Written in the water (Napier - Rotorua, New Zealand)

Yes dear reader I have made the supreme sacrifice and burned the midnight oil to ensure you have amusement at breakfast. Although one can't be too sure about what amuses these days. Apparently a couple of British royals are doing what all children (hopefully) do and are leaving the nest and this has caused media meltdown. Well from a Murdoch world perspective, which is both narrow and shallow, a bit like a bird bath. It has been tagged Megxit. Here I am, on holiday in NZ, laughing at the sub-editor's headline, thinking how funny it is to make fun of Harry's red hair. You know, like Ginger Meggs, Megxit ... oh, I see. Moving on.

And the title. Well, it's a 2015 song by Gin Wigmore. She's a Kiwi. Do it. Go for Google.

We were coffeed, packed, checked out and on the road before 9:30am. It's always good to allow extra time when malevolent spirits inhabit your GPS. And she did it again today, but more on that later.

Waipunga Falls

Our first scheduled stop was the Waipunga Falls. Jayne discovered this through Dr Google. The falls are, literally, in the middle of nowhere. Well, on the road between Napier and Taupo. They are not signposted. Go figure. We found nothing in the local tourist guide information and yet, they are quite spectacular as the picture shows. That said, we have found sign posting in the land of the great white cloud, well, dodgy. The signs are small and generally visible at the last minute.

Quite pleased with the sight of the Falls, we resumed the trip to Lake Taupo. Aside from changing radio stations every time the current signal waned, the main discussion was how to pronounce Taupo. Not that it was going to present as an issue. Jayne's pronunciation wasn't going to offend me.

The drive continued through landscape that could be mistaken for Canadian. Mountains. Green pines. The occasional snow-capped peak. Wide, shallow, fast moving rivers, meandering across stone beds. In fact New Zealand is very similar to Canada. It is just a smaller version of an outdoor recreation park. It's closer to home and the people here are genuinely nice. You can read that any way you like. But, no bears. Well, none that we saw. Plenty of dead possums though. Cheers to our Australian ancestors for importing another unwanted creature into an environment that couldn't cope with it.

Lake Taupo is a collapsed caldera. Just like Santorini, but without the climate, the charm, the food, the Greek people, the view ... maybe not so much like Santorini. It is pretty spectacular and a drawcard for tourists and Kiwis alike at this time of year. There were people swimming, not us, but they were out there, despite a snow-capped mountain in the background. Not to mention the para gliders, sailors, whatever. The lake is a playground and there are plenty of places to eat and drink and while away the day. 

Where there is smoke ...

While we were debating whether to alter the address in the devious GPS we passed a sign that directed us to the Craters of the Moon Geothermal Park. Fortuitously, that is where we wanted to go, so no GPS intervention required. It was closer to Taupo than I expected and was less whelming than I expected. Come on, work with me here, think 10 Things I hate About You, the movie. Although, in reviewing the photos, I may have been a tad harsh.

Not sure of the history of the area, I assumed a quarry at some point. Hence the crater link. The information on the net suggested a 90 minute walk. The signage on the way in stated a 60 minute walk, at the admission centre they said a 45 minute walk. It was like the incredible world of Benjamin Button. Anyway, we did it in 40 minutes, but didn't walk to the lookout. I mean, if you've seen one hole in ground spewing steam ... how did you think the next one would be different?

Plenty of steam but no mud.

There were differences. Some of the holes just puffed away quietly, some blew steam with significant force, think the Zazu and the Lion King. There was also a mud bubbling area, well there would have been except NZ is also in the  middle of a water shortage. Plenty of steam but the ground was dry.

Our next stop was almost literally across the road. Well, down the road and across the street, the Huka Falls. It's one of those awesome places where you can ride in a jet boat. Why? I have no idea. It is quite a popular tourist area and not from Taupo. Aside from the jet boats there were river cruises, helicopter flights, a golf driving range, a seriously high ropes course and lots fo other fun stuff on which to try to kill yourself.

As we say in Australia: yeah, nah. I was here strictly for the photos. And I'm still struggling to believe that these falls were created naturally. That looks a littler too much like a hydro channel. Coincidently, they do have a hydro electricity station on this river.

