the other way.
A few hundred metres down the road from North Head is one of Auckland's top beaches, Cheltenham. I might be a bit biased: for years my grandmother lived close by to Cheltenham and we spent long summers there. It's appeal hasn't dulled with time: the massive pohutukawa, grassy domain and diving pontoon anchored a few metres from the shore still make this one of the nicest family spots.
Later we strolled through some of the back streets, admiring the million-dollar-plus homes. In the 1880s much of the farm land that once covered Devonport was subdivided, and large wooden kauri villas were built in a style that has now become part of the suburb's charm.
The Peace and Plenty is one of the most remarkable examples of the village's architecture. As far as B&Bs go, this has to be the premium. A beautifully restored Victorian villa surrounded at the front by lush lavender gardens, it has seven bedrooms decorated in various traditional English and French themes complete with clawfoot baths, stained-glass windows and Victorian antiques. Our top floor room, Victoria, had a private balcony that offers fantastic views up Mt Victoria and of the rooftops of Devonport.
This is the kind of place you want to retreat to whenever you can - secluded with magnificent harbour views and the shopping village only metres away. And a host, Judy Machin, who believes that she can't do enough for her (mostly international) guests.
English-born Machin used to own a 13th-century hotel and restaurant in Britain but made Devonport her home 10 years ago. She says she was drawn to the area because of its history.
She's a charming host who is discreet enough to let you enjoy the space of the home but also be there when you need her, as at breakfast time: Machin offers an incredible buffet breakfast complete with homemade muffins, a small a la carte menu and array of treats including her homemade muesli she's about to start retailing after customers complained about it not being available to take home.
I agree it's good to take home a souvenir of a place you've enjoyed visiting - and homemade muesli beats eggs any day.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Find out about Devonport at www.devonport.co.nz.
The Peace and Plenty is on the web at www.peaceandplenty.co.nz.
