Pooh, said Piglet

Saturday 5th. Another day of driving from Napier to Rotorua via Taupo. Today we followed the Thermal Explorer Touring Route. Sounds quite grand really. Along the route today are various springs and bubbling mud pools, spouting geysers and natural geothermal mineral pools. 

On the way we stopped at Walpunga Falls. We could only view them from a distance. 

At Taupo we decided to avoid the town mainly because of a major cycle rally through the town. The view from the lookout was very good. 

On the way out of Taupo we had our first chance to see some hot springs. But first a Devonshire cream tea! 

And then we thought of the drive ahead and decided not to spend time walking round this particular spring where you had to pay an entrance fee. 

Instead, we drove on to Waiotapu where, not only did we find a thermal stream but also an active mud pool, and, all for free! 

But the smell reminded me of some of our more spectacular school experiments. 

It was fascinating watching the mud bubbling, a process that has been going on for many, many years. 

Once in Rotorua we went to the lakeside to admire the view. 

Supper tonight was in Eat Street, a street in town where all the restaurant owners got together, closed the road and put a roof over the top. You have a choice of a dozen or more eating places all in the same area. There was quite a buzz about the place and everywhere was full. 

An Art Deco Day

Friday 4th. We thought that a walk into town would be a good idea today. So off we set right into the heart of Napier. 

Napier is a popular tourist city, with a unique concentration of 1930s Art Deco architecture, built after much of the city was razed in the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. 

We walked along the sea front but the beach here is not good for swimming. 

We've been told that it is better round by the harbour but we're not too worried about swimming today. 

Instead, we walked along to the aquarium where we bought two senior tickets. Amazing, they didn't even ask to see our ID! 

Here's an alligator basking under the sun lamp. Many of the enclosures have been designed to highlight the damage caused to wildlife by our actions. There are interactive stations where you can learn of the effect of plastic bags on turtles and gannets. 

Here you can see staff feeding the penguins. But, they explained that the only penguins they have here are either injured, abandoned or born in captivity. Many of the injuries are caused by entanglement in abandoned fishing nets. We were impressed by the way they ensured that each penguin got fed and they kept pushing the greedy ones back. 

Next we watched the sharks being fed. 

Again, the keeper tried to ensure that all were fed and not just the greedy ones. There were snappers, ray, large and small shark and others I don't recognise. 

Next came the feeding of the larger mammals. 

Following that we visited the cathedral. Again, the original cathedral was destroyed in the earthquake. It is claimed to be the first cathedral to catch the new day's sun. 

At the east end there is a Maori chapel. 

The chair has the last supper but all the characters have Maori faces. 

Back to the B&B, and, guess what, more tea. 

(Should have held my stomach in!) 

In the evening we went back to the quay for supper but this time at the Gintrap. 

Rack of lamb for Brigid and steak for me. 

She'll kill me for this! 

But it was an excellent meal. 

Napier or bust

Thursday 3rd. Just before we set out, a picture of our B&B. 

The bedroom was downstairs to the left. 

Set off on a 4 1/2 hr drive to Napier. We decided to go via Masterton on SH2 and on the way we crossed Rimutaka Hill. 

At the summit there is a memorial to the men who took part in the crossing of the hill during the First World War. If you enlarge the following picture you will be able to read all about it. (Or possibly not!) 

Views from both sides of the summit. 

The march would not have been too pleasant. 

Just before we set off again one of the logging lorries came past. 

I find it hard enough negotiating some of the bends, I don't know how they do it! 

When we got to Pahiatua we decided to stop for lunch at the Black Stump. 

Brigid had a tuna salad and I had a three egg omelette. Both were excellent. We are continually surprised as to how good meals are right across NZ. 

We continued on our journey and without too much problem arrived at Napier, the Art Deco capital of New Zealand. 

That's our car at the bottom and the B&B is at the top of the trees. 

View from our room. 

Later in the evening we walked down to the quayside for supper. I say down but in fact we had to climb the hill first and then descend steeply down the other side. At the bottom we waited for a train to pass by. 

Then onto the quay for our food. 

But first, something to drink. We then had fish and chips and a pizza. 

Sunset over the harbour. 

The only downside of the evening was that we had to climb our hill again. And, boy, was it steep! We certainly slept well after that. 

