Highlights of this week:
- Staying with friends in their 130 year old kauri home. It really is something quite special with a wooden staircase and floors. It reminds me of the house in Gone with the Wind! It's great to catch up with Ian and Karola. We also have access to a good internet connection which helps a lot!
- Becoming interested in Art Deco at Napier and Hastings. In 1933 there was a
n earthquake which destroyed the towns. Rebuilding took the interesting form of Art Deco and now these towns are renowned for this style of building.
Coming to Hastings is like going back in time. The shops all close at 5pm and 2pm on Saturdays. Needless to say we didn't get to town until too late to do any productive shopping!
- A walk to a 2000 year old puriri tree
- A heatwave of 29 degrees on Sunday dropping to 12 degrees by Friday and loads of rain
- A visit to a small vineyard - a personal tour on the back of a quad bike through vines; wine tasting sitting under the trees planted by the great grandfather of the owner who arrived from Ireland in the 1860's and started up the vineyard. We leave with a large bag of juicy oranges grown in the orchard alongside the vineyard and a true taste of New Zealand hospitality and generosity.
Sunrise on the
beach at Gisborne. Gisborne is the first city in the world to greet the sunrise so we couldn't leave without seeing it. It's getting towards the longest day so the sun gets up early and we did too - at 4:30am!
beach at Gisborne. Gisborne is the first city in the world to greet the sunrise so we couldn't leave without seeing it. It's getting towards the longest day so the sun gets up early and we did too - at 4:30am!
