Dec 8 - 9
I got underway by 11:00 the next morning, with 4-5 hours of riding ahead of me - back up (literally) the motorway, then heading northeast on SH2 up into the Rimutaka Mountain Range. The road sign indicating that the route I was taking was “open” foretold what would be the most difficult hour of riding I’d do on my entire trip. Not only was the mountain pass was as winding as any other that I’d see on my trip, but the headwinds and crosswinds tossed me around in my narrow lane more violently than Lucky treats a pen he’s found on my desk. I don’t know how long the ride to the top was, but I did make it, with one short stop in a turnout along the way. I was afraid to get off the bike for fear the winds would knock it over, but I really needed a break, and besides, I had to check out the view I couldn’t enjoy on the way up. I grabbed my camera from the back of the bike as it swayed back and forth and took, then spent 10-15 minutes fighting the wind and using increasingly short exposure times. Unfortunately, the cafe was closed (whether permanently, or just until enough tourists arrived, I couldn’t tell), so I repacked the camera (bike still far less stable on the kickstand than I would’ve liked) and started down the other side.
I tried to use a semi as a windbreak for a few km (not sure that it was particularly effective), but on one of the curves, the driver insisted on pulling off to the side a bit to let me pass, so I had to continue on my own. Although there were still stiff winds, they really didn’t feel as bad on the descent. the rest of the ride to Napier was uneventful, and I honestly don’t remember much about the terrain, except perhaps that the road felt relatively straight. I did start seeing wineries along the way, but as I had very limited time in Napier, I was more concerned with getting to my destination.
After unloading my bags at Pinehaven and locking my bike nearby, I wandered across the road to the beach. The wet sand had this beautiful shimmer to it (which I’m sure I completely failed to capture on film), and I found hundreds (if not thousands) of what I first thought were tiny white stones, most of them smaller than a dime. I eventually came across a larger piece, at which point I realized that what I was really seeing was highly polished shell fragments. I discovered a couple pieces of pumice, just sitting on the beach (rather than in a bathtub, it’s natural habitat). As was my tendency through much of the trip, I spent a great deal more time taking photos of the crashing surf and seagulls than they really warranted, but it did give me practice in following moving subjects.
I continued walking along the beach, then turned left past a fountain and into town in search of dinner. After being mostly destroyed by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 1931 and subsequent fires, Napier was rebuilt in using the popular architectural styles of the day, and is now widely known for its art deco buildings. This town definitely had the most unique architecture I’d seen on my journey. Unfortunately, I was more concerned with food than photos, so you’ll have to rely on other sources if you’d like to see for yourself.
I eventually ended up having dinner back where I started on the Marine Parade. My table was situated next to these large windows that ran the length of the outside wall, and although they opened like doors, they didn’t go quite all the way to the ground. Napier is obviously used to a much milder climate than we are, and the windows proved all too tempting for a young boy passing by on the street to jump up onto (much to his mother’s shock ;)).
After dessert (consisting of a large amount of chocolate, of course), and a not so short game of billiards against myself, I wandered back out to try taking some evening/night pictures of an illuminated fountain nearby. I think they came out pretty well, though there were at least a couple lights that had burned out. I also tried to grab a couple shots of the neon clock tower on my way back to my room, though by then it was too dark to get a particularly sharp picture.
The next morning after breakfast, I loaded up the bike and started to depart before remembering that I wanted to take some pictures of the Pohutakawa trees across the street (as I was not convinced I’d managed a good shot of one yet). As I parked, I also discovered a the sunken gardens, to which I returned after visiting the trees. The gardens had an abstract sculpture which occupied my attention for a while, along with a group of people practicing some sort of meditation.
Once I’d had my fun at the garden, I almost stopped at the mini golf place next door, but it had already remained longer than I had wanted, as I also wanted to spend some time in Taupo on my way to Rotorua…