We are back again after a couple of weeks "rest." We got away from base camp again this weekend after being on call last weekend. On Thursday we had a look at the weather forecast which said rain everywhere on the North Island except for Napier, so Friday right after work we headed to Napier.
It was a nice drive to get there that took us around Lake Taupo and to the east coast. Friday night we found a campground right on the coast and had a relaxing night watching the waves.
As you can see above, Napier is located on Hawke's Bay on the east coast.
It is in the heart of North Island wine country with hundreds of wineries in the surrounding area.
Napier is also the Art Deco Capital of the World. There was an earthquake in 1931 that leveled the city, so it was rebuilt in Art Deco that was popular at that time (much to Roberta's delight.) We spent a few hours on Saturday frolicking around the city and looking at the architecture with our self-guide pamphlet.
A flower clock.
After our walk about, we headed to the National Aquarium. We got there just in time for the divers to feed the fish, sharks, and rays. There was a tunnel through the large tank so the sea life was all around you. They also had many of the native species of New Zealand including penguins, kiwis, and tuataras.
Dori!
After checking out the aquarium, we headed south of town and drove up Te Mata Peak which gave us some stunning views of the surrounding area. Pictures can never capture the vastness of the actual area.
There were a pair of German backpackers setting up their tents right on the top. Later that night when we were in our campsite, the winds got quite strong and I found myself wondering if those two guys were regretting their decision. I guess I'll never know.
We were up bright and early on Sunday to see the sunrise. Hawke's Bay is on the first coast to see the sun every morning. We did go back to bed right away though.
Evidence that Roberta even got up too. That is quite an
accomplishment for her.
Once we were up for good, we decided that we would do the 19 km hike along the coast to Cape Kidnappers.
We were the first two of the day to start breaking the trail. It was advised to start the walk around 4 hours after high tide so you could walk on the beach but we couldn't wait that long. We left about an hour after high tide and had to climb over the rocks and run in between spots, but it was all in good fun.
The scenery was incredible with huge cliffs lining the coast.
Cape Kidnappers is home of the largest mainland colony of gannets. Gannets are diving seabirds that are known for their interactions with each other. You may have seen them on shows like Planet Earth. They weren't scared of people at all so you could walk right up to them.
Here are some facts about gannets.
When we finally got back to our van, it was time to head back. These weekends seem to fly by.
On a different note, scientists think that Ruapehu might erupt in the next two weeks. It is the volcano we skied on and is around 40 kms from where we are currently living. We are supposed to be marshaling the "Goat Race" in two weeks which is a race around the mountain. It could be interesting!
Over and Out.
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