Picton to Opua in a flash!

01/04/2015

 

Kiwi country? South Africans will be thinking chickens!

We caught the 1.15 pm ferry from Picton, and although the sea was flat, the sky was dull, grey and chilly, so we hunkered down in comfortable chairs for the crossing. After disembarking, we headed north in foul weather through the Hutt valley and on to the wine district of Martinborough, via a quite hairy pass!!

Our late arrival combined with big rain, led to us once again choosing cabin over tent! This also enabled us to have an early start to Napier, which was our next stop.

Napier had also suffered a major earthquake in about 1931, and much of the rebuilding was done in an Art-deco style: a theme which has been continued to this day.

A cruise ship was in when we arrived, and the place was a madhouse!

We decided to retire to the Kennedy Holiday Park, to watch the RSA vs NZ match, and to explore Napier the following day. A very sad outcome, where our strike bowlers failed to deliver when it mattered……..nevertheless, it was a fantastic, and exciting match!

Even the salesman in the fresh fish shop next morning gave us his commiserations and said it was worthy of a final! We enjoyed exploring Napier, and really liked the town.

We had originally intended to return via Gisborne, where Cook first made landfall, but decided to take the more direct route through Taupo, as we still had a date with a Spa! We had also rushed through the area with Kate last year, and knew that we had missed things.

Lunch at Lake Taupo

Watched by ever-expectant gulls

We found our totally exclusive, FREE and 100% private spa…. Right in the middle of a cow paddock! Butchers Pool! After much deliberation, we changed into our cozies, and much to the amusement of all the cows around, eased into the very hot, soothing waters with no sulphur pong!

Cooked like a crayfish!!!!
We also visited the Aratiatia Rapids, which now only perform when the sluice gates are opened a few times per day. The main flow of the Waikato river is diverted through the Hydroelectric power station, so the rapids can only be seen when the gates are opened.

From there we drove down towards Tauranga, where we camped at the Papamoa Beach Holiday Park. Once again we needed to find a Sky Pub to watch the Aus vs India match. The Aussies gave the reigning champions a hiding, and gave the Black Caps something to think about!

Our next leg was up to Whangerei, where we stayed for two nights in a Motel cabin with Sky. We met up again with Chris and Steve, who invited us for supper, with Steve cooking a fantastic Carbonara.

The next morning, Mary and I dried, and repacked our tent and camping gear, and used the laundry to wash all our bedding and clothing before going back to Sheer Tenacity. That night, Chris and Steve joined us for a lamb steak meal in our Motel, and to watch Australia completely outplay the Black Caps, and win the world Cup!

After a big Countdown shop the next morning, we were on our way to Opua, where we were reunited with Sheer Tenacity.

5500kms, and 6 weeks of fantastic touring and camping behind us….. but it is great to be back, and sleeping in our own bed again!! New Zealand is a spectacular country in which to travel, but Mary and I could not help but feel that it lacked something.…the diversity of birds and wildlife, which we take for granted in Africa.

As I post this last blog of our  southern road show, I can also report that we have just sold our little Toyota Ipsum… our fantastic “Mrs Paki”, and will have to hand her over next Friday…….. which means a whole heap of things to do between now and then!