Advertisement
Published: June 20th 2005
Edit Blog Post
The old Daily Telegraph Building
This is the most featured art deco building on local postcards & tourist guides. We went away for the long weekend (Queen's Birthday - one week later than the UK) a couple of weeks ago and it was a great weekend. We hired a car and drove up straight from work on the Friday through to Martinborough Wine Region up to Napier in Hawke's Bay on the east coast of the North Island.
The weather forecast was a bit ropey and it's generally very difficult to forecast the weather accurately down here but it turned out to be pretty good. In fact, we were able to sit outside and have breakfast in our t-shirts on the Saturday. We arrived about 9:30pm on the Friday and checked into our Motel just after the All Blacks trial had finished at the nearby stadium. Just as well we didn't arrive in time to go because although it was a good game, it was very cold outside that night.
We had a great breakfast the next morning then did the self-walking tour of Napier's art deco architecture. The city was almost completely destroyed by New Zealand's biggest recorded earthquake (7.9 on the Richter scale) and was re-built in the art deco style of the day that was
The Theatre...
...but what about the tosser of a car parked in front?! Ruined my shot!! very popular at the time in the US.
We then decided to jump in the car and drive up the coast to a beach that we saw on the map called Waipatiki Beach. It was pretty remote but had great waves crashing on the shore that almost caught us out a few times as the tide was coming in.
In the evening we sampled some great Tapas with a few beers whilst watching the Lions open their tour against Bay of Plenty. An enjoyable game to watch in front of a roaring fire and a pub with more Scots in it than Kiwis!
After a slightly hungover start to Sunday, we nabbed another fantastic breakfast and headed off to the nearby town of Havelock North to meet Stephanie Thompson (nee Reid), formerly of Standard Life in Edinburgh! Steph and her Irish hubbie, Damien moved to Hawke's Bay last December - she was brought up there, you see!
Also with Steph was one of her sisters and her cousin and her cousin's boyfriend and we went for what was meant to be a nice and easy walk up a wee hill called Te Maka Peak. However, our
sherpas decided to go up the steepest route and the 399 metre hill soon felt more like Mount Cook to my poor jelly legs and burning lungs! However, the views made it worthwhile....
We then went to pay a quick visit to Steph's family's bach by another beach, Waimarama. A bach is basically a piece of land and is often populated by a holiday house or, in this case, a mini-caravan park and an outside loo! They have plans to build a house sometime soon which will be magic as its a wonderful spot. While we were strolling along the beach there we bumped into Steph's cousin and boyfriend again who this time had their sprogs with them. We all strolled along the beach and popped into Steph's aunt and uncle's bach for a cuppa and a biscuit.....nice!
To top it all and to prove the reputation of Kiwis as being very hospitable, Steph's Mum then invited us to join their family Sunday roast, which was amazing. Two of her sisters were there and two of her brothers as we as another Aunt (I think!?)....anyway, it was a great gathering and a real privilege for us to be
The famous Masonic Hotel
Only those with the correct handshake get the best rooms allowed to join the family for the evening. The grub was great and the company even better - thank you to the Reid's for all their hospitality.
On the Monday we had yet another sensational breakfast and drove back down to Wellington with a diversion to try and get to Cape Kidnappers, but we found out that you can only get out there on organised tours so we just headed back home. All in all a great weekend and we'd definitely like to visit 'the Bay' again preferably in the summer so we can take advantage of those great beaches.
As there's no more holiday weekends now until October time, so we're not sure when we'll get away again but hopefully some skiing up at Mount Ruaphehu will be in order!!.
Stay lucky,
Angus & Jo-Ann
P.S. Well played Michael Campbell, 2005 US Open Champion!! I'm planning to join the golf club he used to be attached to and still has links with, Manor Park - better do it before they put the fees up!!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.113s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 14; qc: 78; dbt: 0.0731s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 2;
; mem: 1.2mb