Roaming with Peter & Marilyn: Gisborne to Napier

Saturday, Dec. 11.

Peter began to get a cold yesterday and is not feeling well today. I drive first so he can rest and actually do the complete drive to Napier. At one point I see confusion ahead. As we get closer it becomes clear the road is blocked by a flock of sheep. As I approach, the sheep dog is circling the flock keeping them bunched together. When they are one solid mass, he stands at the front awaiting orders as to what to do next. The farmer is off at the side with his truck. He gives a sharp whistle and the dog moves the flock past me. Peter gets some photos. It is fascinating to see the actual dog at work.
I proceed slowly as one sheep has separated himself from the flock and, although the farmer is by it, I think it might come back onto the road.
The drive is not daunting - only 215 k. We stay again at a Bella Vista motel. This is a fairly new chain - each owner-operated - that are throughout N.Z. They differ in the number of rooms in the motel, but are all built on the same style. We stayed in a few last time we visited and were always satisfied.
I definitely must thank Antigone for suggesting strongly that we should not miss this lovely town. We are “wined out” from our winery tours in Argentina, so we settle for wandering around town with our inexpensive guide book in hand and viewing the Art Deco buildings.
The earthquake that hit Napier in 1931 devastated the area. With the entire downtown demolished - well all the brick building which crumbled and all the wood buildings which were destroyed in the fire following the quake - a phoenix arose from the ashes. As it was depression, workers came from all over N.Z. to work on the rebuilding. Being the 1930’s, most buildings were built in the Art Deco design. Combined with the cleanliness of most N.Z. towns, Napier is one of a kind.
As I have my lamb shank and mashed potatoes for dinner, Peter gets all his food groups in his 12 inch Subway sandwich. We eat in! He spends the evening booking flights, accommodations, and cars for the next little while. I drink scotch!

Sunday, Dec. 12.

We are up and out to the National Aquarium of New Zealand to see the feeding at 10 a.m. It is just a 500-yard walk along the “melacon”, called Marine Parade here. The museum has an acrylic tunnel where the fish swim beside and over you. I like the manta rays and shark the best. At the fish feeding, some of the fish actually line up to be fed! They are not as dumb as we might imagine. The crayfish climbs over the feeder’s foot and crawls up his leg as he knows there is food coming.
The exhibits are well laid out and there is lots of interactive stuff that even Peter and I get into. We are very lucky as we go through the kiwi “night” area as one comes right to the window area poking into the soft ground for food. It goes to a stump and pokes all over the bark. Finally, I’ve seen a real kiwi going about its natural activities.
One exhibit is about an amateur palaeontologist who discovered that dinosaurs did live in N.Z. This had never been proven until this lady found a bone 80 k. inland in a river. She only began to study at 60 and spent the next 22 years engrossed in the work. Sorry, I forget her name and Peter has the brochure somewhere - he is sleeping.
When we get home, I make Peter some chicken noodle soup and put him to bed as he is still coughing and not feeling great. I go out for a walk.
There is a place called Bluff Hill lockout, so I decide to get some exercise and venture out. There is a Century Garden at the bottom of the hill, constructed where once there was a quarry. It is quite pretty with a hundred foot waterfall built into it. I continue up the hill past many interesting cottage style houses built into the hill. Not far from the lookout, I stop to read a plaque pointing out the way to Sturm’s Gully Reserve. This gully, I discover, circles around the hill. A local who lives by the entrance confirms that I can get to the lookout by following the signs through the gully. There may be stairs to climb, but it beats walking up the street.
It is a quiet walk, much like the stairs in Kinnaird. The view is mostly of the port which is important to the life of Napier. They export wood products, sheep, beef, wool, dairy etc. I get some nice photos.
I return via the steps on the Ahuriri side of the hill then cross back through the gully and down the stairs and roadway back to the ocean walkway to our motel. It is a two-hour walk which I really enjoy.
Dinner tonight is at the RS(A) - Returned Service (?). It is like our Legion except way more upscale. The restaurant it open to the public and for $25 you get a buffet of seafood and ham and roast beef with veggies and salad and dessert. It is right across the street, so we just pop over at 6 p.m. Peter does not do the food justice - eating way less than he would normally. I do just fine! I guess it will be lots of soup for the next week.
Tomorrow we make the run to Wellington and fly to Christchurch on Wednesday. Seemingly, they are still having aftershocks from the earthquake earlier this year. Should be fun.