Nine Weeks in Napier- Part 1; Out & About

Catch-up (don't worry there aren't 9 parts!) 

I wondered how I was going to bring you our exploits from the last nine weeks parked up in suburbia, but actually, once I sorted the photos it's turned out to be rather easy! Helped by the fact that we haven't done too much in the exploring mode, more in the family, maintenance, and computer work modes. This is probably just as well, as despite the lack of activity, I still have three Napier blogs to post! Apologies if I jump about a bit though, it was never going to flow like a normal blog post, there are too many subjects!

Fishing as the sun goes down

We said goodbye to our Tauranga family, a little less sad this time as we'll be in the North for awhile and will see them again soon.  We breathed a huge sign of relief as we pulled out of the busy (and about to get even busier) Mount campground and headed south towards Napier. Next stop Glenfalls, one of our favourite DOC camps which is off the Napier-Taupo Road and beside the Mohaka River.

We'd allowed ourselves a couple of nights to rest and relax before the next round of family gatherings in Napier. And there's nothing more relaxing than a warm sunny day, the smell of freshly mown grass and the gentle burble of the water flowing past. Summer had well and truly arrived.

It didn't worry me when I opened the door to fog the next morning; I had no doubt that it would soon burn off.

Across the river the setting moon was just about to disappear below the ridge.

And as I predicted the fog soon lifted, the sun beat down and a steady stream of river visitors arrived; these guys are a little overdone in all their fishing garb (and probably overdone (cooking) on the inside too). 

They crossed the river at it's deepest point which created a few problems for them, one in particular didn't have his airtight belt on (it goes around your middle to keep the water out of your waders). He managed to turn around and head back to get it, just as the water started to pour in over the top. I'm not sure why the local lodge owner who brought them down (that's him and his best mate on the raft) hadn't pointed out a shallower crossing, in places it was only thigh deep. 

The day turned out to be one of the hottest we've experienced for a long while and we both ended up having several very refreshing dips in the river (perhaps we've just got used to Southland summers).

We had a chuckle when a number of vehicles and people arrived later in the morning and started setting up camp- was our tranquil camp about to be invaded? I thought it might have been a local family claiming their site for Christmas (still 2 weeks away) but when a busload of kids arrived not long after we realised it was another school camp! 

What an awesome bunch of kids and teachers they were, very polite and a credit to their school. They were from a Napier primary school and were so excited to be camping. The teacher told me that many had never been out of their suburb let along camping and rafting. The games, singing and happy laughter later confirming they were having a great time.

Refreshed and ready to take on the world....well OK, Napier, we left Glenfalls and headed off to our very own private POP (park over property) beside Mum & Dads' in Greenmeadows. Once family catch-ups, Christmas and New Year were out of the way, David got to work doing a whole lot of maintenance on the van.

Sunrise

It's been great to have some down time and family time but the one thing I do miss the most about being parked up in the suburbs is capturing the stunning Hawkes Bay sunrises and sunsets from wide open spaces.

Sunset

The weather has been magnificent, 30-35 degrees for weeks on end, one day we had 37c outside the van. It's been hot and humid but thank God for the air-conditioning in the van....and a power supply courtesy of Mum and Dad. And while I'm at it, thank God for Mum's home cooked meals, a few of Dad's specialties too, shared happy hours and lots of laughs.

Of course after hot humid weather comes the thunder storms, and we had a real beauty one afternoon. I captured the brewing storm rolling in and had only just got back in the van when the loudest thunder clap I have ever heard, right over the top of us, shot me out of my seat in fright and then the lightning and torrential rain started. It lasted for 40 minutes or so and then it was gone. The sun and blue sky returned leaving a little surface flooding here and there to tell the tale.

And this is where I start to jump about a bit...

Dad has a regular special bread order with a local bakery; it used to be quite handy in nearby Onekawa but has sold and opened up in the old fire station at Whakatu (half way between Napier & Hastings). Whakatu was once known for it's freezing works which closed in 1986. 

There's a large industrial park, coolstores and a cycle trail in the area now, and with construction work started on an important arterial route nearby, the bakery/tuck shop is in an ideal position to service passing traffic and nearby workers. Dad now has to travel a little further but the bread, pastries and savouries they make are well worth the extra miles- Dad shouted us morning tea and I can highly recommend the doughnuts! 

Meet Izzy, the cutest little pug puppy ever! This 8 week old little bundle of energy was on the go for ages before she stopped still long enough for me to snap her. Izzy belongs to Mum's brother and his wife and is the last in the line of many pugs they have had over the years, including two older pugs that are ruing the day that this little squirt arrived in the house. Isn't she just gorgeous.

We visited the Hastings Farmers Market on a couple of the weekends, sampling the wares, filling our bags with lots of fresh produce and relaxing with a coffee for a short time while watching the world pass by. I did a blog post on the market a couple of years ago, click the link if you'd like to read more (I just read the weather was hot then too!).

