Wednesday dawned blue, cold, and clear. Leaving early morning meant an emptier road for a relaxed start. By the time I stopped for coffee at Paper Mulberry 40 minutes later, the sun was out and warming the air. Waipukurau to Dannevirke was an easy cruise on a flat smooth highway with the Ruahine Ranges in stark relief in the clear morning. As I left behind the dry brown hills of Central Hawke's Bay, vineyards and wineries gave way to farms and pasture, billboards for Bull Hire and Home Kill, tractors and quad bikes, barns, and hay bales.
Approaching Scandinavian-settled Norsewood and Dannevirke the road began to gently wind through lowland forest. Norsewood is hidden from the road but Dannevirke had well-maintained villas on large sections and a tidy main street to drive through. A stop to consider for another time.
The Herb Farm on the far side of the Manawatu Gorge was my first stop on the way to Whanganui. Due to road closures, I had to take the longer road through the Gorge over the stunning Ballance Bridge. This narrower and windier route was fun to drive through farmland and up into the feet of the Te Apiti Wind Farm. I purposely hadn’t googled much about the Te Apiti Wind Farm, so was surprised that the road travelled through and underneath it. As impressive as the turbines are from afar, they’re giants when you’re up close. Several turbines were being installed, and without their three blades attached, they reminded me of Star Wars Imperial Walker’s chunky white bodies. I didn’t stop to take photos, I was too busy driving and taking it all in.
The Herb Farm in Ashurst grows and harvests a large range of herbs for their own brand of health and skincare products. I’ve sold the brand in pharmacies and was curious to see its origin. You’re encouraged to wander their acres of herb beds to view the large, well-ordered beds grown for their products. Smaller beds by the cafe are planted with different varieties, and at different growth stages, more like a home garden, but even more thrown together. Tall dried stalks grew out of green bushy plants next to something flowering yellow. Not owning a green thumb, I could only identify the usual culinary suspects - rosemary, mint, parsley. The shop was well stocked, informative, and thriving, and as you'd expect it smelled amazing.
Along with a cafe, the Farm features two acres of woodland tracks hiding hundreds of small gnomes and fairies behind trees, in logs, and larger ones set in scenes.
I wandered a little bit of the path but - feeling like Gulliver in Lilliput - backed out before I stood on something. Or someone. Thought I should start this trip off with good choices, which wasn’t hard in this cafe. Being part of a business promoting natural health and wellness, the cafe was only ever going to stock said good choices. My buddha bowl was super virtuous, full of colourful grated veg, hummus, nuts, seeds, and haloumi.
Back on the flat, wide, smooth highway for the hour drive to Whanganui. The Manawatu landscape is lush and healthy with green pastures and green trees. Driving through Bulls I played the 'How many times can they work Bull into a name' game. I remember What A Load Of Bull (craft shop or antique shop) and Coffee on the Moove on the main road. Later I was told I missed a famous signpost with a dozen or more puns, including the police station, the Const-A-Bull.
Whanganui gets the win for the prettiest drive into a city, like driving into a prosperous beachside suburb with sculptures and plantings. And then you round the corner and there’s this wide dominating river. Because of the gorgeous day, the river appeared shimmery and still, but up close you could see how fast it was really flowing.
Driving across the bridge into the city also was something of an arrival. Instead of driving through car yards and big box stores, the southern entrance to Whanganui directs you across the river straight into the main street.
My first stop, as usual, was the I-site. Staffed by locals, i-sites have the info you can't find on the internet such as where's the cheapest all-day parking? Where it’s unsafe to be at night? What can I afford to miss and what’s a must-see? Being the biggest fans of their hometown, they just want you to have a great time and appreciate what they do. They always know just the spot for the best views to get your bearings, and in Whanganui, that's one of the towers.
