Hawke's Bay

We have some free maps in the car that we had picked up at tourist information offices and various hotels, but no real extensive road map over the north island. The best map we had did indeed show the entire north island but in very rough terms with only the biggest roads mapped. So when we set off to Hawke’s bay we saw that there was a ‘scenic shortcut’ through the Te Urewera National park.

From the looks of our map, there was only one main road through the park so we thought it would be a fairly straight forward ‘drive in the park’. We also have a compass in the car, so we felt well equipped!

It turned out that the signposting isn’t the best once you are in the park and that there in fact are many little roads crisscrossing the park. It also didn’t help that the compass seemed as confused as we were and we are now pretty sure that it was turned around and showed ‘south’ when we in fact were heading ‘north’ and vice versa. While we were never really lost, the 20km drive took us four hours!!! When we eventually reached ‘civilization’ and the main road, the car was covered in dust from traveling on the gravel roads.

The park is really beautiful though with a large lake; Lake Waikaremoana and lots of opportunities for hiking, camping and enjoying the lake. It would be a nice spot to spend a few days and exploring more!

On our journey we have seen many sheep and Victoria wanted to cuddle one. However, she didn't get her chance until we reached a souvenir shop...

A 'real' sheep

A sheep to cuddle....

Many cuddly sheep

Cuddle sheep

Once we reached Hawke’s Bay we headed to Napier, a little seaside town that is known for suffering a large earthquake in 1931 and afterwards rebuilding the town completely in art deco style. Almost all the buildings are preserved the way they were built in art deco which gives the town a distinct feeling like you are stepping back in time. The town is a nice beach resort town and we found an outdoor pool which made Victoria very happy. In fact, both of us when for a morning swim both mornings we were there!

Napier is also a good starting point for exploring the wine region and we went to visit two of the bigger vineyards just outside town; Church Road and Mission Estate. Mission Estate is located in a beautiful building and spot overlooking the valley but the wine was actually pretty mediocre. However, we had lunch in their outdoor garden restaurant and it was excellent! So we would definitely recommend it for the view and food, but not perhaps for the wine…!! Church Road on the other hand had some good wine and Robert bought a bottle of their syrah.

Victoria in the wine cellar

On the way out of Napier heading south back to Wellington, we drove through Hastings and North Havelock which also were lovely little towns with that ‘local’ small town feeling to them. In North Havelock we stopped at the Strawberry Patch where you can pick your own strawberries! We picked and then over-indulged in freshly picked berries! In fact, Victoria ate so many she feels she could probably survive a few days without seeing another strawberry….

Strawberry fields

Robert and a sign telling him what not to do...

Strawberry tasting...

Mmmmm... strawberry icecream

They also sold local produce and fruits and it is a feast for the eye to see all the fresh vegetables piled high! The only thing we had a ‘problem’ with, is that while we have met many very nice New Zealander or ‘Kiwis’, and seen a real Kiwi bird, it seems as if all kiwi fruits are imported from Italy!!!! Why on earth would somebody transport Italian kiwi fruits to New Zealand?? Well, it turns out the reason is the same as why you can find apples and other fruits from New Zealand in Europe during spring….. the kiwi fruits aren’t in season yet!

Our tour of the north island came to an end when we reached Wellington again and this blog post has been written from the ferry crossing the Cook Straight back to Picton. While the waves aren’t as bad as the crossing last week, there are still some swells that make your stomach go on a rollercoaster ride and there is an unmistakable scent in the air of toilet disinfectants…. However, overall, our week long tour of the north island has been really fantastic with many great experiences and an increased appetite to one day come back for more!!!

written by  Victoria & Robert on March 23, 2010 from Napier, New Zealand
from the travel blog: The rest of the world
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