2 day catch up & Geoff goes fishing!!

March 7: Napier

Cloudy and chilly today. This was our first drive through the North Island. Have to say that the scenery was very pleasant. The high landscape is filled with wind turbines for miles and miles. Passed through a beautiful gorge that we have come to expect while driving through this country. Before heading into town, we stopped at the sheepskin tannery. We got a small tour of the tanning and processing of the hides. It was all very interesting. I am still hoping to see some sheep shearing, but I doubt we will. By the time we got into Napier, the weather got very nasty. We made it down to the beach where the waves were really coming in over the black sand. It was something to see. After watching the waves for a bit, we decided it was time to meet our new hosts. The house is outside the town in a quiet community. We have our own ensuite with queen bed and it is quite lovely. There is another couple here from Australia and we have traded stories. In fact, we are going to stay with folks that they have just left. Getting to be a close network, this ATC.

Napier is known for its Art Deco architecture. In 1931 there was a major earthquake that destroyed the town. When rebuilding, it was done in the style of the times which was art deco. Lined with palm trees and shops, it is very much like being in Miami Beach, except for the black sand, of course. Hopefully, we will have some time in the morning to see the town better. Before dinner, we drove up to Bluff Hill to take in the city sites. Unfortunately, the cloud cover hid most of the view. From there, we went to the marina for dinner - came back for tea and sat and chatted with everyone in the living room. Great conversation and we got a few tips on what to do next.

March 8: Going to Taupo and winding up in Turangi

Had a lovely breakfast this morning. Made lots of calls confirming our future ATC stays on the North Island. The cell phone is coming in very handy. That done, we got our gear in the car and drove into downtown Napier to get a glimpse of the Art Deco buildings. It is really nothing new to us but it is quiet a strange sight to see in New Zealand. The sea is still raging today, so it is just as well that we are not doing the coastal route but going inland. Driving away from the dark skies we went over some beautiful terrain, lush green, with waterfalls and gorges. As we left the mountain range, the sun broke through and by the time we got down to the lake, the sky was crystal clear. This volcanic lake is huge! We zipped past Taupo - much too commercial and way too many tourists. Voting to drive an extra 40 minutes down to the bottom of the lake, we landed in Turangi at the Bridge Fishing Lodge. Located directly on the river. Checked into a very pleasant studio unit then headed for the first place to get a fishing license, The Riverway General Store and Outfitters. Spoke with Jack who initially came from Michigan. Geoff got some fishing pointers, flies, and river access maps. We started walking to town and Jack spotted us and gave us a ride into the very small shopping area of Turangi. We picked up some provisions and were back at the lodge. The lodge does have wifi but only in the lodge itself and not in the studios. We wanted to call Pete to say Happy Birthday, but we are having problems with our voip connection. In any event, they were at the Celtics game. I sure hope they won. I also hope we can straighten out what is wrong with our softphone. We can't complain too much, all the other gadgets have worked great.

I trucked behind Geoff as he headed toward the river by the lodge. Nice stretch of stream with sunshine and cool breezes. I sat on a rock and read while Geoff proceeded to cast away. He hooked into 2 rainbows. His first NZ fish on a fly rod. We just won't discuss how big they were. Right now, I am back at the shack and he took the car to do down the river and try his luck. They say night fishing is the best around here. That headlight we bought for biking the tunnels should come in handy on the stream tonight. I intend to clean up and go down to the lodge for dinner. Hope G catches something.  Will post Turangi pix tomorrow.

Next time ... Rotorua on the way to Tokura