On the other side of the river from the town centre are three towers, Durie Tower and Elevator, Durie Hill War Memorial Tower, and Bastia Hill Water Tower. Both Durie towers have views over the City but as I wasn’t up for tackling 176 steps to climb the tallest one, I chose the Durie Hill Tower and Elevator. This was on my to-do list as it's NZ’s only underground elevator, and over 100 years old. The old girl was closed for maintenance, and fair enough at her age, but thankfully the tight spiral staircase to the roof was still accessible for these amazing views. When the Elevator is open, you would walk down a long white tunnel for 200 metres into the hill, then clatter 66 metres up in a small rickety elevator.
Back in the city centre the main road, Victoria Ave, runs up and away from the river. The first couple of blocks are lined with heritage buildings over 100 years old, lovingly restored and maintained. The entire street is elegantly presented with blooming hanging baskets and ornate black archways. The buildings are predominantly Victorian stone and wood with a handful of Art Deco and each different from the other. The best bits, in my opinion, are clustered around the bottom next to the river. I could already see why it won New Zealand's Most Beautiful City two years in a row largely due to its focus on the arts and beautification of the city.
Whanganui is understandably proud of its heritage buildings and arts-centered city centre, and celebrates them often, with an artists month, heritage month, and vintage weekend.
After a long wander familiarising myself with the main streets, it was time for dinner at Frank Bar & Eatery. And I would’ve gone again if it didn’t break my 'don’t eat at the same place twice unless there's no other option' rule. Situated in a heritage building close to the river, Frank's has worked with the building's original high ceilings, nooks and crannies. I enjoyed a Rosebud - vanilla vodka, passionfruit, pineapple juice with a side of prosecco. It kept the waitress and I busy for a while discussing ways to drink it. Sip each drink in turn? Finish the cocktail then shoot the bubbly? Or pour the bubbles into the cocktail, which is what I did as it was a little syrupy for me. I could’ve done with more prosecco though. Always.
I considered chicken and steamed veg in an attempt to continue my virtuous start, but the most popular item is always a good choice in a new place. At Frank's, that's the Dirty Cheeseburger. When in Rome. Swear to god, the waitress clapped her hands when I ordered it, she was that delighted. She hardly ever eats meat and this is her 'meat cheat'. My burger arrived with four napkins, all of which were needed, and a whopping side of curly fries which barely got a look in. What makes it dirty? The oozing house-made bourbon bbq sauce, spicy mayo, and fried onions.
TWO
Another blue, clear morning and 5° when I ventured out early for coffee. My research led me to Mischief, a local fave, for a locally roasted Karamu flat white. Then off to Bushy Park, a 20 minute drive north of Whanganui. I feel like that should be the name for an Australian suburb.
With such a clear morning, the snow-capped peak of Mt Taranaki was visible for most of the drive. That was pretty special for someone who hasn’t seen snow more than a couple of times. I should’ve gotten a photo early on because when I eventually did get one a few hours later, the day had warmed up and hazed a little.
Terrible photo, perfect cone
Bushy Park is a bird and forest sanctuary with walking tracks, a historic homestead, and an information centre. And yes it’s bushy. Be a bit of a rip if you got all the way out there and it wasn’t. The park's primary focus is the conservation of endangered birds. I didn’t spy any birds that stuck around for long but they were ever-present, constantly chattering and flitting about overhead. The tracks wind through mostly level lowland forest which is quite dense and yes, bushy, and there’s a family-friendly wetlands boardwalk too.
The other claim to fame for Bushy, is Rātānui, a giant rātā tree many, many hundreds of years old. Reputedly the largest in the southern hemisphere. He's quite an imposing presence, fenced off in a small clearing dwarfing the forest around him.
I spent a couple of hours wandering most of the ten easy paths, enjoying birdsong and dappled sunlight. The park has its own accommodation, the 1906 Edwardian homestead. This would be a gorgeous stay with opulent refurbished rooms, Devonshire tea on the verandah, and all that birdsong to wake up with.
Next up was a 20 minute drive towards the coast to Bason Botanical Gardens. A pretty drive on country roads, through rolling green hills with views of the blue ocean appearing every now and then. All farmland and then suddenly there’s an imposing sculptured steel gateway, leading down a large, formal, palm-lined driveway. Another great entrance in the middle of nowhere.
