Deb here. So this morning the big discussion was where to go next, given the weather. Unfortunately Ocean View was fully booked tonight, so one way or another we had to move on.
We walked to the Quay Cafe in town for a flat white, chai latte and date scones while we pondered our options. We met a lovely younger couple who owned a house in Ohope Beach and lived there for many years, but now their permanent residence is Auckland. They’d raised their daughters in Ohope and plan to move back at some point. We talked with them for some ideas, thinking maybe we’d go north to Tauranga, although the recent devastating landslide that tore through a campground means a lot of chaos. As we looked at the weather it looked like driving to Napier might be our best option. The other couple gave us some ideas of what to do along the way, suggesting a walk around Blue Lake (Lake Tikitapu). They also filled us in that Glynnis, the owner of the Ocean View, is mom to the most celebrated Kiwi Olympian ever, a kayaker named Lisa Carrington. Once back at the Ocean View we talked with Glynnis and sure enough, her daughter has won 8 Olympic gold medals and will be competing again at the LA Olympics in 2028. Who knew?!
By about 10 am we were on the road. We decided to take our cafe friends’ advice, and made the short detour to Blue Lake. It was about a 4 mile walk around the lake and beautiful in the bush. There were lots of people out and about since it was Saturday, in spite of a bit of rain along the way. There was also a triathlon for all ages that morning, so many families were around.
By the time we finished it was after 1, so we stopped at a cafe attached to a gardening store for a late lunch. Boy, do I love toasties! Such a comfort food, this one with ham, cheese and tomato. John was excited about “breakfast all day” on the menu, so he tried the pancakes with fruit.
Back on the road, we took the 160km, twisty road to Napier. There were no services on this road but we had enough gas to make it. The road was beautiful and partly flat paddocks with sheep or beef grazing and partly twisty mountain road. New Zealand has very good roads. We passed a lot of stands of trees planted for commercial harvest. Our tour guide the other day said it takes 30 years of growth before they harvest the trees and ship them to China.
We arrived at Napier by 5. I’d reserved a room in The Dome, an art deco building right across from the I-Site we’d visited on our ship stop. We have quite a luxurious spot for a couple of nights and it felt good to know we’d have a day not to travel anywhere too far.
By 6:30 we walked out looking for dinner, and John found a pasta restaurant called Ilona Pasta and they were booked until 7:15, so we went down the street for a drink. I found the Peach Bomb on tap and John ordered an IPA. Fun to sit on the street and watch the action. At 7:15 we went back to the restaurant and had a great dinner. Salad to share, garlic bread and two pasta dishes. It’s a family run place, the two daughters of the owners (Ilo and Ona) were taking orders and waiting tables in the small restaurant while their dad cooked and their mom managed the front of house. One of the daughters is only 8 and the other’s 13, but they were both really charming.
A walk back through town and bed by 9 pm. Glad to see the sun again!
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