Napier's Marine Parade has recently had a major revamp and it's fantastic, it's been very well done and will be a major asset to the city. The 'Reef Garden' include whalebone sculptures, a reflection pool, water features, a basketball court, skateboarding area and seating. We went for a stroll along the waterfront on another hot summer's day.

Jets of water play around the edge of the pond and are lit up in different colours at night. 

It was great to see all the wide open paths and spaces with enough room for everyone; cyclists, scooters, skate boarders and walkers.

Here's a photo that will perplex a few people. This two block section of Marine Parade near the Sound Shell has had a makeover too. It used to be two lanes heading south, now there's a single lane in both directions and the other side is now a parking/service lane. For someone Napier born and bred, I can tell you it feels very weird crossing here. Be very careful if you remember the old road layout, it's very easy to step out without looking both ways.

Some of you may remember the blog post I did when I was tour driver & parcel carrier for Mum and five of her girlfriends when they went on one of their regular jaunts around the local op shops. Well this time Mum and I organised a visit to Trelinnoe Gardens near Te Pohue, 30kms up the Napier- Taupo Road. 

I'd last visited the gardens about 25 years ago, obviously so much had changed in that time but I wasn't expecting to not recognise a thing from my last visit. There are 30 acres of gardens with large mature trees, shrubs and perennials. The walkways weave through and around the landscaped woodland gardens ending at several ponds at the bottom of a long, lazy slope, before heading back up the other side to complete the loop. 

We were very thankful for the shade on what turned out to be the hottest January day on record. We had a pleasant stroll around but decided it would have been better to have visited in early spring when the azaleas, rhododendrons and camellias were flowering, or in autumn when the deciduous trees turned colour. 

After our garden walk we intended to stop at an Eskdale Cafe for a late lunch on the way home. Unfortunately Mum's car had other ideas. After hearing a loud rattling noise over the top of the ladies' chatter, loosing power and watching the temperature gauge suddenly go sky high, we limped to stop inches clear of a very busy Napier-Taupo Road. 

With no sign of life and a very hot smell coming from under the bonnet, we weren't going anywhere fast. Our saving grace was that we had cell-phone reception (not readily available on the Napier-Taupo) and I was able to call David to get him and Dad to come and rescue us. 

So with the boot up, the hazard lights on, an umbrella helping to shield some of us from the hot sun and two outside seats for a couple of the ladies to sit on in the shade, we patiently waited for the men to arrive. Which was just as well as not one vehicle out of a hundred or so passing stopped to check if we were OK (we figured they would have though, had we started waving them down).  

Forty minutes later and our knights rode in on their trusty steads. We sent Mum and her friends off in Dad's car to complete their day, while Dad & I nursed Mum's car home. Of course it was Murphy's law that the car started fine for them and they wondered what all the fuss was about.

It wasn't long though before we had to stop again (and again) to wait for things to cool down before continuing on but our luck finally ran out, along with the car's power, on the busy Taradale Road roundabout with dozens of cars and trucks stacked up behind us. Thank God for the three generous young men who quickly pushed us across the traffic and around the corner. David then came again to tow us home. Where we were met by a gaggle of ladies enjoying a well earnt wine!

It turned out to be a problem with the water pump and Mum's wallet is now quite a lot lighter!

To be continued...Part 2

Trout on the Menu- DOC Glenfalls

Our tentative three night stop-over at the DOC Glenfalls camp on the Mohaka River turned into six nights. The weather was fabulous, the trout biting and people we knew (or they knew of us) kept on arriving!

Chris & Marg called in for a night to say hello. They were on their way home to Hawkes Bay, Chris is a member of a forum I belong to so it was lovely to see them again.

“I hope that’s not steak you’re cooking on your flash retractable BBQ, Chris”

We decided to stay on another night when I discovered my aunty (who is more like a sister) and her husband were about to have a couple days away from their home in Napier. Glenfalls is also one of their favourite camping spots and they often stay here with another aunty and her husband. These are the two families we went camping with at the Tukituki River over Christmas/New Year last year.

It was great to see Pam & Gerald again; we had an extra long ‘happy hour’ catching up and a good few laughs the first night. The next day dawned perfect; sunny and warm with very little wind- good fishing weather, we decided to stay on another night. After a leisurely start to the day, we walked to the top of hill…

…and climbed down a steep goat track to the river….

…where David & Gerald went fishing…

…while Pam & I explored further up the river…

Pam decided to also have a few casts…

and struck gold also most immediately. Catch & release!

Watched by the locals…

We returned to camp and while Pam & I relaxed in the late afternoon sun, the guys went fishing again. By the end of the day we had three lovely fish thanks to Gerald; one for dinner and two, one each, for the freezer (although we’re having our one with Mum & Dad tonight).

They were also a few more fish caught and released.