The great thing about this 60-acre park is it’s completely driveable. The road winds around the perimeter and through various areas, so it’s fully accessible for anyone. And it’s a great way to gain an overview of the gardens, so you can decide where to stop off and explore. The park is far too large to walk and explore when you’re cramming in as much as I am. There are six themed large areas, numerous small paths to wander, sculptures, bridges, and wetlands - my favourite space here.
There’s also orienteering, disc golf, and geo-caching. I had to google that last one, turns out its treasure hunting using GPS, sounds like fun and less work than orienteering. Along with these formalised areas the park has many large green spaces, free bbqs and conservatories. A well-ordered and maintained park. I found it very quiet and relaxing, and open to the sky after the cosy bushwalks of Bushy Park.
Children's play equipment or sculpture?
After a couple of hours here it was back into Whanganui for the third park. But as I passed the turnoff for Kai Iwi Beach five minutes down the road I decided to have a quick look. The little bay is quite dramatic, with the cliff jutting out into the sea and waves crashing into its feet. From the breaking waves to the playground behind it, and into the estuary beside it, was piled up driftwood. Kids would love it here, picking through that driftwood, climbing the cliffs, exploring rock pools. Not to mention the large playground featuring a flying fox and pirate ship. This is a day tripper and weekender paradise. At low tide, you can walk for miles on either side.
Virginia Lake was my third and final park for the day. This suburban park is very popular being only five minutes from the city centre. 45 acres of lakeside and woodland paths, fountains, cafe, an aviary with everything from quails to parrots, playgrounds, and a Wintergarden in an Art Deco building. Something for everyone and every age including finding hidden statues of Peter Pan and Tainui, a Maori chieftain's daughter whose tears of grief filled the lake.
The tame swans and ducks are quite demanding. I found out why on my way out of the park - the cafe sells duck food so they’re well catered for. If you were only in Whanganui for a short time, this would be fantastic for a nature connection and walk.
The Yellow House has "the best cheese scones in NZ'' and I accept the challenge, as Flora in Napier is my scone queen. Only available Sat and Sun mornings her scones sell out by 9.30 am. Lightly toasted to enhance the flaky salt topping and served with a soft curl of smoked butter, they are my new addiction - I’ve finally weaned myself off Ya Bon’s sourdough. But it wasn’t to be as they'd sold out earlier - thanks school holidays - so lunch was tasty middle eastern lamb salad, feta whip, and pistachios. And another average coffee. The menu and baking in the cabinets are definitely worth another crack. On the way back into town, I popped my head around the Cuban Belle Cafe and Rayner Brothers Gallery, which share a villa. Half is filled with artist works and tiny studios and the other a small cafe with Havana coffee, sticking with the Cuban theme.
I spent what was left of the afternoon exploring the Arts Trail consisting of 24 sculpture, gallery and studio stops. Most closed at 4 pm so I had to be choosy. This was aided by Whanganui’s clever flag system - if a flag is flying outside an artist's space it means they’re accepting visitors. I made a beeline for two must-do’s, the NZ Glassworks studio and Louise Herdman Mosaics which was closed my entire visit. Both have workshops that book out weeks in advance so I’ll make sure to book ahead for these next time.
The famous Sarjeant Gallery in Queens Park is currently closed for redevelopment, but the smaller, riverside Sarjeant on the Quay gallery is still open. This was my favourite out of everything 'arty' in Whanganui. They were hosting the Pattillo Project, a showcase exhibition for solo artists of any age to exhibit, in any medium. Everything from oils to textiles, wirework to sculptures, and multimedia works. I appreciated this exhibition because it was so accessible. Almost every piece sat alongside a brief explanation from the artist and, me not being arty, there were many moments of - ahhh, now I see what you mean!
