Wellington

Capital of NZ and our gateway to the South Island tomorrow early morning.
Staying  in motel about 10 minster from ferry terminal.  Just going to hit the city tonight!
Drive down was most of the day , stopping  off frequently  for sustenance and to walk to the top of a mountain ( we had driven all but the last 600 ft) my goal was another trig point! View was great and so was the walk back down. Seem to have thunder now as it's been a humid 27C today

Not the trig but similar as picture hasn't  come through yet

Moving on to Kereru Road near Hastings

Long drive down the Pacific Highway and arrived at Kereru early evening.
Miles from anywhere but staying with relatives of Brian and Mary for 2 days.  Lovely house and gardens, Jim was in the local wine industry so we had a tour and wine tasting at a new venture. Up into the hills for a scenic drive above Hastings then back for a barby with some invited neighbours that made the move from home to here 5 years ago! Moving on tomorrow  to Wellington and then over to Picton early next day by ferry.

Tokomara to Tolaga

NZ put on a blue sky day and up to 28C for a drive to Tolaga to do a recommended coast walk to Cook's Cove. Yet another place where the Endeavour  landed and stayed for 6 days.
Hilly, steps, bush and farmland down to the cove for too many photo options! Back to Tolaga bay for a swim and on to Anaura bay for a paddle in the sea.
Back to Stranded in Paradise,  our hostel for the night that we seemed to be sharing with a big family  of Singapore people.
Lesley managed the shared kitchen very well! No fisticuffs at all..........yet!
Moving on to somewhere near Napier tomorrow to stay with Brian and Mary's relatives for 2 nights.

East coast Pacific Highway.........Hicks Bay

Isolated and beautiful.  The coast and mountains are stunning. A day of rain on the way to Hicks Bay spoilt the journey a little but the first day in to our short sejour and 27C blue sky stunner. 35k, and 20 on gravel to East Cape lighthouse in the morning. After hugging the coast a 700 step up to the bottom of the lighthouse.  1st place to get sunrise in the world...it said!
Back in the afternoon  to Hicks Bay and Oneapua beach to soak up the sun,swim and chill.
The diggs owner is a triple marathon man with a record 2h 11 min in 1969 I think it said. Also has a helicopter that landed in the tail end of a cyclone on a piece of sloping grass not much bigger than a postage stamp. Not to be outdone he did it again in the dark, by searchlight only ,at about 9pm. Incidentally 9 is bed time out here! Helicopter  parted both days outside the huts at 5am, so nothing antisocial.
Hicks accommodation resembles a 1960s isolation hospital but the whole feel of the place, including food was special. No Internet so out of communication until we arrived today here in Tokamu bay at the Stranded in Paradise,  back packers.

 Our digs for the 2 days!

Walk to Ohope via the coastal tramp

It had to be done. The day was a little less hot so we took to the hills and bush. Clifftop views and a slightly scary rocky beach section in one of the bays where the track pops out onto the beach. Lesley did a good job of holding it together for a mini ravine clamber with just a grazed knee to show for it!
Swim in the surf and a shorter loop back. Pasta with the backpack people, some went for a seasick trip to  White Island!
Rain expected tomorrow,  the German cyclist is not looking too keen. He is taking the Pacific Highway tomorrow, same as us!

Mouhota Island , tramp and swim, Ohope beach and backpackers.

Touched 30C .but before it did we took off on an off island boat trip with a guided tramp around to look at rare species as this is a bio protection island. Very  nicely done and small group. Try  to organise look for kiwi but they are more active at night so no show! Seals and birds though and a  hot beach caused by thermal activity. We all had a swim in the clear water shared with planctum or small jelly fish.
Pretty  choppy swell made the journey both way good fun, like a roller coaster!
After 4 so the temperature went down to 29C so over to the beach for another  dip.
Dinner with all the other hostolians and chat with a nice German guy who is doing the same journey more or less as us.........on a bike!