new horizons

Leaving Waiotapu, I decided to take the road through the mountains of the Huiarau Range, past Lake Waikaremoana. All was easy until shortly after Te Wahiti. When I stopped for a coffee, 3 hours later at Aniwaniwa, the lovely Maori lady’s comment said it all. “You came over in that?” pointing at the camper. “That’s good eh!” Big smile!

I pressed on to Napier as the weather wasn’t looking great overnight in the mountains, arriving at the freedom beach camping ground as the sun was setting.

For those of you that don’t know, Napier was flattened in the war and was rebuilt in the simple style of the time  – Art deco.

I wish we’d done the same. Some glorious architecture. Time to explore on the bike. The centre of town has some great buildings and the upper facades are still beautiful, but the magic had gone for me, all hidden behind brash, loud advertising and overhanging walkways, making it hard to appreciate. The sun was shining though and not a cloud in the sky.

I went down to the old part port and found some great stuff. The old Rothmans building being out here (unfucked-up), it gave me a real sense of what the town could have looked like in it’s heyday, after the rebuilding. The warehousing was immense!

The Te Mata Peak and a good hike was just what was needed on a gorgeous afternoon.

Going further south tomorrow. There seems little between here and Wellington, but I’ll keep an eye open.