Road to Napier, NZ

Sat 31 Jan, 2009 - Wellington to Napier
Very very little sleep last night. People around me were having snoring competitions!! Plus being a Friday night, or Saturday morning, most of the boys in the room had been/were out drinking. A couple showed up around 1am. Had a knock on the door at 3am with someone trying to get the guy in the bed next to me into the room. At 5.30am the last of them showed up, at which stage (after a few minutes) knowing I wasn’t going to get back to sleep packed up and left the dorm. Had a tea, read and waited for the bus up to Napier.

The journey was nice - though did miss quite a bit as I kept dozing!! Terry the driver is a real character and with a small number of people it is fun. Stopped at Mt Bruce and the wildlife centre that they have there. Walked through the bird enclosures - couldn’t find some of them. The positive was that they were relatively large enclosures with lots of greenery - the down side difficult to locate them - though its good for the birds. Had eels in the river and saw a kiwi in the dark room. I was the only one who went through. I guess my travelling reasons are a little different to the others!! Smoking is a real big thing here or at least those that are travelling. I guess it gives you something to do when the bus stops for a few minutes, and it provides a social activity too.

Back on the road, past Tui Brewery, and was in Napier just after lunch. Was thinking I would head off on a wine tour however a cruise ship was in town and all the tours were finished for the day. So set off wandering the town. The foreshores were nice along the main stretch of town and the pathway went on right down to Hastings (the next town). I didn’t walk that far!! Had a Feijoa flavoured icecream which had a fruity creamy taste - quite nice. Passed the aquarium and then headed inland toward the city centre. Came across a nice garden and sat for awhile, got chatting to an off duty cop and his family. Then continued walking through the main street and around to the wharf. Some interesting buildings and the foreshores were certainly a feature.

The hotel was art deco inspired and named appropriately the Criterion Art Deco Hotel. Not many people staying there either which was nice. Was again ready for a quietish night, getting my head around the destinations and timing over the next few days. Anyway at 11.30pm (after much persuasion … not really!) went downstairs for a drink with the bus driver. The town for a Saturday night was dead - even the bar tenders were surprised though thought would pick up at about 1am!! Anyway it never really picked up nor did anything else around town. So 6 drinks and 3 hours later went to bed for a few hours. Thank goodness breakfast was being provided here - I needed it the next morning!!