Moving Northward

We finished off New Zealand’s South Island in Blenheim, wine country, Had a wonderful day of tastings at six different wineries, plus a stop at a chocolatier to finish it off deliciously. In this part of the country, vineyards now out number sheep ranches. 

And just to remind you what spring looks like......,..

Luckily we had a smooth crossing from Picton to Wellington on the North Island. The boat is a car ferry, but you can’t take a rental car from one island to the other. So you drop off the car on one side and pick up a different one on the other side. Both of our cars have been Holdens—Australian made. 

We drove to the Kapiti Coast north of Wellington and stayed in Paraparaumu where we golfed and visited Kapiti Island which is a nature reserve. Saw and heard many birds while climbing 1700 feet to the island summit. Here’s  friendly Weka just waiting to steal your lunch. 

Then on to Napier which is known for its Art Deco architecture. After a big earthquake and fire in 1931, the entire city was rebuilt in the favored style of the 1930’s. They hold a huge Art Deco weekend every February and everyone dresses in period pieces and there are Gatsby parties. We took a tour in a vintage auto to see the buildings. 

We also golfed at Cape Kidnappers, one of the premier courses in the world. And it really was spectacular. 

We are now in “Gizzy”—Gisborne where we rode on the only Railbike operation in the world. Rode about 8 miles on the actual train tracks. 

A few more stops before we get to Auckland and head home. The Kiwis have been so welcoming and fun.