Travelled the Thermal Explorer's Highway to Napier in Hawkes Bay. A seaside town rebuilt in 1931 after an earthquake destroyed the original town. It's known as the art deco town for good reason. Most of the buildings have been lovingly cared for after some bright person realised they were worth it (not before some had been replaced by ugly formula concrete and glass shops and banks). I suppose it's a matter of taste but I like art deco architecture and the council have them painted in sympathetic colours. I couldn't stop clicking the camera.
We then went on to find our booked room for the next 2 nights, a weather boarded house in the quiet Esk valley with a gorgeous garden, veg garden, orchards and it's own vineyards.
This is wine country - lots of estates right down to the coast with wine tasting if you want it. Our (English born) hosts invited us and other guests to join them for a glass of their wines. All very nice of course. And a very friendly group of people.
A nice touch was a weather bulletin board (written out and displayed at breakfast by the owners) of the places we were all about to move on to. Such attention to detail for their guests! We had a glorious room with a huge ensuite, with polished local wood (rimu) units and floor overlooking the mown lawns down to the vineyard. Heaven.
We visited Te Mata, a look out mountain with a 360 view. Then Ocean Bay, an unspoilt yellow sand beach ( Napier's is black) with about 2 other people on it and then after lunch on the waterfront, travelled back through Havelock North, a little village where I posted my postcards in what I thought was a postbox then found a more obvious red one further on - heaven knows if they will arrive!
Had dinner port-side at a restaurant in a vast high ceilinged building with wood panelled entrance and a grand doorway which had once been the NZ shipping company offices. Building more interesting than the food! We watched the fishing boats loading ice from a truck ready for their night trip out. Strange there doesn't seem to be any interesting fish on the local menus. Bit like British fishing villages.
View from hotel balcony on Lake Taupo, the night before
Esk Valley Lodge
We then went on to find our booked room for the next 2 nights, a weather boarded house in the quiet Esk valley with a gorgeous garden, veg garden, orchards and it's own vineyards.
This is wine country - lots of estates right down to the coast with wine tasting if you want it. Our (English born) hosts invited us and other guests to join them for a glass of their wines. All very nice of course. And a very friendly group of people.
A nice touch was a weather bulletin board (written out and displayed at breakfast by the owners) of the places we were all about to move on to. Such attention to detail for their guests! We had a glorious room with a huge ensuite, with polished local wood (rimu) units and floor overlooking the mown lawns down to the vineyard. Heaven.
We visited Te Mata, a look out mountain with a 360 view. Then Ocean Bay, an unspoilt yellow sand beach ( Napier's is black) with about 2 other people on it and then after lunch on the waterfront, travelled back through Havelock North, a little village where I posted my postcards in what I thought was a postbox then found a more obvious red one further on - heaven knows if they will arrive!
Had dinner port-side at a restaurant in a vast high ceilinged building with wood panelled entrance and a grand doorway which had once been the NZ shipping company offices. Building more interesting than the food! We watched the fishing boats loading ice from a truck ready for their night trip out. Strange there doesn't seem to be any interesting fish on the local menus. Bit like British fishing villages.
View from hotel balcony on Lake Taupo, the night before
Esk Valley Lodge
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