2021’s winner, Tracy Byatt, is a cake decorator by day and in her spare time, fashions art using sugar and resin. My photo (I was allowed one only) of her winning work 'An Impossible Bouquet' doesn’t do it justice. Housed in glass due to its fragility, the bouquet is composed entirely of sugar. Every single element of the piece. This work was a labour of love for her and over a year in the making. She’d lost pieces to heat, humidity, bees - an open studio window- and restarted pieces multiple times. As she says, sugar is an agent of preservation and decay and she makes these pieces knowing they will decay over time. Imagine putting all that effort into something you know for certain cannot last. I found quite a few pieces throughout the gallery that I liked, the best being a large work of thin copper wire, hundreds of them, twisted into intricate Japanese imagery.
Sugar!
I finished off the day with a quick trip to Queens Park right in the middle of Victoria Avenue, and home to three culturally important buildings, the Sarjeant Gallery, Regional Museum, and War Memorial Centre. And an impressive set of steps, The Veteran Steps.
Tired feet led me to Maria Lane Eatery placed conveniently at the foot of Queen's Park where a Dark 'n Stormy revived me. My kind of wine bar, squeezed into a gap between buildings, a little bit Melbourney with cobblestone floors, black steel framing. I devoured labneh topped with smoked tomato, sizzling chilli butter, crunchy pine nuts scooped up with warm chewy flatbread. Simple, tasty, cheap. Delicious.
THREE
My best coffee of the trip was from Article cafe, coffee by Devils Cup, locally roasted in Patea. I want to say it’s very 'Wellington', not so much the hipster factor but in how serious they take their coffee and associated vibe. Only open on the weekend for some reason I never discovered, it’s an eclectic mix of gallery, retail (books and records) and retro clothing. Go for a strong coffee (no menu) and a board game or browse vinyls and bric a brac while taking in the high ceilings and dusty windows.
Today's adventure was a two hour river cruise aboard the 122-year old coal-fired paddle steamer, Waimarie (why-mar-ee-ay). The correct pronunciation was one of the first things they shared with us after boarding, along with not mentioning the P-word (pollution). After sinking in 1952, the Waimarie languished on the bottom of the river for 50 years, until being salvaged and restored taking eight years. I don’t enjoy being on the water, but I figured I could handle this gentle old girl, and it is one of the most popular touristy things in Whanganui. Check-in was 10am, we sailed at 11am and docked at 1pm so it took my morning, but I didn’t mind. It was a relaxing and informative river experience.
Waimarie and a giant ball bearing sculpture representing the Whanganui river
Waimarie has eight staff on board which I thought was overkill until you find out it takes two engineers to feed the large engine. An old, sea dog captain entertained and informed about the river and the boat. She was refurbished exactly as she was when built in 1891 even down to a replica of the ship's wheel and its series of pulleys and chains. The only non-original addition is a radio. Otherwise, she’s as labour intensive to run as she was back in the day, hence the amount of staff needed. The captain gave a very compact, easy-to-understand explanation of how a paddle steamer works. “If I want the boat to go faster I yell at the engineer. If I want the boat to slow down I yell at the engineer. If I want the boat to stop I yell at the engineer”
The cruise was relaxed and serene, accompanied by chuff of engine and splash of steamer paddle. I was surprised at the amount of debris floating in the river, sometimes large branches and logs. Made sense why one crew member was stationed at the bow, looking ahead the entire time. We stopped engines once to float around a particularly large log that looked like a crocodile, eyes peeking above the water. I thoroughly enjoyed my river meander, passing through parts of the river otherwise that can't be seen from the road. As it was the end of the school holidays there were plenty of kids on board. They enjoyed the drama of stopping for the huge log, the homing pigeons released halfway, and lining up for a look into the noisy engine room. If they asked, they were allowed to take a lump of coal off the boat as a souvenir. I thought Santa left coal in the stockings of misbehaving kids?
There is another riverboat that you can take, the Wailua. Built in 1904 she's smaller, faster and ventures further up the river so I’d consider that next time so I could see more of the river. I overheard someone explaining how it’s the earliest prototype of the jet boat with propulsions and vents and valves. I’d like to drive the Whanganui River Road which travels up the right-hand side of the river, stopping at small riverside communities and historical landmarks.
