On the Sunday of our weekend, we had planned on going to Napier. This unfortunately fell through due to a couple of factors. Firstly, there’s very few Sunday buses from Hastings to Napier. Secondly, Tilly had a casting tape to submit for something her agent sent over and, without wanting to possibly place blame, it took way longer than we thought and WE MISSED THE BUS BASICALLY.
Fortunately, we both got over this – though in one case maybe longer that was really necessary – and decided to walk into Hastings.
We got to Hastings and were really hungry so we had our second portion of Fish and Chips of the trip. Little did we know that this regular fish and chippery would spawn the gripping cultural movement that is David and Tilly’s fish and chips of New Zealand fish and chips review 2019.
Being artsy types and because it is raining, the Hastings art gallery is where we choose to spend our afternoon, after a good hour in the library making plans for a new project we’d like to work on. The art gallery is really good for a small town. Not to slag off the arts or anything but we’re used to all the funds and access being for about 3 major cities and the rest of the country have to scrabble for a tiny amount of resources.
We go back and watch episodes of the tv series The Boys on Amazon Prime with our haul of snacks that we’ve brought back from town. Marvelous.
Monday passes uneventfully, we work extra hours cracking Walnuts so we can go to Napier on Tuesday, we listen to Lord of the Rings on an audiotape whilst we work, it is blissful.
Tuesday we pick our last ever (this may actually be true and is rather an odd thought) Boisonberry virus head off of the vine and get the bus into Napier. Napier is about 45 minutes on the bus. There’s a wonderful reminder of home when the bus driver is a miserable arse about us not having the right change.
The city is known for its art deco Architecture. This uniquely 1930s style coming when the city had to build itself after a major Earthquake in 1931. We found the uniformity and period nature of the buildings almost film set like, almost as if we could push them over, discovering their all made of cardboard.
It is lovely though and the weather is clear, if a little breezy, so we set about seeing as much of Napier as we can. We, as we’re technically in a new place, take in another portion of Fish and Chips each. We go to the museum and learn about the Earthquake in 1931. We trek to a nearby lookout point and take in the views of the port.
Whilst we’re down on the beach, I turn to Tilly and say, Tilly did you know that if you went in that direction as far as you could go you’d reach South America? Tilly didn’t really believe me, but it is true and gives me another reminder of just how bloody far away we are. That’s not even the Brazil side of South America, we’re talking backside Chilean Andes side.
Shelley, fresh from a conference in Auckland, picks us up on the way back. We pack and get an early night as we have to be on the 7:30am coach the next morning.
We say our thank you’s and goodbyes, we hurriedly write our message in the visitors book from the back of the truck – or Yute as the locals say – on the way to the bus. We have loved our time on the farm and will cherish the memories of it deeply.
The coach journey to New Plymouth is broken down into three chunks, firstly the journey to Hamilton, where we have a three hour break, and then onwards to New Plymouth. Part of the way we switch from a coach to a minibus, which the service does during the week unless they know for sure that they need more space for passengers. A good example of the common sense that seems to permeate New Zealand.
As the sun is setting, we are headphones attached listening to the moment the hobbits first meet Strider, a bloke that sits in the corner of the pub on his own with his hood up smoking a pipe AKA the absolute nutter that you should categorically avoid in the pub.
Arriving under the stars at New Plymouth, Jennie picks us up for the next part of our adventure.
Denny and Debbie's Little Big Adventure 