Day 8......Napier and Hastings.....

So, it was up and out of NZ's answer to Pontins and heading 20k down the road to Hastings to check out their park.  And as suspected it was much more my cup of tea, slightly more parky and actually nearer to the wineries I wanted to visit.  So in I went to see if they had a pitch for the night...

Now admittedly it was 9am as I had got up and out early, but the woman behind the counter greeted me, not by saying 'good morning, yes we do have a pitch' but simply 'you're early'.  To which I said 'sorry what do you mean' and she replied 'you're early' and once again I replied 'sorry I really don't understand what you mean....' This went on for a least 5 minutes, with her acting like I had just arrived and announced I had murdered her family.  Some minutes later it transpired that I was indeed, too early to check in and that she had never seen someone try to do such a thing so early in the day.....Odd.

But after this little communication issue, she was kind enough to furnish me with a map of the local area and I set off with the promise that I would return at a more suitable time to check in.

So I went off to investigate Hastings, and what a pretty little town it turned out to be.  The short drive from Napier had seen the landscape change to one of fruit farms and little stalls selling produce and big farm shops, very English but on a much grander scale.

The vineyards were all to be found in a neat little triangle of roads, and the first one that I tried was Ngatarawa which enticed me in with its beautiful grounds and rather gorgeous homestead and was made even better by the excitable chocolate lab that had just been let out to run around!  So after explaining again to another Kiwi that I was indeed traveling alone (not quite as popular here than in Oz I am thinking) I took a few sips of their various wines and settled for a nice white for a change.

It was then off to the next one just down the way that was all together different, a tiny little place with an appealing tin hut of a cellar door and a rather fat and jolly yellow lab asleep on the front mat!  Zoe her name was and very affectionate she was too!  So after getting covered in dog hair it was in to sample a few more sips of vino.  The lady here (how bad is it that I got the dogs name and not hers....) was wonderful and the difference between the larger vineyards and this one was so huge.  We chatted for ages, she was impressed that I was traveling alone not shocked, and when I discovered they sold dukkah (which I had only seen in Oz and is spices and stuff that you dip bread into after you have dipped it in olive oil) she got loads out with bread which handly made my lunch!

So after another bottle of vino and some dukkah purchased I bid fairwell to them both and headed back to Napier to explore this beautiful art deco town I had heard so much about.  Also I was going to dinner at Claire and Jay's and was looking forward to catching up with them again.

Napier was indeed a lovely town, rebuilt in the deco style after an earthquake flattened most of it in the early 20th century (get me being all educational.....) and after a good wander getting a stiff neck looking up at all the shop fronts and a walk round the wonderful gardens on the front, I parked up on the beach and promptly fell asleep........only to wake up at 6.30pm, the time I was meant to be having dinner!!  Thankfully it was only 5 mins away and I had a fab evening with them all, a lovely feed and more laughter playing kids games, this one called Grandmas Knickers.......

It was then time to say goodbye and after big hugs all round and some to bring home for them, it was off back to Hastings for a good sleep before heading away down the island to Martinborough, my next stop for 2 nights.