Once docked I headed to the riverbank coffee cart, The Village Snob - hmm, we’ll see who’s the snob. The barista had some serious sideburns happening, wire-rimmed Harry Potter glasses, mismatched vest, and bowtie. He nailed quirky. Coffee was average, Bomber from Flight Coffee. The win for the best location for coffee.
My afternoon was spent exploring Castlecliff, a seaside suburb ten minutes out from the town centre. Its claims to fame are a black sand beach, Vostinar Gallery, and Citadel cafe. More specifically, Citadel's loaded fries. That was my first stop.
I opted for the Vladimir Poutine (chicken salt, gravy, and cheese) over Kevin Bacon and Fiery Frida. I was hoping for something along the lines of my beloved poutine from Fed St in Auckland. And these were good, but Fed St takes the win. These potatoes were chunky when I prefer skinny, which muddle into the gravy for complete coverage. And they used grated cheese while I prefer more traditional cheese curd that softens until gooey. And I would have liked the gravy poured over the top instead of being a puddle at the bottom. Fed St has spoiled me. I fully embrace being a poutine snob. But overall my lunch was hot, tasty and we all know anything fried tastes better when you can smell and hear the ocean. I'd definitely revisit Citadel with its homey and relaxed vibe. The cabinet was full of healthy and indulgent baking, and the customers were chilled and taking their time.
Castlecliff Beach was one of those windy 'blow your hangover away' beaches where you’re up against the wind either way you walk. While my picture doesn't show it, large strong waves were churning up the sand, and it was muddy looking for quite a long way out. On the way out of the suburb, I quickly popped into Vostinar Gallery to check out the ceramic mugs (used across the road at Citadel), framed colourful prints, and twisty ceramic pieces.
Back into town for another wander of the arts quarter before they closed, and found Brown & Co in the Drews precinct. This area is worth a revisit when everything is open. They specialise in blown glass art, lighting, and jewellery in a recently restored Victorian building. I bought my only souvenir here, hand-painted Venetian glass earrings to add to my collection. I say collection, I have three pairs. It’s a start. Then I made it just before closing to the popular Whanganui Arts Centre by the river. This large space is a home for working artists and craftspeople alongside a gallery for revolving exhibitions.
Whanganui’s billing as an Arts Town is well-founded in my opinion. Galleries and studios are everywhere, especially along the river, and they feel accessible to everyone. In fact, the whole city felt welcoming and relaxed.
FOUR
Before leaving for Palmerston North, I had a quick wander through the River Traders market. A large community market with food, music and local food producers, strung comfortably alongside the river. No chance of leaving hungry with plentiful food stands offering samples from clam chowder, hangi, paua fritters and ham on the bone rolls to wood-fired pizza and cupcakes. I chuckled at the vegan & whole-food stand butted up against a British guy touting homemade pies and pasties. Guess which one was busy and which was a barren wasteland? As befits an arts-focused town, craft stalls were abundant - jewellery, wooden crafts, homemade bird feeders, paintings, hand-painted clothing. And oddly enough a large tent selling mobility scooters!
After fuelling up, there was one last garden to visit on the way out of Whanganui. Paloma Gardens is a private garden at the end of a pot-holed country track, amidst hilly farmland. The owners have planted whatever has taken their fancy, from arctic to tropical, for over 40 years. And they're still working on it. Even though it's a private garden, they welcome visitors with a warning along the lines of: Our garden has many dangerous features and plants that can kill, maim and injure. That’s how we want it: it’s not a public garden, it’s a private garden where you are welcome to visit. This is our garden, we’ve planted it the way we like, care should be taken. Duly noted.
The garden is roughly divided into two, one on either side of the driveway. The older section is structured, more thoughtfully planted while the newer has been encouraged to ramble and do as it pleases. There are ten different mini gardens to discover, including the newest, GoD, the Garden of Death. You’d have to save that one for last right?