Mission accomplished

Wednesday 2nd. When we told various Kiwis that we were staying in Porirua, they all said: 'Why there? It's an industrial town!' Well, in a way it is, there's a big chocolate factory that we can see from our window but it's also a suburb of Wellington. Plenty of houses and shops but where we are staying is right on the edge, once again on the side of a hill. But the real reason for coming here is that Brigid's godfather is buried here somewhere. Back in the 60s, someone, a friend or relative, sent a photo of Porirua with an x on the back showing a tree near to which he was buried. The photo also showed the mental hospital and where the person lived. Now Brigid has had this picture in a box and she was looking at it before we came away. But, could she find it when packing? No! So, we have come here to search for his grave. Unfortunately, although Brigid has a clear picture of the location in her mind, it has never stacked up with Google maps. The hospital isn't in the right place. 50 years have passed and things have changed. Well, we got talking to Darryl, our host, and when he looked at our printed map he started drawing in the old hospital buildings in their rightful place. We then turned this new map upside down and reckoned that the tree mentioned on the original photo was probably in the Porirua cemetery. I then went online and searched for her godfather's name and, bingo, a result. We don't know what happened this time because Brigid had searched when in the UK with no success but this time we got a date of burial and the exact location of his grave. The original picture had been from the north looking south and all the computer maps are the other way round! 

Off we went to the cemetery. Once there we found the area where the grave was supposed to be but not the precise location. Anyway, there was a gang of gardeners working away and they promptly stopped working and helped us with our search. We soon found it, the reason for it being hidden is that a holly tree has grown up in front of the headstone and you can only read the inscription by approaching from behind and looking over the top. But it is near a large tree and corresponds to the layout in Brigid's memory picture. Mission accomplished. 

Having completed our task sooner than anticipated, we set off north toward Paraparaumu where we had arranged to meet up with friends during the afternoon. 

We went down to the beach and had a good long walk along the shore. 

In the afternoon we visited our friends, Ray and Jessie, at their retirement village. Now I say friends, which they are, but we only met them when we went to church in Hokitika. People are like that over here. 

Ray showed us all round the place. They have a gym, swimming pool, bowling green, croquet lawn, pétanque pitch, dining room, library, lake, garden walks, you name it, they've got it. 

When you move into a house there, the management team strip out all curtains, carpets and kitchen and replace the lot. They even put a carpet in the garage! With the garden, you do as much or as little as you want. A team of gardeners finish off what you don't do. In the gardens we saw some Monarch butterflies but it was too windy to film them. All I could get were the caterpillars and the Swan plants where they breed. 

Ray and Jessie love it there and I quite understand why. We stopped for tea with them but left just before they went Scottish dancing. We were invited to join them but we decided to go home via Paekakariki Hill. As always, the view from the top was quite stunning. 

Back to sillyvisation

Tuesday 1st. It was one of the hardest farewells today when we had to say goodbye to Conny and Mick. We have so loved being with them, with Conny bringing her own touch of Switzerland to New Zealand. 

We drove along the rest of Queen Charlotte Drive to Picton. Everyone had told us to be careful of the windy road but that the views were tremendous. Well, all I can say is that yesterday's trip was far windier and just as stunning. 

Just before we got to Picton we had a good view of the lumber wharf where timber gets shipped off to China. 

Picton is a busy town being the main ferry terminal for North Island. 

Here we are waiting in the queue to board ship. 

On board and watching the preparations to cast off. 

Now we're heading out through the islands on our way to North Island. 

Goodbye South Island. 

Hello North Island. 

Looks a bit gloomy but that's more my photographic skills than the day itself. 

Of course, when we came off the boat it was straight into rush hour traffic. Not used to that, and not used to going at 100kph almost straight off. Again we are on SH1. As we neared Porirua we knew that we needed to turn off the highway but the map sort of indicated that there might be an alternative exit. But there wasn't! So we went on a couple of km., turned round and came back to try again. OK, managed the exit all right but then had to sort out which way to go after that. First hoot of the day! Eventually found the road we needed but it was off the roundabout we had just exited. Pulled over to sort out where to go now. Second hoot of the day! Managed to turn and go off the correct exit at the roundabout, up a hill, round a bend and then realised that we should have taken a right turn. Pulled over to sort out the map - third hoot of the day! Went back, found the correct turn and then found our B&B. I dunno, six weeks on South Island and I got hooted twice, one hour on North Island and I get hooted three times. Is it me? And before you answer, that was a rhetorical question. No comments please.