Jet boat bravado. Yay.

Following so much excitement, we set the GPS for Rotorua. She didn't disappoint. At the first major intersection I was reading the map on the screen. Turn left. The signage doesn't say Rotorua, but OK. As I swing into the roundabout I spot the Rotorua sign. I should have kept going straight ahead.

Safely in Rotorua, I check some maps. Our GPS, set for the quickest, most direct route, detoured us some 30 minutes and 25 km out of the regular driving route form Taupo to Rotorua. WTF? Anyway, it was an interesting and, at time beautiful, drive and we made it safely into Rotorua. Then unsurprisingly, we had to begin again to find our hotel after she dumped us in the middle of the street. "Your journey has ended". Well, no. And ultimately, that is for me to decide, not some piece of allegedly high-tech gear with an English accent and no road sense.

We checked in. Eventually. Jayne had already checked out restaurants and activities online. While enjoying our welcome drink, we organised dinner and tomorrow's fun. If I said that Jayne was about to do something she has never done before that would not be exaggeration. In fact one of our children didn't believe me. What are we doing?

Well,

until tomorrow

Into Temptation (Napier, New Zealand)

A full day in Napier today and there is too much choice and not enough time my dear reader. There were multiple choices for breakfast, much like Wellington. Dispensing with the research we went wandering looking for a café that had good custom, but wasn't too crowded and also food that didn't have eggs in every dish. You scoff my egg-loving reader, but I am not an afficionado of the shelled food. Ajuna's was a mere 5 minute stroll from our accommodation and the coffee was good and happily the toast followed smartly - no 30 minute wait this time.

Today's title? A Crowded House favourite from 1988. And the temptation? Wineries. Read on.

Art deco is the thing in Napier

Following breakfast we were booked on an art deco walking tour. This comprised of a 20 minute video on the history of Napier and an hour walk around the streets with a guide pointing out various buildings of interest. The art deco focus came about following the rebuilding of the town in 1931 following a 2 and half minute magnitude 7.8 earthquake. It not only totalled much of central Napier it raised the ground by almost 2 metres causing the inner harbour to drain and disappear completely.

As a result of the earthquake the building code was significantly altered because another earthquake is not an 'if' but 'when' proposition. The lion's head holds a metal cantilever to support the awnings in the street - no poles which can collapse and cause the awning to come crashing down. All new buildings were constructed using reinforced concrete. Any brick is purely a façade.

In February every year Napier holds a huge festival to celebrate everything art deco, although you could be forgiven for thinking this was an every day event. There were vintage cars everywhere offering tours of the town and nearby wineries. And of course the Art Deco Centre where you can access tours and buy art deco pieces or borrow clothing for a dress up and have your photo taken.

The walk was incredibly interesting, as was the video explaining the earthquake, its aftermath and the rebuilding of the town and nearby areas. It was an easy stroll and we didn't really travel that far, just around a few blocks of the CBD. The architectural and aesthetic features of art deco were revealed and exalted, punctuated by personal stories of the residents and historic photographs of what was lost and replaced.

Then it was wine time. Almost. We went down to the Visitor Centre and collected a few brochures to supplement Jayne's research. We discussed a wine tour by bicycle - be still my quaking heart - but it was a full day event and we had already burned the morning. Two of the recommended wineries were beyond a reasonable drive, so we opted for Mission Estate, close by and a major player in every wine tour.

Mission Estate Wines (Oldest Winery in NZ)- (save yourself the grief, don't go)

Despite the best efforts of the GPS, we found Mission Estate winery. Perhaps it would have been better had we not. In retrospect, maybe I'm being hard on the GPS, perhaps she was trying to protect me. I didn't realise that this was a Marist, I assume owned and operated, winery. I went to a Marist Brothers' school and survived. The experience at their winery today was similar. It over-promised and under-delivered.