Yummy…

…smoked trout with our ‘happy hour’ nibbles..

The next day was a stunner too, summer is nearly here. With just a 50 minute run to Napier, we prepared the vehicles for the road and then sat out in the sun enjoying lunch and chewing the fat for another hour or so.

We’re now parked up beside Mum & Dad’s for a few weeks and looking forward to catching up with more family and friends and partaking in some good old Hawkes Bay sunshine…..which happens to have disappeared today!

It’s a tight and cosy fit but great for us to be close to Mum & Dad and still have our own space. Dad had the car port concrete pad extended a year or so ago so we could comfortably fit on it and the poles and sail that usually protect the car were already down and packed away ready for our arrival yesterday.

Magical Mohaka

As another stunning day at the Mohaka draws to a close we've been marveling at the lack of people walking past our front door. Five weeks parked along side the Mount Main Beach boardwalk has made us keen to get back to more isolated camping areas. We're seeing these magic spots through wondrous eyes again; how lucky are we to live in this wonderful country?

Although we're not entirely on our own here at Glenfalls. Bright and early just as the sun popped its head over the hill behind us and while there was still dew on the ground, we heard a whole lot of commotion this morning. Twenty or so kayakers from a school camp came running past us chanting and calling out, heading to the tents of another school camp further down the river. The second camp had only just surfaced as the first group ran around their tents whooping and shouting before running back to their kayaks...

...hauling them down to the water and climbing in....

....where they paddled into their groups with an instructor or two, and after a brief few words left to paddle downstream (yesterday they paddled down from the Mohaka Bridge on the Napier-Taupo Road to Glenfalls).

Today they were headed to Everetts DOC camp, another camp further down the river to haul out. Everetts is about 15 or so kms up the road. The group below were waiting for the first lot to pass through the rapids at the end of the camp, I couldn't see that they were waving at me until I moved the camera away form my eye. I thought I was being sneaky taking it from our door while they were looking the other way.

Both school groups were gone for most of the day and being a Friday, once they returned, it was all hands on deck to de-camped, pack the vehicles and head home. 

After the kayakers disappeared downstream, leaving the deep pool just off the beach free and undisturbed, David thought he might just see if there was a fish or two lurking in there.

And while I was watching him throw his second or third cast... 'bang'...he hooked the biggest fish we've seen at Glenfalls, in fact one of the biggest trout we've seen for a long while. It leapt into the air and just as quick said 'bugger you' as it spat the dummy landing with a big splash back in the water. It must have been mighty pleased with itself as it leapt again and again as it swam off at speed down the river. No smoked trout for dinner tonight.

That piqued David's interest and he was straight back to the van, out with the waders, boots, net etc and he was off.

Hmmm.....not quite the fish we had in mind. Times two. Still no smoked trout for dinner.

I left him doing what he does best and went exploring further down to the other end of the camp.

I've never seen Glenfalls so green and so lush, spring is definitely in the air. And while I waited as David worked his way slowly up river, I watched so many different birds coming and going from the trees and nearby clay cliffs, building nests and collecting food; swallows, thrushes, black birds, sparrows, yellowhammer, kingfisher, tui, warblers and the highlight, a shining cuckoo. What busy little creatures they all are.

Now here is a photo that won't warm a fisherman's heart. Stock are a major problem around waterways in NZ and there is a big push to fence streams and rivers so cattle and sheep can't foul and damage the banks and riverbeds. This is the first time we've seen stock at Glenfalls and while there are just 4 heifers grazing through the DOC Camp their presence is everywhere, hoof prints and cow pats cover the entire area. 

They are rather cute cows though, they've obviously been hand reared as they are quite friendly and inquisitive, taking grass from my hand and sniffing and checking out all the motorhomes and tents around the camp. This morning there were great big sandy hoof prints across our mat with big sandy smears on the table & in one of the chairs where one of them has licked and sniffed.

This afternoon they visited the neighbours...'Hello? Anybody home, coffee time, we have the milk?'.....or.... 'knock, knock, time to moooove along please'...

And here's us with the neighbours, we spent happy hour chasing the sun across the park. Although I think we got left behind in the end. And these aren't just any neighbours, these are very special neighbours. 

                             

Jo and John are from Palmerston North and arrived at Glenfalls not too long after us yesterday, they were here because of a blog Jo had read, a blog that just happened to be written by yours truly! They couldn't believe it when they pulled in and saw us here. And when David wandered across to say hello later in the afternoon, they were able to say before he could open his mouth, 'hello David, we know all about you and Shellie'. How cool is that. Or how scary.... ;) 

And that's not all. Another couple in a hire camper pulled in this afternoon and while talking to David as he was fishing, mentioned that they'd seen us at the Mount a couple of weeks ago. They now have a link to my blog and a few more tips on what to see in the South Island when they head there next week.

Maybe we're not quite as isolated as we thought...