Driveway scrawled with multilingual quotes
I began with the new gardens. The lush Palm Garden with its 150 species of palms, the Cycad House, and the Matchless Arboretum, with many rare trees. There's no order to the garden, you just wander from one space to the next finding hidden stairs and paths, pottery and statues, wooden and wrought metal gates. The path, where you can find it, is often cracked and grown over, and sometimes slippery. I was often pushing fronds aside and ducking under branches to pass through. With few straight lines, it felt overgrown and adventurous, everything growing and spreading out to wherever it wants to.
The Cycad House repurposes old chandeliers, and art lines the walls
An old, recycled greenhouse is home to the Desert Garden. As you’d expect it’s dry and sandy and prickly, so quiet it’s a little spooky. It feels a little hostile - starting with the struggle to open the old glasshouse door to wiggle in - and once inside, you’re in their space so watch yourself. There’s spikiness everywhere. Stay on the path and keep your hands to yourself.
After the randomness of the newer side, the older gardens felt calmer and more formal. Beginning at the Wedding Lawn with its avenue of giant palms, it flows down to the lake and the French-inspired Le Jardin Exotique. This side of the garden also holds the palm and bamboo forests planted first, some 40 years previously.
At the foot of the Wedding Lawn (yes they host weddings) opposite the bridge, I couldn’t even get through to a corner of the lawn. A long, spiky arm grew out of an exotic palm from one side of the path, arcing over and touching down on the other, and an army of wasps was feeding on the flowers. There was no way I was interfering with them so I backed off and left them to it.
The Garden Of Death is the newest space and a work in progress. This small, square walled garden has been planted purposefully and thoughtfully. It's for looking, not touching. Toxic plants like deadly nightshade and hemlock are planted around the perimeter, with the rest of the space a large green lawn. One tree is planted dead centre, a Ficus, the tree under which Buddha sat when he received enlightenment. Some plants are outright poisonous and hallucinogenic, some just irritate or are a little toxic. I heeded the warning “to please not touch anything and stay well” with hands in pockets, mentally noting where I’d packed my inhaler and antihistamines.
Paloma is not a garden you’d stumble across, it’s a destination. I would revisit it in a heartbeat. I can see why a local told me it’s the garden she visits most weekends as there’s so much to take in.
Passing through Sanson on the way to Palmerston North, I stopped in at Viv's Kitchen, home of the famous cream horn. This is one of those roadie stops you’d regret not stopping at, and I wasn't the only one. It was full of bikers and walkers from nearby trails and small groups of tourists. Viv’s is full-on American retro diner complete with red vinyl booths and1950’s formica tables. The famous cream horn came in a multitude of flavours and there was plenty on offer, 60 or so horns filled and displayed in the cabinet. I chose boysenberry which was very good. A thick, crisp tube of pastry filled with fresh, cold whipped cream rippled with pureed boysenberries. Tiny Sanson is a must-do for a stop-over with a handful of bustling craft and antique shops.
At this angle, Viv’s horn looks more like Viv’s slug
Leaving behind peaceful Whanganui, I drove into the big, grey city of Palmerston North, quickly becoming annoyed with traffic lights and queues. At the i-site located in The Square, I again found friendly and informative locals. Initially, I’d planned to walk parts of the Te Apiti Gorge but now, with only a short time here, decided I felt like a more urban experience.
Rebranded in 2020 as the more casual 'Palmy', the city is reputed to be as art-focused as Whanganui. And it is but in a different way. At first glance, I’d suggest it’s more about street murals and sculptures dotted around the CBD and The Square, rather than Whanganui's small studios and galleries. On the perimeter of the Square, the most interesting thing I found apart from the library, was the Square Edge Community Arts Centre. This collaborative multi-storey space has small spaces for artists to work and exhibit in. They hold art and theatre classes and exhibitions but everything was closed Saturday afternoon, as was most of this compact city centre.
