Gisborne & Napier
23rd February 2009
Much as we enjoyed Rotorua, we aren't disappointed to leave behind that wonderful, all pervading, eggy-sulphury smell, and head next for Gisborne.
The drive from Rotorua to Gisborne is another adventure in itself, with a busy but steep and narrow mountain pass making up part of the route. Logging trucks courteously hop out of the way for us and other motorists, and we notice a simple rule being enacted - let anyone who is smaller and faster than you overtake you, it's a lot easier than having them up your bum when you really need to be concentrating on the road!
As we drive in to Gisborne, it reminds us of a slightly faded, low rise American town. The streets are wide, there's plenty of parking outside the shops, and there are lovely beaches and great views over the town and out to sea from a tall hill right next door. The population of 32,500 are also lucky to have the claim of being the first city to see the sun rise each day.
Now, much as we would have probably popped into Gizzy anyway, we were on a special mission to meet up with an old friend of mine from home, Noel. He moved over here in January and is just settling in, so we thought we'd try and sponge a bit of free board off him and get him to show us the sights. Having prearranged with him to turn up at some point on Saturday, Sunday or Monday; we turn up on Monday afternoon while he's out and about with a lady friend. His mum answers the door, and I think it's a bit of a combination of me not explaining myself properly, and her forgetting completely that we are coming, that leads to a minor misunderstanding... Noel's mum thinks that I'm some hussy that he's picked up in town, come to claim her man!
After being politely sent on my way, I send a text to Noel's English mobile, hoping that he still uses it over here. About five minutes after we've given up and checked into a campsite, an amused Noel drops us a line to let us know that his mum told him about the strange young lady who turned up on the doorstep this afternoon... we drive on over to Noel's place and are introduced to Noel's mum Theresa and her partner Pat, who are apologetic and extremely welcoming, and after a few beers and a catch up with Noel, we arrange to meet up the next day.
Noel has met a young lady who's in town from Perth, Australia, for a few days called Leigh - they are planning to go kayaking in the morning, so we spend the morning exploring the hill (and drive past all of the healthy people jogging up it, looking at us scornfully), and the various amazing views and Captain Cook statues (including one with a sign that admits that it isn't wearing the right uniform and looks nothing like him), play some mini golf and have a closer look around the lovely town.
We catch up with Noel and Leigh in the World Cafe, just out of town - they have bravely cycled to and from their kayaking trip, and after a few more beers we say goodbye to Leigh as she and Noel wobble off into the sunset, and meet with Noel shortly afterwards as we've been invited by his mum and her partner for dinner.
Lots of tasty sausages, salad and mutton steak later, we are stuffed, and chat for a few more hours before retiring - tonight though, we don't have to rush back to the campsite to meet curfew, since we are parked up on Noel's parents' drive and can just bed down in minutes. We also catch up on our washing and stock up on some delicious fresh silverbeet, spinach and oranges from the allotment - thanks Pat!
Saying our goodbyes to Noel, and our thanks to Theresa and Pat, we head off south for our next stop, Hastings, via Napier.
Napier was largely destroyed by an earthquake in the 1930's, but has remained relatively untouched by seismic activity ever since - this has had the pleasant side effect of it now being a whole town full of beautiful Art Deco buildings, more concentrated than I've ever seen them, and all very well looked after.
After a quick round of stone skimming on the black pebbled beach, a gawk at the fabulously immodest Pahia on the Rocks statue (an old Maori legend about a young lady who was lured out to sea by the siren voices of the sea people, and was turned into a reef when she tried to return to land to meet up with her lover; depicted topless), we commence a walking tour of the town, and get neck ache from looking up at the fantastic architecture all around.
A quick drive on, through the similarly Deco Hastings, takes us to our resting place for the night - Cape Kidnappers, where we hope to catch sight of one of the resident gannets while we cook our meal at our pitch just metres from the sea.