Catch ups from Ngawi to Napier

Ok It's time for a major catchup, the last blog was February 25th, finishing at Ngawi in the Wairarapa. Now it's late July 2017. I got out of the blog habit and just experienced the journey, though I took the photos and kept a daily diary, so that will be put to good use for this catchup mode.  Although we now have an internet connection I was unable to charge my laptop with the little 150w inverter, which just wouldn't cut the mustard, so uploading photos etc was not possible.

Excuses excuses!

We now have a new 1100w sine wave inverter, but still have to get that fitted into the bus.

Here we are at Castle Point, which lived up to its reputation as being windy, in fact we delayed our visit there due to predicted 160km/hr gale force winds. We were told "it can be so windy there, it can blow the milk out of your tea".

 Very scenic spot with a carpark which fills up fast

 early in the afternoons with campers and motorhomes. 

Just a gentle zephyr blowing!

 Such great place to wander and explore, 

though some have lost their lives walking the rocky foreshore in rough weather.

 That night saw a fabulously long and colourful sunset.

 We took the road through Tinui, and stopped to see the little jailhouse on the corner and some Swiss people told us about the Post Office which had been left "as is"... from the 1940s.

 Below is the Post Office safe...definitely in "safe" keeping.

 Quite a lovely little blast from the past.

 Oh yes I remember milk in bottles at 8c a pint!

Heading inland and north via Alfredton and Ekatahuna, made famous by cartoonist Murray Ball.

Now we head to Herbertville, highly recommended by Shellie Evans of Two Go Tiki touring blog fame and yes she was right it is a magic out of the way spot. 

 Great sunset and sunrise...no complaints from me!

Heading for Napier along the Middle Road very scenic and incredibly dry, we pass a sign in Havelock North for David Trubridge's showroom and gallery. I knew him a long time ago in my woodworking days, so we called in and got shown around the complex.

He employs 13 staff and has two super large (and expensive) CNC machines, women assemble the parts, he uses special plywood, hardly any real wood around. He exports all around the world to design shops, very high end stuff!

 As we head into Napier to attend the Art Deco weekend, the very long drought breaks and the rain starts, and continues for the whole three days of the event.

Cheers Jimu & Christine

Ngawi, Cape Palliser, surprisingly touristy!

This is the little coastal town of Ngawi on the very scenic coast heading out towards Cape Palliser.

Predominately a farming/fishing area, though surprisingly, to me getting very well known by the  overseas tourists. 

A quite large fishing boat fleet is launched from the beach with bulldozers, and the odd tractor.

Such fun to see the many combinations of dozers, trailers and fishing boats.

 One gets a sense of just how the weather controls everything in occupations such as fishing.

This old David Brown, caught my eye as a lovely project for restoration

(for somebody....not me!) 

Dozzy the little Dozer...just seems to be dozing off

This guys, posture and build caught my eye.....I hope he doesn't see this blog though!....

 he looks like he could mean business.

It was the calm before the storm as three days rough weather was predicted to be heading this way, so most of the fleet was out fishing.

 Onward to Cape Palliser...the toilet block, just behind the Bus was getting quite some use, tourists from around the world with strange accents and dress, to me...just didn't fit into this environment.

256 steps...all straight up..with only one side with a handrail seemed somewhat risky in todays over regulated health and safety world...or am I becoming safety conscious in my old age....seeking to continue to get older!

Barely wide enough to allow passing on the stairway,  two way traffic is quite a tricky manoeuvre, and this was in fine, calm weather. wonder what it would be like with a howling gale and in wet/cold conditions?.

The view from the top...superb!

in both directions.

The wind had...sprung up...here is Christine bracing herself to stop camera shake.

Notice all those early morning gym training sessions influence!

I just had to sneak this shot...

an indian woman on top with this colourful Sari 

I got the bike out and rode along the coast to check out the scenery and the seal colony.

I only managed to find this one seal. At first he was keeping an eye on me!

 But soon it was more about soaking up the sun and having a good scratch

We knew bad weather was heading this way so we headed for civilisation towards the Wairarapa towns of Greytown, Carterton and Masterton.

Onwards, also to the next Blog...

Cheers from the Road more travelled

Fun is meant to be fun....and it is!

Spot ya soon.

Jimu & Christine.