August 1st and 2nd - Art Deco Awesomeness

The burger with which we celebrated our survival of the Great Walk was appropriately titled the ‘Bastard’. It had everything; beef, bacon, avocado, beetroot, mango, relish, you name it. It was so big that the restaurant had to invent a foldable piece of cardboard that you used to grip it properly. It was a sweet affirmation of life after our trials and tribulations in the wild and rejuvenated me enough that I felt I could get back out and do it all over again (if only for another gloriously oversized meal I would undoubtedly consume at the finish). I hadn’t been to the Hawke’s Bay region on my first tour through the country and it really is a shame; Kelsey would’ve loved Napier for its art deco vibe and quirky clothing stores. After being destroyed by the country’s largest earthquake in the 1930’s Napier rebuilt itself in the above mentioned style and clearly put lots of thought and effort (and money) into making their city a beautiful place for the public to enjoy. The beachfront stretches for miles and instead of being burdened with tacky souvenir shops or the like it is separated from the main drag by row after row of gardens and courtyards where people lounge by fountains and sculptures and enjoy the region’s large amount of annual sunshine. We decided to indulge ourselves with a bit of shopping and specialty coffee before finding a vacant stretch of beach to have a little acoustic jam. While searching for parking we noticed a rental car that belonged to the only other people we met on the Great Walk, Matt and Paula from Michigan. We left a note on their windshield about potentially meeting up which I worried they would mistake for a parking ticket as they were in a 30 minute zone. We managed to find one another shortly thereafter and then spent a good half hour searching for someplace that would serve us pints at 11:45am on a Monday. After giving the Americans a crash course in kiwi brew I condensed all my knowledge of New Zealand into note form for Matt to try and give them some ideas for their holiday. I had lots of respect for that couple as they did the Great Walk in one less day than we did and camped outside rather than stay in the huts. They were definitely made of sturdier stuff than Jaclyn or I (and it helped that they came prepared with the proper knowledge and equipment). We walked back to our respective vehicles where we found that the Americans did indeed get a parking ticket, though over here they only cost you $10 so it’s almost worth it as it gets you the prime real estate. They headed south for Wellington as we found a holiday park and camped for the night. The next morning we headed to Napier’s twin city called Hastings to rent bikes and check out some of the areas famous wineries. We ended up in a small village called Havelock North where we cut a deal with the local information site to rent their bikes for about $6/hour and headed out into the country. It was a lovely sunny day and it was nice to casually ride out amidst the fields with Mount Doom looming off on the horizon. In our relaxed state of mind an hour went by before we reached the first winery. Just like in the Marlborough region the wine was too good not to purchase a bottle and Jaclyn and I each got a Riesling for our celebrations in Wellington. We were cutting it close timing wise but opted to try one last winery before heading back. The fellow manning the cellar door at this final place was a young chap named Simon who we ended up talking to for about half an hour on how he got into the business. He told us he had dropped out of school at 16 only to later discover a passion for wine and instead of becoming a wino in the derogatory sense of the term he pulled up his socks and went back to school to get a degree pertaining to the chemistry of the wine making process. In addition to some spot on reds, his winery produced olive oils, spices and sauces, all of which were bloody brilliant. We ended up buying more than we could carry so Simon offered to bring all our purchases into town with him when he got off work (a true kiwi gentleman). We hustled back to make the deadline for the bike drop off and killed the rest of the afternoon playing music in the village square. Simon came on time, as promised, and with our new items we cooked one massive feast of lamb shanks, sausage, kumara, sauerkraut, onions, mushrooms, salad, and pinot noir. I haven’t the foggiest idea where I am right now, some small hamlet on the east coast that happened to have a handy campground. We will be making for Lake Taupo in a couple of hours and then after that, skiing on Mount Doom!