There’s not a great deal to report today. We rose early, keen to get on the road in order to get to Napier by 10:00 when an Art Deco walking tour began (I kid you not). The view across Lake Taupo was crystal clear as we said good bye to our home for the last few days and headed down the State Highway 5 direct to Napier. It’s a remarkable road, no sooner than you’ve left the lake behind and your travelling through the world’s largest man made forest – a mere 2900 km². Then you’re picking your way through the dramatic hills and valleys of the Waipunga area, which for us at least were shrouded in remarkable mist and low cloud. Then, before you know it you’re approaching Napier along straight, flat roads flanked by grape vines.
Napier was once the “Brighton of the south seas” – a popular and well off tourist destination in for the well-to-dos until in 1931 when it was razed by an earthquake. Ever the optimists, the locals dusted themselves off and began to rebuild the town in the style of the day – a kind of theme-park Art Deco in concrete. The town is hardly thriving, but is quite lovely none-the-less. The tour took us around a few of the outstanding buildings and gave us a feel for the history of the area.
After lunch we headed through more amazing landscapes to our base tonight, the delightful, sleepy little town of Martinborough in the heart of wine country (not too far from Wellington).
The Obligatory Blog 