Homeward Bound

Another cloudy morning, but at least no dew while we packed up. There has been a drastic change of plan because as soon as I mentioned craft brewery, winery and restaurant by camping ground in Eskdale Duncan was prepared to forego the difficult drive through National park to Turangi - even though we do remember the Italian restaurant being very good.

As soon as we hit the Eastside of the island, the blue, cloudless sky bursts out of its box, and the temperature begins to soar. The Esk Valley camping ground is rather "Rustic". We found these Harlequin Beetles with all sorts of patterns on their backs. Fascinating - but - we were to find later - a real pest to fruit growers.

 The beer packs look very interesting, but unfortunately no tasting today so Duncan had to just buy a selection pack and try them out. We had an interesting time at the Linden Estate and returned there for a very pleasant dinner that night.

Excellent marketing strategy . Duncan particularly liked the Fourstroke which was recommended to be drunk after mowing the lawns.

Next morning it was up and packed and back to Gisborne - in time to start the clearing out process before we put the caravan away for the winter in the shed,

Thursday 25th April - Anzac Day

The Whanganui Top 10 is on Somme Parade, which is probably quite appropriate as the river is so muddy, and I believe the Somme battlefields were pretty muddy also. It is shrouded in fog so we have a leisurely start before driving to Mosquito Point - a swimming hole in summer but who would want to swim here.....

Mosquito point

Then we go to Cooks Gardens where Peter Snell broke the World Mile record (3 mins, 54.1secs Duncan tells me) The only person training here today is a one-legged lady and her carer - But what an inspirational place to train!

Bell Tower - a Miss Tinker was the first carillion player 

Our next "adventure" is on the Waimarie, a coal fired paddle steamer. We found it rather sedate, despite "exciting ANZAC" addition of a geriatric band playing songs of yesteryear. We would have found it very disappointing had we not watched a short video while we were waiting to board as there was no commentary.

Waimarie gettting up steam

A really great game for the kids, jumping from one bollard to another.

The guts of the engine

The geriatric band

It was pretty cold, and all the food sold out very early, except for icecreams. Sometimes our fellow passengers were more interesting than the view.

Look!!! a bridge

The lady on the left has severe arthritis, so we had hours of fun watching her try to use her cell phone. Her husband had a vast swathe of dandruff from his beard. The lady in yellow was too frightened to go down the steps (ladder) and so missed out on the food.

The lady on the left was an incredible size, but the lack of one breast made it very poignant. Her friend - obviously recovering from Chemo had a bit of a bald top.

Towards the end of the trip we were lucky to find a bench seat with its back to the boiler room. Mmmmm warm.
Probably the highlight of the day occured next - we went to the Durie Hill Elevator. You walk in this long echo-y tunnel to an antiquated elevator which first started taking people up the hill in 1919

This reminded me of a near-death scenario in Waikato Hospital. The stupid nurse had forgotten to turn my oxygen on.

Inside the lift - souvenir pens if you wanted one!

The War Memorial is on top of the hill, but no signs of commemoration here today

As we got closer we found out that it was now deemed an earthquake risk.

We chose not go go up to the top of the War Memorial tower (176 steps) and went up the less impressive Durie Hill Tower, which still gave us good views over Whanganui.

These next 4 pictures sort of join together in a panorama

Early Elevator riders.

The tunnel was started in 1916. It seems a very forward thinking undertaking.

The young man on the elevator had done 120 trips that day, and thought he would get up to 150 before closing time at 5 o'clock.
Dinner at the caravan tonight.

Heading to Whanganui

Brilliantly clear day, but a heavy dew. By 10.30am the mountain was cloaked in cloud again.

We stopped at the same cafe in Inglewood. It was a really interesting place, having been a lawyers office, a grain supplier and a hairdressers and then the cafe since it was built in 1878. One further stop in Waverley to go to the loo, then we pushed on to the camping ground in Whanganui.

All the vans have a concrete pad to park on, the wifi is reliable, and the amenities are in good order so we decide to stay 2 nights. We drove out to Castlecliff through the industrial area and port. The sand is dark, and the water is dirty after all the rain we have had. Still there are a few hardy surfers.

The wide entrance to the Whanganui River - Whanganui means Big Bay

Looking up the breakwater - lots of people fishing

We walked out on the breakwater  and saw where the Whanganui River flower out to the Tasman Sea.

Down the river to the sea.

After a drive down the main street, Victoria Ave, we have a cuppa down by the river at a cafe at a cafe called The Muddy Duck - I have to say that this word muddy keeps popping up with reference to Whanganui. We went to the supermarket to restock, and then Duncan went of for a bike ride while I got tea.

