Our day began with the rest of the drive to Napier. We arrived early and Zhoel gave me a walking tour of the city. It is known for its Art Deco style. Apparently much of the city was destroyed in an earthquake and it was rebuilt in the style of the times. I felt like I should dress like a character from The Great Gatsby.
One of the landmarks of the town is the statue of Pania. She was lured into the sea by the siren’s call. When she tried to swim back to shore she was turned into a reef.
We headed out of town to see Te Mata, the sleeping giant. This is a mountain that has views of the whole region, Hawke’s Bay. The scenery was amazing there.
We also watched a paraglider sail hundreds of meters up.
On the way back to town, we got ice cream in Hastings. There is a local institution, Rush Munro’s. It has been around forever. The ice cream was delicious–I had the Manuka honey flavor.
After that we briefly met up with one of Zhoel’s friends, Ben, and his partner, Chrissi. Ben is an avid fly fisherman and he taught us a lot about it. They are in the process of moving into a house that they just bought; the pictures look beautiful.
We headed from Napier toward Wellington and camped along the way.
The Marauding Maineiac 