February 26 Thames, Coromandel Peninsula

 After a couple of quiet days in Gisborne we drove to Thames at the south of the Coromandel Peninsula where we're now in an historic farmhouse. It actually took us 9 hours to go about 350km as the road through Waioeka Gorge was washed away in a few places a couple of  weeks ago so we had to wait 3 and a half hours for a convoy of cars and trucks to be ushered along the highway.  That plus countless other places with roadworks in progress meant we lost close to 5 hours.

River with a rocks like you can slide down on a boogy board - which of course Di did, and has the cuts and bruises to prove it. I decided in the end that discretion was the better part of valour. 

A Maori sailing boat of the beach at Gisborne

Gisborne Botanic Gardens

A few of the cars lined up waiting to be shepherded through Waioeka Gorge

The view from our farmstead cottage,  plus one of the resident pheasants. 

February 23 Gisborne

 3 hour drive along more winding roads through the hills, up and down, coping with huge trucks carrying timber in both directions.  Gisborne is the first place in NZ visited by Captain Cook in 1769.

 

A series of Pou, each signifying one of the Māori tribes in Gisborne

Rescued remains of the Star of Canada, shipwrecked on Rocks near Gisborne in June 1912.

 

February 22 Napier

 Today we visited the Napier Museum. On the way we stopped to watch the Billy Cart Derby in the main street with categories by age of builder and driver - all under 12.

The Museum has a large exhibit around the 7.8 earthquake that hit on Feb 3 1931. There was a documentary made in the 90s with people recounting their memories of the quake.  Very moving.  There was also a room where you could expedience something of the feel of an earthquake, though not nearly as badly as the real thing.

There was also a section on Maori history. 

Billy Cart Derby heats.

Steam traction engine

Maori Pou Whakarae - statue from the wall of a Maori fort.

More Art Deco buildings

February 21 Napier

 A quiet morning,  then into town  for the vintage car parade. Maybe 100 cars dating back over 100 years.  In the afternoon we boasts a couple of wineries,  one of which was closed for a special event, no doubt connected with the festival.  The other was Mission Estate, the first winery in NZ, started by Marian monks in 1851. 

 

Aerobatic jets and a local celbrity

Pipe band and a services squad.

The navy were instrumental in rescue efforts following the 1931 earthquake as one of their ships was anchored in the Port. 

Vintage fire engines 

Mission Estate Winery

Fountain in the Art Shed just outside Napier

February 20 Napier

 Today we drove north west to the Hawke’s Bay region and Napier, well know for its Art Deco buildings built following a major earthquake in 1931. This is the Art Deco Festival weekend so the town in full of people decked out in 20s and 30s garb with lots of vintage cars here for a parade through the town tomorrow.

View from our BnB

Girls getting ready to dance in the street

Various At Deco buildings in town

February 19 Ferry to Wellington

 The ferry from Picton to Wellington takes about 3 3.5hrs passing through the islands and headlands of the Marlborough Sound.  We had an amazingly gentle ride with almost no waves in sight. Unfortunately it started to rain soon after we arrived so we didn't do much sightseeing.

Here are some photos of the scenery from the ferry. 

Date scones came out at 10 o'clock so we had to check them out.