We are in Napier. Its my favourite place so far on the north island. The art deco buildings are really intersting and theres a lot of money been invested in the city, keeping it tidy.And its been sunny today too!
We left the south island last week. Travelling up the west coast of the south island was really beautiful and scenic, although it was very wet! One of the best places we stayed was a very small town called Punakaiki, where there are a load of rocks in the sea which look like stacks of pancakes. The bonus was that it was sunny and our hostel was right on the beach, it was a pity we couldnt have stayed there longer.
The other really beautiful place we visited was right on the top of the south island- Abel Tasman national park.We stayed in another tiny place called Marahau. did a walk there through the rainforest and on the beaches and also went horseriding on the beach there. It was really cool.
We travelled up to Picton and got the ferry over to Wellington. It was pretty bumpy but i didnt spew up which was good. Being in such a huge city (Wellington) was weird again after staying in towns of only 10 houses and in hostels where we were the only guests! And its true it is wet and incredibly windy there all the time!The Te Papa museum there is pretty amazing - ive never been to an interactive museum like it.
So far on the north island the towns have been much bigger - none of the two hour country roads without seeing a car. The towns are much closer togther. The maori influence is also much more evident here.
The last few days have been really grey and stormy with more bad weather forecast for this week. We travelled up through Whanganui, Okahune and Palmerston North (there we soo many odd peole in the hostel here we payed more money to have our own room). Ohakune was really strange. The hostel was awful and freezing - i dont think anyone from the YHA had been there for the last 20 years, when they last decorated and cleaned. We couldnt actually see any of the volcanoes here either the weather was so bad the cloud was almost at street level, so we left and drove north.
The mobile phone got put in the washer - by me - whilst i was telling rich it probably got stolen when he left the car unlocked. He had a massive grin on his face when he found it in my washed jacket pocket.
Richs ginger beard is getting bigger by the day.
Dad, the camera has been 'fixed' again by sony and fingers crossed seems to be ok now.
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