Napier

March 03, 2019Tina McInerney

Hello again

Last Thursday, we drove from Wellington to Napier on the east coast. It was an amazing drive out of Wellington along very winding roads and through thick forests. It did flatten out a bit but was still very scenic.

We stayed in an apartment a bit out of town which was very stylish but we had to take our shoes off to walk through the house then down some outside stairs to the little flat. It was a bit annoying and We were walking through their living room which felt uncomfortable.

We had a walk into town along the beach front past the port. The port was a surprise. It was so big and there were truck after truck loaded with logs coming in where it was transferred onto ships to be transported to China. Later in the day we drove up to a lookout which overlooked the port and the amount of logs on this huge wharf was tremendous!

We had a wharf around the town which is full of Art Deco buildings. Then walked home again. Later on we went down to the suburb near us, Ahuriri, which is beside the port but now it is a bit groovy with lots of warehouses which have been turned into bars/taverns and shops with cool clothing. We went to an old pub for a drink - it had a jukebox - and then moved next door for a delicious meal and then the movies at a theatre called The Globe. We saw ‘Stan and Ollie’.

Some snaps of Napier.

This is a winery now!

Windy Wellington!

March 03, 2019Tina McInerney

We stayed in an apartment in Wellington overlooking the freeway but it was very nice inside. We had 3 nights, 2 days there. The first day, we wandered about the town. Tony went off to see Parliament House and I visited Te Papa museum. Pretty interesting with lots about Maori culture. There was an exhibition for Pharlap so I thought I’d pop up and see that as I used to take my Brothers and sisters to see it at the Melbourne museum next to the library after we had been to the pictures and had lunch at Coles cafeteria. It was a regular thing during the school holidays. When I found it, I was a bit shocked as it was just a skeleton! it seems his heart is in Canberra, his skin is stuffed in the Melbourne museum and the bones in Wellington. Poor Pharlap!

After we met up again, we caught the cable car up to the Wellington Botanical gardens and had a wander through there and then back into town.

Tne next day (Wednesday) Tony picked up a hire car and went to play golf at Parparamu where Riversdale had reciprocal rights. he played with the President and Captain. I went for a steep walk up Mount Victoria and then went for a sculpture walk (following Lonely Planet walk) popping into the shops along the way.

It was so windy on the wharf I could hardly hol my phone still! Hence the off centre photo.

And that was Wellington. It is a very compact city - pretty hilly. I liked it.

The. Train ride

March 03, 2019Tina McInerney

Kia Ora

Last Monday, we took the train from Auckland to Wellington - 12 hours altogether!

It was a bit of a slow train which we thought a bit strange having experienced Fast European trains but it was a good thing because you could savour the scenery rather than just be a blur. When we first started off, it was pretty ordinary as it took a while to get through Auckland outskirts but it picked and became quite beautiful- not much of New Zealand is not beautiful! I took a few photos but not great from the train.

a very deep gorge - we went over a few of those. You can sort of see a river below.

Snow on the mountain

Someone’s head!

The river.

And that’s about all.

February 24, 2019Tina McInerney

Kia Ora, everyone! Here we are in Auckland.

it is a very pleasant city with an attractive harbour with lots of large cruisers lined up. The Cunard boat, Queen Victoria, is towering over the piers at the moment. There is lots going on here at the moment with 93 cranes on the horizon. The waterfront has been redeveloped with pretty upmarket shops, a new rail station and heaps of eating areas. As the city was built on 53 extinct volcanoes, it is very hilly - good exercise for us.

We had a good flight over arriving at 5.30am so we were in town by 6.30! It was still dark! Fortunately we were able to get into the apartment and could then have a sleep. We had a nap then mosied off into the town which was just a couple of streets away. We are in a very handy spot and the apartment is very nice. It is in a up-market hotel with resort - style facilities, Daniel.

After a bit of a walk around, Tony went off to visit Eden Park stadium and I poked around the city with a bit of a bus trip over the harbour. We met up again and had tea at the fish market.

The next day, we took the ferry over to Waiheke Island for a wine tour which is not something we normally do but it was good fun. A bit odd to be drinking wine at 11.00am. We visited 3 wineries and tasted about 12 wines. We were very good friends by the end of the tour! We stopped for lunch at this very lovely winery and I had such a delicious meal of lamb. After that, we wobbled off to the ferry and had a little sleep on the way home. The island was just beautiful, by the way. Lots of green vegetation, little bays and beautiful beaches.

Saturday morning, we went for another tour, this time walking around the city centre learning a bit about the history. It was interesting and covered quite a bit of the city. The tour guide wasn’t the most personable guide but she gave us coffee and scones in a very nice hotel so that made it ok. Also we made some new friends from Australia- 2 sisters from Queensland, one of whom worked in Tax Office- so you can imagine, Tony had a great time catching up on the gossip!

Here are a few snaps of the tour.

Clock tower at the University and below is the inside of the tower.

Below is a Maori meting house and one of the 93 cranes!

And our new friends!

Another building - this time Polynesian.

And these are New Zealand pineapples?

This is a doorway.

The Town Hall

The old theatre, very beautiful building.

and that was our tour.

that was Saturday morning after which we caught another ferry across to Devonport for a bit of a look around. Pretty suburb with lots of wooden houses and views over the harbour.

this morning we went off to mass at the lovely Cathedral which is sitting quietly in the next street. It was surprising how modest a building it is - more like St Francis than St Pat’s. The afternoon was taken up with a walk out to Ponsonby and a small trip to a material shop for me whilst tony went a golf shop!

In the morning, we are off early to catch the train to Wellington which is supposed to be very scenic.