The wine tasting area is modest. It appears most people come for lunch and the view. Meh. So we strolled in, looking around, trying to work out how things worked. Every winery is different and they all have their own protocols. The tasting bar was full except for one end so we went there, only to be told that was reserved for a bus group. We moved to another part of the bar and engaged another worker who told us to wait for five minutes until the current group had finished. We wandered the tasting room looking at the historic photos and checking out the range of wines.

A gap appeared at the bar and we zeroed in on it. We asked if we could taste some wine to be told that's not how we do things around here, you need to start at the cash register. Ok, Catholic jokes ... the guy was so arrogant. You would know, dear reader, that in my time I have been to a few wineries - on three different continents, so I do know my way around.

At the paying end, before you try, you are required to purchase a "souvenir" stemless wineglass for $10NZ. A glass that you do not use at your tasting. Tempted as I was to walk away, we hadn't intended to do any other wineries ... travelling, getting the wine home from overseas, the usual issues. However, I'd come this far. We joined another couple for our tasting with our 'local' expert, an American girl who knew her spiel very well. I think there were six wines to taste, preselected, no variation. To say I was underwhelmed would be an understatement. I go into a wine tasting expecting to buy wine and I needed wine for the evenings. I struggled to find anything worthy of my money.

So, to sum up: they are a tourist mecca. The wines are over-rated and over-priced. Some of the staff are just plain rude. It's about customer service; if you don't like the industry, get back out into the vines and leave people alone.

Again with the crazy pedestrian lights

Have a close look at the next photo

Jayne decided we had to do another winery to wipe Mission Estate from our memory. Something out of the way I suggested and she came up with Brookfields. It was away from the well worn tourist path, but still close to town, so we reset the GPS and headed off. Curiously, we did not put the winery in as destination, just the street name. Imagine our surprise when the GPS deposited us at the entrance to winery with the line, "you have reached your destination". Just creepy.

Brookfields Winery

I have hyperlinked the title of this section. Go there. Read about their wines. Buy some. They make some exceptional wines.

After the disappointment of Mission Estate, Brookfields proved to be the exact opposite. We had an absolutely lovely afternoon tasting great wine and chatting with Sharon and the other people who arrived. An eclectic crowd it was, Finland, Germany, Australia and New Zealand of course.

We sat around a table covered with bottles and talked about the wines before tasting. We were able to pour our own and have a second tasting. The discussion ranged from the wines, their history, to the history of the winery, politics in NZ and Australia and all points in between.

Hey, aren't you ...

The range is extensive. everything from the expected Pinot Gris and Sav Blanc through to Chardonnay, Rosé and Cab Sav with Syrah and Merlot. There was also a delightful dessert wine called Indulgence. And it was. But so were the others.

We have been tasting wines at the cellar door since the late 1970s and there a few magic days that stand out in all of the wines we've tasted. One golden afternoon at Burnbrae in Mudgee in the early '80s tasting wine under the peppercorn tree before the tasting facilities were completed. But today ... it is up there and will become, over time, a treasured  memory. Thank you Sharon.

After struggling to find a wine to purchase at Mission Estate, we ordered 15 bottles to be sent back home. A couple of those reds need to be cellared for a few years to truly appreciate them. As we departed, we were invited to pick two bottles of our choice - the whole range was included - to take with us. 

Got any blacker?

After a nondescript dinner, we went for a walk along the foreshore. I haven't mentioned previously, Napier has a lot going for it, but the beach is not one of them. Maybe it's my Australian bias but black pebbles instead of sand? It just doesn't work for me. I mean, there is plus side, no sand in your bathers, but it's just wrong.

The picture doesn't capture reality. The water is a beautiful turquoise, and the shore is black pebble. The closer to the water the finer it is but it is not easy to walk on. And can you imagine the heat it would generate on a really hot day? Not for me.

Normally I'd end with, until tomorrow, but tomorrow is another transit day, so if there isn't a post waiting for you on Sunday, there will be come Monday.

Distant Sun (Wellington to Napier, New Zealand)

I would like to commence this post with a confession: Lexi is right. There. I said it. Well, I typed it. Don't give me that who-is-Lexi stuff, dear reader, here is a link to her work: avaycay.com and if you are not familiar with it - shame on you.

