Got to Gisbourne ok but had a small heart attack when the taxi fare to the motel where I was staying was just shy of $20!! Talk about an expensive night's sleep! When I got to the motel reception, they said that was quite extortionate and that it shouldn't be that much. I thought it might have been about $10, but twice that much! Crumbs.
The motel was very nice in any case, and the managers were really friendly. However, not much to do here without a car to get around, so I went for a wander around the area, and then retired to my room. They did have Sky tv after all, so I thought I'd just chill out and watch some movies....Bee Movie was on, so I was able just to zone out whilst having a giggle.
I had also realised that I had to do something whilist in Gisborne, other than just sleep, so as it's the most Easternly city in NZ, it's the first place to see the sun rise. So guess who got up at 6 in the morning, stood in a field in her pyjamas at the back of the motel, watching the sun rise? It was very pretty, so I'm glad that I got up. I knew I could go straight back to bed afterwards in any case :D

Had a nice breakfast courtesy of my motel, then booked a taxi to the I-Site, hoping that the fare wouldn't be as much. I was wrong unfortunately as it cost me 40 cents more than last nights fare!!! Flaming nora! It's probably an 8 minute journey in the car at the most, and that's with stopping at traffic lights and crossings. Ack. If any of you come to New Zealand, and stay in Gisborne, don't go to the Tudor Park Motel unless you have a car. It's not that it's not a nice place (it even has a spa pool, a pub at the back, a room with a couple of pool tables, and a mini gym) but it's just that it's bloody far from the town centre.

So, I sit on the bus for another 4 hours to get to Napier, where I'm really looking forward to staying in the vegetarian B&B that I've booked. It is pretty expensive, but as I'm probably going to be in hostels for the South Island, I may as well make the most of having my own room and bathroom and that sort of thing!
Ruth, the lady who runs the B&B is also going to pick me up at the bus stop, so that's nice. The B&B is on the top of a hill, so I would probably have kicked the bucket trying to lug my suitcase up the hill!
It was a good thing I didn't try as the hill isn't huge but it's bloody steep! The B&B is absolutely gorgeous too, nice views of the city beneath us, and lots of green trees around us. I did some washing (chores, eh?) and then headed out for a wander around the town and to find some dinner.
Had a lovely walk on the beach - no sand as it's just shale - but still a lovely view. The water is a gorgeous turquoisey-green colour, and is just endless!

Shuffle back to the B&B with my Chinese takeaway as it's starting to rain. I thought about eating in the restaurant to escape the rain but I didn't really fancy eating by myself. It was almost a good thing too as it poured down for a couple of hours; I didn't have my brolly, was only wearing little canvas shoes, and I just fancied chilling out in my pyjamas! All this travelling lark doesn't half make me tired!
I also really wanted to try out the mud pack I'd got in Rotorua!! I'd bought some myself, but also got a couple of free packs - one from filling in a survey when I was at Te Puia, and the other when I took part in a Maori dancing demonstration whilst waiting for my bus to Gisborne! Yay! I did want to go for a proper mud treatment in Rotorua whilst I was there, but it was quite expensive and I ran out of time! Ah well, I can just slather myself with mud, can't I?
Anyways, it was very nice, so I might be coming home with some mud. Though I guess I can buy that stuff at home in any case....

Tomorrow I am going to go on the afternoon Art Deco tour of the town, and in the morning I'm not sure what I'll do with myself but I think I'll take a walk up Bluff Hill to the Lookout, and then go along the coast again. The walk is at 2pm, so I've got plenty of time to wander around in the morning beforehand.

It's getting quite chilly in the evenings lately, boooo. During the day is usually quite warm still, but I'm now longing for more fluffy and warm pyjamas! Hmm, perhaps I need to do some shopping tomorrow....after all, the South Island is more chilly than the North and it's getting to Autumn time here too. However, it's only more to carry around with me....groan. I think I'll see how chilly I get when I get there!