A really late start to get going. Having munched toast with jam for breakfast we set off at 10:45 in the direction of Napier. We were planning only to arrive in Hastings around lunchtim and if we made good progress we would aim to stay in Taupo for the night.
We began our journey out of Gisborne in hot sunshine which soon turned in to thick grey cloud overhead. Again our route was a lush green picture and forests surrounded us. It was a pretty uneventful journey until we reached Tutira and as I drove us around tight bends on the mountain pass entering the outskirts of Esk Forest we were graced with very hard rain immediately after glorious sunshine. As we ascended the valley wall the rain became big fast falling hailstones and I could barely see the road ahead! As we turned through the Devils Elbow, a point marked on our atlas which is little more than a very tight hairpin bend, we passed through a second burst of hailstones and then the skies cleared up slightly.
We bypassed Napier to reach Hastings where we dined for lunch at 15:00. Obviously we weren't making good progress so agreed to stay in Napier tonight. I arranged some accommodation at Archie's Bunker, a BBH hostel, and then did a little tour to Te Mata Peak south of Hastings. It wasn't raining but there wasn't much of a view either. The clouds were still low in the sky. We remained sat in the car waiting for a tiny bit of clear sky to enlarge and move out towards the coast. It took an hour but it was well worth the wait. The clouds were still looming above us but we got some fabulous views of the peak and surrounding hills and towns of Hastings and Havelock North. On the way back to Napier we toured Hastings and I leaped out of the car on numerous occasions for photographs of beautiful art deco buildings. I was practically mesmorised by such quality design and craftsmanship.
Having settled in to the hostel in Napier we scurried up to Bluff Hill Domain which is a viewpoint overlooking Napier port. Again the cloud was everpresent but that didn't stop me gazing at the activity underway in the port. Two tug boats guided a huge container ship out of dock, one tug released its rope and spun 360 degrees away from the ship. Then a pilot boat raced out to escort the ship to sea. As I watched the second tug boat release its rope half a dozen dolphins caught my eye as they swam about playing in the harbour! The unexpected sight of dolphins made my day and I continued to watch them as the rains came in...
Today we travelled 302 kilometres from Gisborne to Napier. Yet again we saw another falcon snatch some roadkill from the road as we approached the area where the carcass lay.
We strolled around nearby roads in Napier to get a feel for what the city has to offer before dining in a small but friendly spanish style bar.
I'm looking forward to an early start tomorrow so I can enjoy the art deco capital of the world.
Copyright 2002 Helen Fuller. All rights reserved.