Random flower. Pretty.

I thought we could do justice to the North Island of NZ by staying 2 nights in each place. Lexi always cautions 3 nights is better. I am always worried about getting caught with nothing to do and we had really limited time on this trip ... so 2 nights at each destination it was. We have just arrived at Napier, our second base and already I know it should have been staying 3 nights - I didn't really want to leave Wellington. Ah well, you live and learn. When I can convince Jayne to retire, we'll have all the time in the world. And no money.

Today was a travel day, so we packed up and left Wellington to head for Napier. As a direct drive it is around 4 hours, but we decided to take the scenic route and stop along the way. So it was a full day event.

Just outside the town centre

Our first stop was Martinborough, just over an hour's drive from the capital. Theoretically this was my breakfast stop. We arrived about 10:45, found a parking spot on the square and headed for the OMG Café. Great name. The G stands for 'goodness' - wouldn't want to offend anyone, eh? The coffee was excellent. The service was great, but the time that elapsed before my toast arrived saw the sun  move through several phases. I got so bored I logged into free wifi at the real estate agent across the street. This then came up on my FB which prompted people to ask why I was looking at real estate in NZ. The answer? I can't continue to live in a country where Morrison is the PM.

The real reason we come here

Anyway, the coffee was worth the drive. The sourdough miche was not worth the wait. That said, Martinborough is a quaint little town and worth a visit. It has wineries, many of which are accessible on foot from the main street. Literally 10 minutes walk. There is also a wine centre in town if you CBF walking to the winery. Not for me though, we had to get to Napier.

The next distraction was Stonehenge. Yep. You read that correctly dear reader. No. Not on the Salisbury Plain, but somewhere between Martinborough and Carterton. The GPS was not kind on this journey and had us drive 6 km to turn around and head back to the correct turn off. Maybe it was some weird magnetic force.

Welcome to Stonehenge NZ style

Stonehenge Aotearoa was smaller than the original and far less crowded, but no less out of the way. It was $15 entry per adult, but hey, I'd driven all the way out here. We had a chat with the woman on the desk and then went to the 11 minute video presentation - it was fascinating and I learned a lot about the structure. It's been a few years since we visited the original, but I learned more here. The acoustics are incredible. Jayne stood in the middle of the henge and I leant against the outside wall and we had a discussion at normal volume and could hear everything clearly. We would have been 20 metres apart. 

The other key point of interest was the zodiac. I learned that I am not a Scorpio but a Libran (as are David and Cait while Dan is actually a Leo like Jayne). Well, at least we were the one star pattern initially. I'm not sure how I feel about the change. I've been lied to all these years. Apparently it is the fault of some Pope back in the 1200s - that makes eminent sense. If you dig deep enough, the Catholic Church and/or the British can be found responsible for most screw ups in this world. And probably the next. If it exists.

Following the Henge we headed for Pūkaha, a wildlife centre at Mt Bruce. The GPS lady steered us through Masterton and then just out of town announced that our destination had been reached. We were in the middle of nowhere. At that point I gave up. Reset the overly aggressive, shouty GPS to take us to Napier and about 30km down the road we came across the wildlife centre. WTF. I still have no idea.

We stopped. Well, we were there and it's not every day you get see a white kiwi and other assorted wildlife. Jayne amused the lady at the desk by asking if the walk was "up hill and down dale"? No, really amused her. She reached for a couple fo children's books that convert Australian colloquialism into plain Kiwi. Jayne's expression was not in there. Astounding.

Back in the car for the long haul to Napier. No more stops.

Reflections from the drive? New Zealanders love golf courses and agapanthus. Probably in equal number, they were everywhere. They don't like overtaking unless there is a dedicated lane. My aggressive GPS has a knack of issuing instructions way early or just a fraction too late. Despite that, we made it.

Again with the song reveal at the end of the post. I know, I apologise. The simple truth? Jayne's been trawling through titles while I finished the post. And in the end came up with Distant Sun by Crowded House. I'd be interested to hear from your interpretation as to why that is today's title.

Until tomorrow