We got up at 8.00 and I rushed around getting things packed and Jon took Totty out and we were ready to leave at 9.30 so pretty good for us. Totty was excited to be in the car 'going out' until we got to the kennels and then she was not so keen.
We went on a different road to Rotorua, the one that had a big slip on it and is only open for a few hours morning and evening. We don't like going that way as it is very windy but we found it to be much quicker and we were in Rotorua by 10.15, too early for coffee so we carried on and stopped further down towards Taupo at a cafe at a honey making factory and they had huge honey drums outside.
The weather was good and we made Taupo, which is half way in plenty of time and so we decided to carry on and arrived in Nappier at 1.30. We found a little cafe and I had pumpkin soup and Jon had seafood chowder which was very good.
We then went to our hotel which was on the seafront and opposite to the conference centre. It was a very big modern place and a bit cold but fine.
After unpacking we went out for a walk around the town for Jon to look at all the art deco buildings. We went to the Tourist Information Office and booked me on a trip to see the gannets out at Cape Kidnappers. I will get picked up at the hotel in the morning and taken to the start point. We visited the museum and I found the stories of the earthquake survivors just as moving as I did last time I went. We then went off and found a street cafe and had a really good cup of tea, I haven't had many since I got here, and a piece of chocolate cake.
We took a drive up to Bluff Lookout and you can see right over the bay and the port which Jon was very interested in. Some of the houses up there are built on stilts and look very dangerous, I wouldn't like to live in them with so may earthquakes in the area.
We went over to the conference centre to register and there were some people there dressed in thirties outfits and they were inviting people in for 'drinkies'. We decided to go and shower and get changed first and then go over. We arrived there at 6.30, the drinks reception was going on till 7.00, as soon as we went in Jon met a chap who does research and was giving a talk at the conference and we started to chat. Unfortunately he got onto his topic and didn't stop and so all we got were a few very nice nibbles that were being passed around but by the time we managed to get away from him the drinks were finished!!!!! A glass of wine would have been nice.
When we left we walked to the hotel where we stayed last time as the bar was very nice there and we had a glass of wine. We planned to eat in the hotel restaurant but on the way back we found a place called the Hog's Breath which looked pretty good so we found a table outside and ate there. It was a good meal of steak which is cooked for 18 hours but they still mange to serve it rare, very tasty. I had mine with prawns and Jon had his with garlic mushrooms. Dinner was followed by a very good pudding of ice cream, walnuts, honey, chocolate and cream and was very good, we did share one pudding!
While we were sitting outside after dinner the sky was lovely and there are some lovely old lamp posts in the street which I thought would look nice once the lights came on which they did but also every other pine tree was lit up with Christmas lights and it looked so pretty. There was also a fountain that changed colour across the way in some gardens. We walked over and took some photos and then went back to the hotel.
It was only 9.30 when we got back to the hotel so we had a coffee and read for a bit.
MONDAY
I didn't sleep very well as I was too hot and I think the dinner was a bit heavy for me, we should have gone for a longer walk after dinner.
We had breakfast and Jon went over to the conference at 8.00. I waited in the room till my lift came at 8.45. He kindly told me I would probably need a jacket as it got windy at the cape so I went back up for it. We drove along the coast and the driver was telling me he lived in Hemel Hempstead for four years and really enjoyed UK. He told me lots about the gannets.
When we got to the beach I was waiting for the tractors to come and got chatting to an English family, mum and dad and grown up daughter who were over here for two weeks to go to a family wedding next Friday. They have managed to do lots of things and were heading off to Rotorua after Napier.
The tractors arrived and there were five of them with two trailers on each. There were lots of school children but fortunately we, tourists were put on a different one. We set off bouncing along the beach and it was great fun. The drivers taking the tractors into the sea and nearly, but not quite getting our feet wet. The trip was an hour along the coast and of course they have to vary the times depending on the tide. You can walk along but it is a 20km round trip and you have to watch the tides. The driver was a real character and full of information about the cliffs and the rock formation and we had lots of little stops along the way. At one point we were racing along a straight bit with two of the other tractors, the school children loved it! I was sitting near tow Indian men on the trailer and there were some jelly fish on the beach and they didn't know what they were so I had to explain to them.