I spent the rest of the afternoon down by Palmy's river, the pretty Manawatu River. The part I could see by the city centre reminded me a little of Hawke's Bay rivers, with exposed shingle and stony patches, and wide riverbanks lined with tall trees. The He Ara Kotahi walkway travels alongside both riverbanks. Comprised of concrete and limestone paths, it passes through farms, forests, and skirts the outside of Linton military camp. I was itching to bike it being so invitingly flat and straight, but there’s no bike hire to be found on weekends. The i-site was as surprised as I was. Maybe there's not enough business in the cooler months to warrant the two bike shops staying open.
I’ve always thought of Palmy as a university town and assumed it would be front and centre in the city, but the main Campus is some distance away, separated by the river. Roofs are visible here and there but being an hour's walk from the CDB, I didn't have enough time to wander through it as I'd wanted.
Newish to the river is the He Ara Kotahi Bridge, which opened in 2019. It was designed to bring to mind a fallen karaka tree, with its 'roots' on the university side of the river and a 'canopy' on the city side. While it's interesting by day, it’s beautifully lit up at night and worth a repeat visit.
Victoria Esplanade is a very large park and recreational area running alongside the river bank. Sprawled within its boundaries are nature attractions - easy bush tracks, rose gardens, large sports and playgrounds. Also, a decent kids train looping through it all - complete with grumpy old man driver. Apparently, the Esplanade is gorgeous in Spring with flowering cherry trees, would love to see that.
Also within the Esplanade is the Central Energy Trust Wildbase recovery centre, for the rescue and rehabilitation of injured native animals. I meant to just poke my head in but ended up there for an hour or so. They encourage visitors to follow the treatment of their patients and they’d just discharged a tiny penguin and a wood pigeon the day before my visit. The centre maintains some permanent residents including two pairs of breeding ducks. Both are endangered species and their ducklings are released throughout NZ.
Pateke (brown teals) are the dream team having gifted over 200 chicks to the conservation efforts. Every five years or so, they’re retired and another baby-making couple bought in. The Whio (blue ducks) next door, however, are quite the opposite. Their arranged marriage hasn’t worked at all. They live like flatmates, indifferent to one another, no attempts made to get it on. They would’ve swiped left given the chance. The Centre has given up on them, another couple is on the way which will hopefully result in a baby-making match.
I enjoyed a quick dinner at Aberdeen Steak House before heading back to He Ara Kotahi Bridge for the night view. Located in a large, white stone, historic building full of warmth and nooks, the service was warm and the G&T cold and limey. My steak was delicious and excellent value for money accompanied by veg, red wine jus, a choice of potato, sauce, or butter for one price.
FIVE
The CBD was deserted Sunday morning, making it easy to find parking for a quiet wander. The most interesting block I found encompasses Cuba St, George St and Coleman Place Laneway. Certainly the most attractive block, with its mix of well-maintained Victorian and Art Deco buildings, tiny shops, patisseries, and large cafes. Art installations, plantings, and graffiti walls prettied up the narrow streets. Brunch at Cafe Cuba was a decent bacon bagel, coffee and some good-looking local scenery - two trucks of uniformed firemen loading up on breakfast. Carry on. Don’t mind me three tables over.
There’s a lot of good eating and coffee to be had in Palmy and, combined with exploring the walkway and the Gorge, I would definitely visit again and focus on these outdoor adventures. And maybe one or two of those tiny shops and patisseries.
Heading back to Napier I chose the Saddle Road route. This scenic, winding shortcut passes the Wind Farm Lookout. Unfortunately, it’s permanently closed but the road brought me up close to many of the turbines anyway. The road climbs steeply and quickly up and just over the top when I was expecting an incredible view, there was a thick, pure white blanket of cloud. Not airy mist but thick cloud. It was so sudden and dramatic and thankfully there was a space right there to pull over and marvel. With fog lights on, I descended slowly down, the fog so low it touched the road and so thick I could barely make out anything to the sides of the car. When I left Palmy the temperature was 11° now it had plummeted to 3° in a matter of seconds. My descent was slow and cold and continued until well past the flats of Woodville. Then it was stunning blue sky all the way, the green Manawatu giving way to the autumn colours and blonde dry hills of Hawke's Bay.
