The weather in the mountain area of Taupo was still bad on Sunday morning, so we decided to hit the east coast area of Napier for a few days. The 140km drive was scenic (as usual) and also supplied us a few tense moments with an almost empty fuel tank once we realized there will be no gas station till we reach the coast. Imagine our joy to find a gas station towards the end of the drive only to realize it is automated and won’t accept any of our credit cards. Argh!
Luckily a few km further we were able to fuel up and head into Napier downtown proper. The city is interesting because it was totally destroyed in a 1931 earthquake. A quick rebuilding boom turned it into an Art Deco Mecca and ever since the downtown has a unique look to it. We strolled around for a few hours and enjoyed lunch in a nice café. As an added bonus, the municipal Xmas parade began just as we finished our lunch, and it was nice to see the local effort.
After reading several books on the subject, we happened across an organic grocery store and stocked up on the healthy alternative to pesticide sprayed produce that we normally buy at the supermarket. The apples actually do taste sweeter!
Later, at the Top 10 campground, Ron Shir and Orr enjoyed the large playground and jumping pillow almost entirely to themselves.
Yesterday morning continued with more playground fun and then we drove half hour south to
We booked a three hour tour because the colony is inside a private farmland property and walking along the coast for 20km was too much for us. The knowledgeable lady who took our group in a 4by4 minibus was a great guide and the views driving thorough the hills and valleys leading to the gannets were a great unexpected bonus. There is a newly built golf course on the property that is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. It is very eco-friendly and from above it supposedly meshes with the natural flora. Our guide said that not a single tree or bush was uprooted in building the course. She then pointed to an old beat up barn and said that it the brand new golf clubhouse built to look on the outside like what you would find on a typical farm.
Back to our gannets though. Once we got to the cliffs, we got off the bus and stepped into the stench. These fellas shit were they live. So Ron and the girls didn’t spend too much time outside, preferring the inside of the bus. There was a German PhD student specializing in gannets at the sight and she provided us with lots of information. These gannets are one of the few wild species that are actually thriving in the world today. They have a 2m wingspan that enables them to fly off to
Just like kiwis (the people).
In the evening we returned to the Top 10 in Napier but this time it was full of kids on a school trip, so Shir and Orr had to be a bit more careful not to get stepped on. Ron managed just fine.
Today we headed back to Taupo, gas tank topped off before leaving town. We also popped into another organic store, not far from the campground and adjacent to the farm. After I bought a few things the owner’s daughter took me and the kids to see some of the produce growing. The kids got to pick fresh tomatoes off the vine and also some oranges. Yummy.
Taupo is still cloudy, but at least no rain til the evening. Tomorrow we will head to Tongariro and hope for the best.
Good night,
-Hemi