We got to the end of the beach and then had a 30 minute very steep walk to the top to see the main gannet colony, about 20,000 birds. It is a really lovely spot and the beach was beautiful and the sea was so blue. I managed to get a video clip of them but then my memory card said it was full. As it is a relatively new camera I didn't know how to delete the old photos, that will teach me to put things off and not read the instruction book. I now know how to do it so won't be caught like that again.
The gannets are not afraid of the people at all although, we were told if you cross over the little chain fence you would be in trouble. They arrive at the cape in July and stay till March. Usually there would be lots of chicks to see at this time of year but we were told the nesting was running about three weeks behind due to lack of fish for them to feed on earlier in the season. The gannets mate for life and live about 25 years, they come back to the same nest every year. They only rear one chick a year and the chick takes its first flight at about 16 weeks. Once it takes off from the cliff it doesn't stop till it gets to Australia! That is impressive but only about 20% make it. They come back to NZ when they are 4 or 5 for breeding and never go back to Australia again spending the rest of the year around the NZ coast. Our driver told us that once they had been over there that was enough for them never to go back again! It was an amazing sight and a shame Jon couldn't see them too.
The journey back was really good as I was on the cliff side and they are really high but made of very soft stone and sediment so very unstable and not a beach to sunbathe on under the cliffs. The wind had turned and so it was a bit chilly and I was very glad I had my jacket!
The drive who picked me up from the hotel was one of the tractor drivers so I had to wait till he came back to get my lift. Once he had off loaded the children I got onto the trailer and he took me back to the depot and we went speeding along the road and it was really funny me on the back of a tractor!
I was very hungry when I got back so went off for a sandwich and a drink. I then went back to the hotel to get my things as I thought I would go for a swim across at the spa but just as I was going Jon came back so we went out for a walk instead followed by a cup of tea.
After a shower we went out to meet some people from the conference and to have dinner with them. There were 3 x Kiwis, Don,, Nigel and Bruce, 1x Aussie, Justin who looks more Korean and Pedro from Chile who we may be going to see next year. We met them in the Hog's Breath and had a drink and we were supposed to go and eat somewhere else but Nigel decided we would stay there instead which was fine. We got a table which was like a booth with me sitting right at the end opposite Justin and Jon at my side and Nigel on a chair at the end. Then Nigel said well lets get started and off he went talking business and he really didn't stop after that. The poor waitress had trouble getting our order as really the meal was a secondary thing for him all he wanted to do was talk business. Now I understand that Jon was there for work but all night talking logs and Kiwi fruit!!!!!! Pedro looked bored and I know Jon was. I chose fish and it was much lighter than last night and I managed to order a glass of wine. Justin had a steak and made the most disgusting noises and ate his dinner in record time and then got out his floss and did his teeth Ugh!
The waitress came and asked if we wanted pudding and Nigel said no and didn't ask anyone else so the bill came and that was it. They talked some more and eventually we managed to get out of the door and they were still in the street talking when Jon and I went into the hotel. After a quick trip to the loo Jon and I slipped out the back door of the hotel and went and found a bar and had a very nice piece of passion fruit cheesecake and a coffee.
That really is no way to entertain people. Pedro is coming up to Tauranga on Tuesday so I hope Genera treat him better.
We got back to the hotel and it was still only 9.30.
TUESDAY
Jon had to meet the same people this morning and they drove to Hastings for an 8.00 meeting. Nigel said it would be over by 9.30. I went down for breakfast later and then packed the case. I had to leave the room at 10.00 and they were not back, surprise, surprise. I waited in reception and Jon got back at 10.45 and we set off for Tauranga.
We stopped at a little cafe on the way out for a coffee and bumped into our neighbour, Pat. She was on her way back from visiting relatives - small world.
The journey was pretty boring but at least it was dry, the forecast had been for rain. We stopped for lunch in Taupo and made it home by 3.30. I called the kennels to say we were back early and would pick Totty up today.
Totty was very happy to see us. She came home and has slept for most of the time since she came in.
I cooked a pizza I had in the freezer for dinner but it was not very nice so I made omelettes instead. Nice to have something simple after being out for so many meals. I feel as if we have been away for ages.
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