Sunshine & Art Deco

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Gisborne, first city in the world to see the sun and the chardonnay capital of New Zealand, was best described as an acquired taste. It wiil probably rank in our minds as the Invercargill of this trip - closed on Sundays. Gisborne is also the place where Captain Cook first landed in New Zealand, exactly 237 years to the day before our arrival. The Cook connection obviously created additional interest from our perspective and the foreshore at Kaiti is scattered with various points of interest - lookouts over Poverty Bay towards the first land sighted at Young Nick's Head, monuments to the landing and quite bizarrely a statue, which now has been recognised as nothing at all to do with Cook given that the figure is dressed in French naval uniform.

Whilst the city was showing signs of new life being breathed into it, there were a few trendy developments around the harbour and the Sunshine microbrewery deserves due recognition for it's Gisborne Gold - Cook probably wasn't too far away with the naming of the area. We had plans to travel further on to the East Cape, but John figured out with only two days to go before his birthday that going any further east would make him even older.

We thus headed for our art deco fix in Napier. The collection of photos therefore reflect an indulgence in the architecture, which obiously remains the ultimate in art deco destionations anywhere in the world. Napier also has the advantage of a fabulous climate, which is somewhat of a rarity overall in these parts. We passed a few days in the sunshine quite easily, wining and dining in the Cosmopolitan Club, relaxing in the Ocean Spa and taking in a side trip to the equally agreeable Hastings. After 6 months of not risking a haircut, Miranda risked the local hairdressing college as a model to seek that elusive new image - after nearly 3 hours of careful snipping, it wasn't clear whether the trainee hairdresser or Miranda was more shocked that it turned out OK.

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Photos

McLean Park, Napier
....and they play international rugby and cricket here??

Hairdressing College, Napier
Three hours later....who looks most surprised that it turned out OK?

Napier
Just to remind you, it's spring heading for summer here!