Tuesday 18^th November

We decided to do the town walking tour at 10am today which was an interesting look at the art deco buildings about town. As most of Napier was destroyed in an earthquake in 1931 almost all the buildings were rebuilt in the art deco style of the day and since the 1980s have been appreciated and preserved with the help of the Art Deco Trust.

After an early lunch of various salads we were picked up at 1pm to go on a wine tasting tour. There were nine of us and we visited four vineyards: Church road; Trinity Hill (where the vines are grown on the old river bed - called Gimblett Gravels); Ngatawara (which had a very nice homey feel to it); and Crossroads (which did a very good tawny port wine). We thoroughly enjoyed most of the wines, bought a couple of bottles and ate our way through a platter of assorted local cheeses. We then drove up to the lookout on Bluff Point before being dropped back at our B&B.

After nibbles and another glass of wine with our hosts on the verandah watching the birds, we walked down the hill to have dinner – I had plain panfried turbot and a green salad rather than anything fancy and it was absolutely delicious. I much prefer my fish plain and unadorned rather than with ragout, sauce or anything else!

Monday 17^th November

We woke to torrential rain but by the time we had had breakfast, got ourselves organised and walked around the visitor centre at Whakapapa the rain had eased and the sun was trying to come out. We decided to visit the Tawhi Falls on our way back down as it was only a short ten minute walk. They were lovely waterfalls but as we returned the rain started coming down again. We had decided to drive the shortest (154Km on a minor road) and probably the slowest route over to Napier as we thought it would be very scenic – and we were not disappointed! Amazing views of mountains, gorges, green hills, forests and then lowland fields with sheep and cattle.

We took about three hours as we kept stopping for photos! The weather cleared as we came the other side of the mountains and we had a picnic lunch, finishing up our smoked fish and lettuce. As we drove into Napier the sun was shining and the temperature had risen from 7 degrees (when we got up) to 19 degrees. We are staying at a pleasant B&B on the bluff overlooking Napier harbour and about ten minutes walk from the front (and twenty minutes back up the hill!)

Most restaurants seem to be closed on Monday and the only one open had a twenty minute wait for a table and was very brash and noisy so we went to a Thai takeaway that also had some tables and chairs inside. It was maybe not the best venue but the food was good – and cheap.

Sunday 16^th November

Today we set off around 10am in thick cloud and rain showers to drive for about thirty kilometres to Rotobounamu. This is a small lake set in beautiful wooded hills near Mt Tongariro with a pleasant two hour walk on a woodland path around its shores. Fortunately this was sheltered from the wind and the sun came out on occasions. Some of the trees were really impressive, reaching 35 metres or more.

Having demolished an apple and cereal bar each we decided to drive on the road up to Lake Taupo take some photos from the Eastern side of the lake and then divert around the back of the mountain range (Tongariro, Ngauruhoe, and Ruapehu). The sky cleared and we had some good views of the snow covered slopes of Ruapehu, which is over 2,700m and still classed as an active volcano as we drove over the Rangipo desert (which wasn’t very desert like). At Ohakune we took a small road up the mountain and 15Km later found ourselves at the end of the road with snow lying at the sides. It was good being able to get up so far by car and get some good views in the sunshine. We stopped at a beautiful waterfall just off the road called the Mangwhero Falls

We then returned to our motel for an early dinner of cauliflower cheese and mashed potato (made in advance yesterday evening) as we are going for a guided evening walk tonight at 7pm.

We were duly picked up at 7pm (just ourselves with our guide Johnathan) and kitted out with woolly hats and gloves before having a great two and a half hours walk through teatree and imported Scottish heather to Taranaki Falls.

These were quite spectacular and we then walked back through the forest in the dark (with torches). It was too cloudy to see the sunset but it didn’t rain very much and we thoroughly enjoyed it. It was quite an easy walk with less uphill than the one we did in the morning.