Napier and Onward

Day and evening in Napier, where it was very HOT more or less taking it easy.  Locals were unbelievable it was so hot. Similar to  our summer days in Williamsburg, but  they do not have a/c for the most part.  We enjoyed our winery visit but cut short visiting several due to the heat and who can drive on the other side feeling tipsy.  Not me and I did not want to challenge the authorities if stopped.

Evening at Mission Winery which was so memorable; dinner in the oldest winery in New Zealand that was at one time a Catholic seminary.  The winery is still owned by the Catholic order and run for the Catholic order to support Catholic teachings.    The dinner was delicious, and so is the wine!

Leaving in the morning heading to Wellington.  We stopped at the Bruce Mountain Natural Resource Center that is trying to bring back extinct species.  Apparently when the settlers came to the region, they did much land clearing and burning, wiping out many of the indigenous species of the region.  It was fascinating to learn the history of the land.

We then proceeded into Wellington over a HUGE Mountain pass with extreme switchbacks.  Believe me, it was white knuckle time.  As we passed over the peak it was foggy and rainy and scary!  Cliff wished he were asleep.  I never looked down and kept my eye on the cliffs and the line in the road  We arrived in Wellington in a blinding chilly rain.  We thought this would be the case during our time in Wellington.  It rains a lot and has been compared to San Francisco.

We struck out this am in grey, cool windy weather to a most educational museum Te Pappa.  It shows the cultural divide between the Maori and the white man.  We spent six hours there if you can believe it.  It also had a lot about the earth's activity under New Zealand.

When we left it was sunny, windy and clear!  We loved our walking around and seeing this beautiful city.
Tonight it is dinner in the hip area of Cuba Street and off tomorrow on the ferry to the South Island.  We have a reservation at the Allen Scott vineyard  for lunch, per suggestion of Phyllis.  Reservations in a B&B in Blenheim,

Observations:  People are so friendly EVERYWHERE!  Most McDonalds with a Cafe McCafe.  We are really missing something in the US.  Locals could not believe we dont' have this McCafe  This is a Starbucks like coffee shop attached to McDonalds, but WONDERFUL.  Have been told Starbucks coffee isn't respected here. Country is beautiful and a camera cannot capture the beauty.Gasoline is $8 a gallon!