Nov 19 – Tongariro
39°11′58″ S 175°32′23″ E

We were sad to say goodbye to our B&B hosts Wendy and Peter in Napier this morning. Not sure if we will ever make it back to Napier but if we do, we will certainly be staying here!

After another hearty breakfast we hit the road. Wendy recommended going east to Waiouru on a less traveled road and stopping there to see the National Army Museum.

We passed through some spectacular countryside, through agricultural areas famous for kumera – sweet potatoes and carrots as well as fruit orchards.

The highway had many twist and turns and changes in elevation through gorges and valleys then opening out into grazing lands of sheep, cattle and the occasional horse.

We were amazed at how wide & expansive these grazing lands were as we were up at a pretty substantial elevation.

We watched a storm coming in from the west and soon were in the middle of a downpour. We were glad for a stop at the New Zealand National Army Museum in Waiouru. The 3 photos below were copied from the Museum’s website.

The weather suited the sombre displays of New Zealand’s armed forces through the two World Wars and earlier times as well.

The museum was very well done.

Cath was especially taken with a special exhibit of women through both wars, with details of their lives and mannequins of clothing that they would have worn at different decades.

It was still raining heavily when we left Waiouru and made our way to Tongariro National Park about an hour away.

The clouds were low as we drove up to Chateau Tongariro where we were going to stay for the next two nights. We were very glad to be getting out of the car and into such a grand hotel.

It was still pretty unpleasant outside but we made the best of the situation & had a great “high tea” in the hotel’s classy lobby/relaxation area.

This treat brightened Cath’s (& my own) perspective.

Here’s hoping the clouds lift tomorrow!

Cheers!

Napier, Art Deco City
39.4892° S, 176.9186° E

This morning started off with “Pete’s Special” breakfast for me – poached eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes and toast with homemade lime marmalade. Cath opted for fruit and yogurt! No need for lunch for me.

During breakfast we enjoyed chatting with two sisters from Germany who were also staying at the B&B.

Today we had a mixed agenda. Napier is well known as an important vineyard & wine production area with 74 local wineries & also as a city that has over 100 art deco style buildings.

The city was destroyed in 1931 by a major earthquake. At the time of rebuilding art deco architecture was very much in vogue so a significant part of the downtown commercial area was filled with buildings built in this style.

Years later, when other architectural styles became more popular, the local citizens & the government realized that Napier had something very unique & the majority of these buildings were preserved & are still here today.

We wandered around the downtown enjoying the building facades, stained glass and tiled entrance ways. We also walked along the beach front. Hawke’s Bay is huge but there is no sand, only smooth grey pebbles/stones. There were many beautiful flower gardens along the walkway.

From there we drove up to Bluff Hill for a view of the harbour.

Our B&B host Wendy had recommended the Mission Estates Winery for a tasting. Established in 1851, it is the oldest winery in New Zealand. The winery & the main buildings are part of a former French Catholic seminary that once trained as many as 600 priests.

They did not offer a tour but had many historic photos of the seminary & it’s beginnings as a winery. Our host Jacquie gave us a tasting of several different wines, starting with a bubbly and finishing with a dessert wine.

The outdoor restaurant area was very busy with large groups of well dressed locals mixed in with tourists like us. Happily they fit us in! I opted for a salad while Cath enjoyed green lipped mussels, a local specialty along with a glass of Pinot Gris. We drove out happily on the driveway lined with trees planted 100 years ago!

We went back to our B&B for a little rest and then I drove Cath back downtown for a swim at the City’s 25m outdoor pool beside the ocean. It wasn’t as spectacular as Bondi Icebergs but it was warmer!

Back at our B&B Wendy and Peter invited us to join them on their back deck for a glass of wine and some nibbles. They are such warm and welcoming hosts who really wanted us to have an excellent stay as their guests at the B&B and in the area. Easy to do!

Cheers!

38°21′27″ S 176°22′9″ E
Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Area

This morning we took a short walk to see the avocado orchard owned by our hosts at the Purple Hen B&B.

Avocado trees looked nothing like we expected!

Then we traveled south to Napier with a stop along the way to see the geothermal pools at Wai-O-Tapu which is just past Rotorua.

This geological feature is amazing & is well developed to accommodate large numbers of tourists. It was the first time that we felt a bit crowded here in New Zealand. That said, the crowds did not interfere with us having a good experience & being able to see almost everything we had hoped to see.

There is a geyser that erupts every day around 10:00 in the morning but unfortunately we were about 45 minutes too late for that. However there was still lots of other sights here to see.

There were numerous deep sulfur craters with bubbling mud at the bottom & others filled with steaming hot water.

There were no places to soak as all of them were far too hot – some well over 100 C!

Depending upon which way the wind was blowing the smell of sulphur was quite strong – almost enough to gag you!

We left the hot pools and continued south to Napier, about a 2 hour drive through rolling hills and winding roads.

We checked into our B&B – 119 on Georges – and were greeted by our genial hosts Wendy and Peter.

After a brief rest we drove to the downtown area, had a late lunch/early supper at a sidewalk cafe, then headed back to our cozy room.

More adventures in Napier tomorrow.

Cheers!