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It rained all the way down from Napier to Wellington. It’s still raining. We’ve checked into the budget Trinity Hotel and have no desire to leave just yet. We’ll probably just have the afternoon in before going out for a meal and to the movies which are nearby. We had quite a full day on Saturday around Napier despite the unseasonably cold and wet weather. Judy and Colin took us out to visit a variety of the local wineries along with their son Brett who works in the industry here. Our first stop was the very plush Craggy Range where we sampled a few of their whites and reds – all very nice. We bought a bottle of Chardonnay which we liked which we’ll save for a special day. Next stop was to visit some good friends of Judy and Colin, Roz and Mike, who had recently visited the Abel Tasman national park which we plan to visit sometime soon. They had a wonderful home and gave us some helpful insights into the park. From their house we drove up to the top of the ridge for the view. We were able to see some distance but the weather limited what we could see and it was a bit chilly so we didn’t stop long. Next stop was another winery, Ngtarawa, where we again sampled some wines and this time bought a Syrah – a red wine which we don’t usually drink but quite enjoyed. Before eating we stopped off at Trinity Hill to take a look around. We stopped for a late lunch at The Filter Room where the food was excellent. The place was a brewery so Helen and I had a six glass sampler of their beers. Our last stop was another winery called The Mission which was frequently (and currently) used for wedding functions. We had a brief look around but passed on additional tasting. We were all about pooped by now. Brett was dropped off at his car which was left at Judy’s parents who we briefly met before we all returned to The Barnz to rest the remainder of the afternoon. Brett and his wife Michelle joined us for dinner in the evening and we enjoyed all their company. This morning we’re heading off in the continued rain to Wellington in time for our ferry ride tomorrow. Fortunately the bad weather plaguing us at the moment is not affecting the south island so we should be seeing sunshine soon. It rained all night at Lake Waikaremoana. Fortunately, bar a few drips here and there, we remained quite dry in the tent. In the morning we skipped breakfast and tidied up as fast as we could. The clothes that had got wet the previous day were put in the tumble dryer. When we had everything bar the tent packed we waited for a lull in the rain to put that away. The flysheet was stuffed into a bin bag and the main tent quickly folded, brushed and put away. The drive down the other side of the mountain to the east coast very quickly brought us to better weather. We even saw the sun at times. The road all the way to Napier, even the section that followed the coast was very windy taking many more miles than the proverbial crow would fly. This led to some interesting scenery as we wound our way in and out of deep gorges. We reached Napier around lunch time. First stop was an internet shop where we checked on our mail and uploaded our blogs. Next was lunch and a little shopping. The came a hunt for a dentist. Helen’s crown had come loose and we really wanted that fixed before she accidentally swallowed it. We visited many but only found one with a slot to see here at the end of the day. The dentist hunt allowed us to see much of Napier which is famous for it’s Art Deco themed architecture – preserved through rebuilding after a 1931 earthquake. We waited for the dental appointment on top of the bluff overlooking the port of Napier taking in the sights and reading. Helen’s appointment turned out to be short but expensive. Next stop was The Barnz, home of Colin and Judy Barnes who we’d got to know via email and have invited us for a couple of day. They have a lovely home near the coast and have been wonderful and informative hosts. They shared a couple of bottles of wine with us over dinner – always a way to please us. We then went out to a local winery where they had live music and a nice atmosphere albeit a little chilly. The weather seems to have chased us down the mountain with cold rain being the dominant theme. Today we’re off to visit some of the local area wineries of which the region is famous. Should be good. The forecast for the day suggested a little light rain in the morning clearing up a little afterwards. We can stand a little rain and we have only the one full day here so we went ahead with our planned hike around the nearby Ruapani Circuit. This hike was listed as taking 5-6 hours. The first hour was a continuous but gentle ascent along a well made track, something now very familiar to us. The vegetation was lush. At the top we reached Lake Waikareiti which was shrouded in mist. We stopped to eat a packet of crisps in a day shelter – the only one we would find on the whole circuit. While there we saw raindrops forming on the lake and a few fall around us. Well, the forecast had suggested there would be some rain in the morning. We trudged on. The small spatters of rain turned into a continuous drizzle that decided it was there to stay. Once we were off the Waikareiti Track and onto the loop that completes the Ruapani Circuit the path became less well maintained. Frequently we would have to wade through fern glades full of grasses containing seeds that clung to our leg hairs although not leaving the plant without a struggle. The ferns were soaking wet so each time we went through a new glade the water from the ferns would run down our legs and into our boots. My waterproof boots proved their worth by retaining all the water that dripped into them making for a sloshy walk. The grasses made us feel as though our legs were being waxed. Not fun. There are solutions to these problems but we don’t have them. The hike took five and a half hours all in. Helen’s kneed and thigh played up and with the rain she ended up not having too great a time. The views would have been spectacular bar for the rain which obscured them all. When we got back to the tent we found that the sleeping area had flooded a little. The air vents which had held rain at bay in the past did not do so this time. One had drained in. The bottom end of our sleeping bags was now all wet and so were some of our previously left for dry clothes. The joys of camping. We were able to make do and spent much of the remainder of the day in our sleeping bags warming up and reading. We had a brief respite from the rain while eating dinner but now it’s back. We dread packing up in the morning. Even if it stops raining soon the ground is sodden. We’ll deal with it if we have to but we may not be happy. Onwards to Napier tomorrow. Almost aptly named as we’ve been motoring all day to get here. We were up fairly early. Did some last minute internet stuff including backing up my computer with the last of our paid for megabytes. We got off the boat without too much hassle with help from Frank / Tahina which was very appreciated. As ever, we forgot a couple of last minute things and had to turn around in the river to sort them out. We were on our way south shortly after 8. The roads ran smoothly and we had few hold ups with only one near stop in the depth of Auckland. Trusting the GPS to go the best route (I don’t know why given some of our past luck) we were eventually on roads we had not traveled before. We stopped for lunch at a town called Matamata which turned out, by chance from our perspective, to be the place where they filmed Hobiton for the Lord of the Rings movie. We’d have liked to seen where the filming took place but we did not have the time. We bought and shared a $15 fish and chips meal which was so huge it eventually became our evening meal too. Soon we were back on the same road we’d come north on from Rotorua with the boys. The GPS obviously had a mind of it’s own and maybe it was best to avoid the main road. We certainly didn’t have too much traffic the way we went. SE of Rotorua we were again on virgin (for us) roads. State Highway soon become a gravel track meandering through forested mountains. At one point we were 3,000ft above sea level. When we reached Lake Waikaremoana the afternoon was wearing on but the low lighting made for a great view. We stopped to take a couple of pictures. The wet weather of the past couple of days is now behind us so we found the ground dry and amenable to putting up our tent in the campsite. We brought the micro tent as well as our big one. As we’re staying here for two nights the big one came out. We had a quick walk to stretch our legs before microwaving the rest of the fish and chips in the communal kitchen. There is no internet here nor any phone service. I’m trying to troubleshoot why I can no longer use the internet via my phone but I can’t even try that here. If you’re reading this blog this has all happened a few days ago. The lake is the site of one of New Zealand’s ‘Great Hikes’ but it’s a multi-day hike and we don’t have the time. Insttead, tomorrow (Thursday) we plan to hike the Ruapani Circuit which should take us approximately 6 hours and wear off some of the weight we need to lose. |
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