http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Oceania , New Zealand , North Island , Hawkes Bay , Napier en-us Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:47:51 +0000 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:47:51 +0000 Mandag 7 dec.Byen Rotoura stinker jeps der lugter af rdne g. Det er selvflgelig p grund af alle de varme geotermiske kilder der er overalt i byen. Ellers sker der ikke det store i byen men Hella havde heldigvis booket en rdquo4WD Volcano Safarirdquo hjemmefra.Vi blev afhentet af Judy en sand multitasker. Hun kunne snakke om alt fra global opvarmning til brneopdragelse knvre i mob http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-459522.html Yes we've been bad bloggers and we admit it. In our defense we've rarely been home. This September 18 will be our fifteenth night at home compared with 16 nights being spent elsewhere. Not that we're complaining. We've been up to some pretty fun stuff.Our first outoftown weekend trip here was to Hawkes Bay also known as wine country. We set out late on Friday afternoon and what a drive i http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-437531.html Saturday 11th April 2009 The 2009 Volkswagen NationalsThe sun doesnt hit our van till quite late in the morning but Rob and Cassie behind the hedge from us get the sun much earlier. So after breakfast its straight round there for a chat in the sun. Theres a nice tree on the site next to ours shading us from the mornings warmth.The show was held down on the waterfront at the quieter end of M http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-391458.html Day 39 8 March WellingtonNapier The road to Napier on the east coast of North Island still gave us plenty of hills to make the Sunny use second gear occasionally especially in the first hour out of Wellington. A sunny Sunday morning drive through sheep shearing country. World championships are held around here. Lots of places advertise demonstrations. You can even have a go yourself. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-382017.html February 23rdOK It has been a long day but I feel I should make a stab at an update. From the Mount I continued my journey south. Rotorua to Taupo with a stop to look at some geothermal sites. Even though these generally are not my cup of tea flat white long black or any other options I have to say the park I stopped at south of Rotorua was excellent. To a more important topic the coffee. Nev http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-376647.html As promised havent left it long since last blogSo here we are in Art Deco Napier lots of deco architecture been a flying visit arrived late afternoon yesterday and leaving in the morning.Did the 3D maze outside Rotorua before we left a lot of fun but pretty confusing You basically enter from one side of the front and then have to visit all corners before coming back out the same way you we http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-370887.html These are a few photos of New Zealand. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-365514.html Last night we had a discussion on where we were going to go today It was a really hot day so dad suggested we go to Splash Planet so Mitchell looked around on the internet and he found Splash Planet.SO we gathered up a few things and we hopped in the car and drove thru Hastings to Splash Planet.Splash planet is really cool first we had to line up at the door and wear an orange bracelet so we coul http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-361371.html Hello everyone a belated Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to you all wherever you may be. Thought Irsquod quickly upload some piccys of my favourite place on the planethellipA lengthy 36 hour journey took me door to door from London to Havelock North the fastest route round the world you can do. Taxitrainflightflightbusflightcar. Argh exhausting Arriving dehydrated seriously http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-358068.html Wednesday 17 December 2008The Wairapa Coast Wellington to NapierCaptains Log for the seafarers amongst you We motored out of Wellington Harbour on a southerly heading for about an hour then headed east mainly under motor for 45 hours until past Cape Palliser. We turned northeast 14 nautical miles south east of Cape Palliser and basically maintained that course for the next 24 hours under mo http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-353712.html Germans and Cricket An unusual some might say unnatural combination. But after a brief introduction to the game while watching a local club game in Cornwall Park a couple of weeks previously Corina and I setoff to Napier to watch the 1st day's play in the 3rd Test Match between New Zealand aka 'Black Caps' and England aka 'fuckin' poms' http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-353192.html We hopped in the van the next day and raced up to Napier the art deco city. Very pretty very nice place we liked Napier. We did a wine tour in the afternoon but a proper one this time with transport so we could both drink the wines What a beautiful afternoon the sun was out it was really hot and we sat in winery gardens sipping on loads of yummy wines. We found the reds extremely nice http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-340098.html Thursday February 5More rain was disappointing but tempered when Robert fixed a delicioushearty farm breakfast complete with freerange farm eggs and farmbacon. In most hostelsbackpackers we stay there are two garbages one fortrash and the other for food scraps for the pigs In preparationfor the next day's regional Hawkes Bay wine festival we did a littletsting of our own discovering se http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-323674.html Just before we left i had dinner with my great friends Sarah Cox and Anna Holman. Sarah's husband Richard asked me about the approaching trip and i was more than happy to describe all our exciting plans. Afterwards Richard who is from Yorkshire and has higher sarcasm levels than most was silent for a few seconds and then concluded so basically you are following winter around the world. I l http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-292968.html Day 1214 Tuesday Wed Thursday 22426We had a beautiful drive down from Taupo to Napier. Taupo is on Lake Taupo which is a big lake that was created from an explosion and which literally blew off the top of a mountain. The drive down to Napier was nice and we actually went 50k without mountains. I think it is about 150K from Taupo to Napier. The NapierHastings area is really interesting and http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-250795.html photos of us http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-240804.html Spent a most enjoyable day wandering round this city. It was devastated by an earthquake in 1931 and rose again in fashion. They found that the lagoon had emptied and the land risen so more room for planned development was available. It is certainly well worth a visit. Doubtless you can find all that on the web with pictures. I also found out a lot about possums from the possum shop. Hope you l http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-240572.html Today we drove down to Napier the art deco city. On the way we stopped at Wairoa to look at the Kauri lighthouse easy to find as its been moved into the town centre. Then we slowly followed the road down round Hawke's bay through several spectacular gorges till we came to Tutiri lakes an excellent place for a picnic take note George and Beb. Also several lakeside walks. We have the photo http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-240208.html Our names are Brian Andrea StitsonWe live in a small city called Napier http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-237456.html DATE VISITED NEW YRS EVE AND NEW YRS DAY After another half day of driving down the coast from the East Cape we entered Hawkes Bay. Our base for the night was a town called Napier which was shook by an Earthquake in the mid 1920's and was flattenned as a result. Napier as a result of this natural disaster presents to the visitor a vast array of Art Deco architecture which was built shortly a http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hawkes-Bay/Napier/blog-231902.html