Not only did we both forget to post day 2 of our North Island tour yesterday, but when we discussed it this morning, neither of us could remember what we actually did on day 2.
We had a brief contretemps about who should write today's entry. I reasoned it should be Iain because I wrote the previous entry, but he said he could only write about Wellington, (which was day 4), because he couldn't remember anything else. Maybe that was a calculated ploy to get out of doing any writing today by appalling my orderly mind, and if so, it worked (grrrr). I couldn't bear the thought of posting the account of our trip out of order, which means it's me who's posting yet again. Iain, your account of our visit to Wellington had better be good.
Day 2
Gisborne to Napier
Sunday morning in Gisborne dawned chilly but bright, with the promise of a warm and sunny day ahead. We set off for a brief drive around town and a stroll along the beach before starting on the next part of our journey. Iain wasn't too impressed with Gisborne. He said he thought it was a dull and lifeless place. He seemed to be overlooking the fact that it was early on a Sunday morning in mid winter. I'd be amazed if any town is buzzing with life then. I thought Gisborne looked pleasant, if a bit characterless, but from a practical viewpoint it seemed well equipped with anything you might want on a day to day basis, and the town centre was well-kept. I really liked the palm trees that line the high street. Anything remotely exotic-looking like this still impresses the socks off me. I suppose I like to be reminded I'm somewhere 'foreign'.
Gisborne High Street
Gisborne beach is gorgeous. Iain took some photos of it, but he's gone all 'prima donna' and is refusing to post them. He says they're not good enough. Nothing wrong with them if you ask me.
Gisborne beach is a gently curving bay of biscuit-coloured sand strewn with driftwood, with a rocky headland on one side. The other side of the bay isn't quite so picturesque, being dominated by some sort of factory with dozens of huge cylindrical containers. It reminded me a bit of a brewery, but it definitely wasn't (and having lived for ten years in Burton on Trent I know a brewery when I see one!) My guess is it was a desalination plant. Maybe someone who's been there can clear the mystery up.
The drive from Gisborne to Napier was spectacular, especially the first half. Almost immediately after leaving Gisborne the road begins to climb steeply into bush-clad hills. We stopped the car at a scenic viewpoint and saw the whole of the bay and acres of bush spread out below us. The unfamiliar birdsong in the trees all around, the warmth of the sun on our faces, the glitter of sunlight on the sea below and the stench of a decomposing possum at the side of the road all combined to make a truly memorable moment. We took some photos, but they're no good. We knew they wouldn't come out very well, as the sun was in exactly the wrong place. We should have waited eight hours or so. Then we would have got some brilliant photos.
I can't remember much about the second part of the drive from Gisborne to Napier, apart from the fact that the landscape opens out quite a lot, and Napier itself is on a broad plain which looks as if it was once part of the sea bed. Napier is much more 'sea-sidey' than Gisborne with a lot more accommodation to choose from, and it is geared very much towards the tourist trade. The town itself has more character than Gisborne. This is mainly due to the art deco style of many of its buildings. The town had to be rebuilt from scratch after being completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1931. Oddly, neither of us took any photos of Napier. I have no idea why not. To make up for our forgetfulness, here's a link with some photos of Napier.
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