We'll be going around the cloud : 23rd April

We start off with some exciting glimpses of Mount Taranaki. Our goal is to circumnavigate it today.

 Our first stop is at Waitara.

Can you see Australia???? Very  muddy water after all the rain.

 By the time we turn back onto the Main Rd the mountain is starting to be shrouded in cloud.

 We had morning tea in Inglewood, and stop in  Stratford - famed for its glockenspiel clock where the little figures come out - but not every hour, just some.

We missed it by about 2 hours either way.

Lots of things in Stratford are very Shakespearised - like the drains!

The farmland is more typically dairy farm now. When we went to the museum yesterday there was an interesting video showing how the volcanoes in the middle of the North Island erupted spewing ash over the Taranaki District (long before Taranaki blew its stack) - sort of prehistoric fertiliser.
Its hard to find a decent cafe for lunch and we drive on past more CLOSED museums to Opunake.
Below are two views of the hotel there - the top one on this trip and the bottom one taken on our honeymoon 46 years ago!

Unfortunately we took them from two different aspects.

A nice ANZAC display - every cross named, so the men were remembered.

Once back in New Plymouth we head out to Hurworth, which is the original homestead of Harry Atkinson (became Prime Minister) who also settled in the Mangorei District (Carrington Road). Alas this pioneer cottage - the only one remaining  - is closed. It seems every avenue to explore my ancestry in New Plymouth is CLOSED.

Brooklands Bowl in  Pukekura Park

Extensive new seating being added to the cricket ground.

Easter Monday is a Washout!

Very heavy rain overnight, but it stopped long enough for Duncan to go for a run. The showers came at frequent intervals, and it just sheeted down! the ground is saturated.
Full of enthusiasm to research my ancestry we set off to Puke Ariki, the museum, but unfortunately the research library is closed today - it was open on Easter Sunday (we understood that it was to be the otherway round). The general exhibits are very interesting and we fill in a couple of hours there before checking out Moturoa Beach where the Amelia Thompson had anchored in 1841, and where the Olivers and the Allens came ashore by lighter. There are breakwaters there now, and I suspect they had bad weather too as it took six months to fully unload.

Then we drove to Mangorei Road where the ancestors broke in land to farm and finally went to Marsland Hill where the new arrivals sheltered in one room huts, and where the redoubt was established during the New Zealand Wars.

Marsland Hill, looking out over the city

The carillon  on Marsland Hill - but of course we missed hearing it ring.

Monument to fallen soldiers during the NZ wars.

The "vibrant restaurant scene" we were promised in the brochure had also gone into hibernation but we finally found a nice Italian one, and it was not really hampered by the leak in the roof, although all the rest of the tables were quite close together. Unfortunately, although I really enjoyed my creamed spinach and a yummy dessert, I fear they were just a bit - well - creamy. I was hit my diahoera in the early hours of the morning!! Note to self: Only one rich dish per meal.

That Weather Forecast!!

21st April 2019
With heavy rain forecast today,  we got up early - to fog! But by 9 o'clock the sun and blue sky pierced through. We scurried around and got on our way - again through such pleasant landscapes with with wonderful stands of tree ferns. We really enjoyed our morning tea at PioPio at The Fat Pigeon

Across a little bridge to the park at the morning tea.

Toasted Hot Cross Buns

Stands of tree ferns line the road

The rain does not start until Awakino. It is a bit of Erebus Conditions now with clouds right down to the foothills and of course no sightings of Mount Taranaki.

Awakino Tunnel

We set up on the Fitzroy Beach Motor Camp, and then had to dry out a bit.

We decided to go to the Len Lye gallery. His early works did not impress me, but the movement ones were fantastic - shadows and sounds caused by random events; but the scariest thing was the optical illusion of glass in the loo doors!!! I was assured that from the hallway you can't be seen.

Like Alice through the looking glass

Silver fibres reflecting in unusal ways on a bendy metal ribbon

The metal thing is built in 2 dimensions in 3D space - but the shadow appears to be in 3D on 2D space!!!!!!!

The black arc is a shadow, the orange ball bounces around making drumming sounds in the metal oval.

The front of the Len Lye centre is very shiny metal pleats - a great juxtaposition with the clock tower. It is hard to believe that this picture was taken in colour!! Such was the nature of the day.

Very poor reception on the TV, so scrabble tonight - Duncan;'s game.

The rain is pouring down!!