Another Road Trip

Some of the amazing artwork on display in the Egypt exhibition at the Auckland Museum

It’s now Saturday September 23^rd, 2023. Kia ora!

We have come on a small road trip north. We left on Wednesday, driving to Taupo. It was fine and warm, with little traffic.  We had lunch at the Church Café in Sanson. We had stopped there four years ago, en route to JD’s mother’s funeral in Taupo, and had good memories of it. Today, it seemed rather rustic.

We also stopped at the Army Museum in Waiouru.  I couldn’t find what time the café (the Mess Tent) closed, but it was still open when we went there. We had oat milk lattés, and then I went to have a look at the shop. I found some beautiful scarves, and JD bought me one of my favourites.  Having done that, he then decided to buy one for his sister too. I was very glad to have the new scarf, as it turned out. It goes with everything, is quite fashionable, and adds warmth.

We had a wonderful drive over the Desert Road, with fabulous views of the mountains, and not much traffic.

In Taupo we were staying somewhere we hadn’t stayed before in Rifle Range Road.  It was much cheaper than other options, and I thought, ah well, it’s only for one night. En route, I got a text message to say that the key was under the mat. In the event, it wasn’t, and the unit number was incorrect. But the motel was just fine: it was quite roomy, with plenty of plugs, a power board, and a small spa bath. The towels were rather thin, and there were only two of everything, with no view of the mountains, but that didn’t matter. On the way we had had a beautiful view of the mountains, cloudless.

We had dinner at Portofino, which was nearby; it was empty when we arrived but soon filled up.

The next morning we got on our way to Auckland. This was a rather trying drive. There were many timber trucks. We waited for passing lanes to pass them, but they were like ants: we’d overtake three, go around a corner, and there’d be three more. Thankfully they turned off before Tirau for the Tauranga Port. We didn’t stop in Tirau; JD wanted to stop at the Bombay Hills; I thought we’d have to turn off the Southern Motorway to go to one of the two cafés there. Consequently we turned off the Waikato Expressway to go to Cambridge. We found our way to the town centre, and struggled to find a parking place. We then walked back to a café for lunch. I tried to get Google Maps to tell us how to get back onto the Waikato Expressway, without success. A waitress gave us instructions. It was quite a long way, but we went past St Peter’s Church, and then St Peter’s School, followed lots of cones, and eventually lo and behold we found our way onto the Waikato Expressway again. The speed limit was 110 kph, and there was lots of traffic, but we enjoyed speeding past Hamilton, Huntly, Pukekohe and other places. 

I used Google Maps to find our motel. We were instructed to take Exit 432, but it was a bit hairy following the computerised voice’s instructions. There was masses of traffic, and some tricky lane changes. Google took us past St Cuthbert’s College, along a narrow road with cars parked both sides, where school was just out. Still, we were almost at our motel – Cornwall Park Motor Lodge. We were able to get a unit on the ground floor, thankfully.  Our unit wasn’t quite as big as the one we’d had in Taupo, and doesn’t have a spa bath, but it’s very good and we’re quite comfortable. The towels are better!

That evening we walked up Manakau Road to Da Soldi Sette, an Italian restaurant where we’d been before. It was crowded and noisy, but very good. We had some cheesy pizza bread to start with, and gave half of it away, although it was delicious; JD then had a risotto and I had scallopini parmigiana, delicious tender pork steaks crumbed and covered with tomato (Napoli) sauce and parmesan cheese. Afterwards, we shared affogato with Tia Maria, and a yummy tiramisu. The best! Then we walked back to the motel, thinking this was perhaps a rather stupid move. Of course, it didn’t seem as far walking back.

The next day was a big day. I was due to meet my cousin for lunch, and JD had a Hōhepa Foundation meeting in Takapuna; afterwards, there was to be a dinner, but the arrangements were all a bit vague.  We went early to the North Shore, and bought a copy of the NZ Herald (the Post was unavailable), before buying coffee at the Movenpick place.  Then JD dropped me off. The French Rendezvous Café was beside the Pumphouse, the Bruce Mason playhouse on Lake Pupuke. JD dropped me off at the top of the drive, after driving along a narrow street. I walked down, and found the restaurant. My cousin came a few minutes later. I hadn’t been here before, and I hadn’t seen Lake Pupuke either. The brick playhouse was rather wonderful to see

It was lovely to see her again. I had what was called a galette, which was really a large buckwheat pancake with smoked salmon and spinach and some yummy tasty blobs of sauce; it had a cheesy filling too. She had gnocchi; we finished with affogato for her and a profiterole for me – delicious, with ice cream and chocolate sauce. Afterwards, she took me back to her house in Milford, and I looked at wedding photos for her only son. We talked about the novel A Gentleman in Moscow, which I had read myself, and been totally impressed by it. Then I had a rest before JD picked me up soon after 5 pm. 

We were to have dinner at Tok Tok at 5:30 pm; we had drinks first, after finding a carpark, and finding where to pay for it. Then we walked to the restaurant. It was very busy, but service was efficient and attentive. Again, I had a nice mocktail drink. We had the $65 per person special, which saved making tricky choices about foreign (“Asian fusion”) food. The food was delicious, for the most part. Afterwards, JD brought the car to the restaurant, where he had offered one of the party a lift to the older suburbs of the city, supposedly closer to where we were staying. We had fun with Google Maps’ animated instructions.  It being dark, we couldn’t see where we were going. We seemed to end up in an industrial area, after a few wrong turns – it’s so hard to see street names in the dark. Eventually we were at the given address, and there were two apartment buildings. Our party wasn’t sure which one she was staying at, but her friend came down to meet her, so that was that. Then we had to find our way to Cornwall Park, where we were staying. I was extremely tired by this time. But we did get there, thankfully.

The next day (Saturday) I had plans that we should go to the Egyptian exhibition at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, visiting Maison Vauron in Newmarket on the way. There was an opportunity to buy tickets online for the exhibition, since entry would be restricted, but we didn’t bother with that, since I didn’t know how long things would take.

We found Maison Vauron, with the help of Google Maps; it was along a narrow street, off Khyber Pass Road, but it had its own parking place at one end of the street. It was drizzling with rain. The shop was very busy, and there wasn’t much room to sit. There was a rather scary staircase upstairs; I didn’t feel like going up. I looked at some of the products for sale, but they were very expensive. One couple left, so I sat down and we ordered morning tea: two long black coffees, and two Danish pastries.  It was delicious, but the store was very busy, and it rained even harder outside.  JD backed gingerly out of the car park, and we tried to follow Google Maps but it often had us making right turns into busy roads, not easy to do.  Many cars wouldn’t let us into the traffic; eventually a kind driver did. We found our way to the Auckland War Memorial Museum, quite nearby, and went into the carpark, where we found what JD calls a “fraud” park. We had entered the car park, only to be confronted by a Carpark Full sign, however we had to keep going and we did find a carpark. We went upstairs, and bought tickets to the Egyptian exhibition for just over 30 minutes later. The museum was extremely busy, but we made our way to the main restaurant.

The menu was rather strange, but we ordered oat milk lattés and a platter. It was very good, with ciabatta, crackers, grapes, cheese, pâté, olives, prosciutto, onion jam, and salami. Of course it was far too much, but JD obtained two boxes to take away the leftovers.

Then we saw the exhibition, which was very good indeed.  I am glad that we saw it. Afterwards, we drove to Royal Oak to the shopping centre where we tried (fruitlessly) to get copy of the Post from the lovely Whitcoulls store there.  I haven’t found anywhere you can get a copy of the Post in Auckland.  It one googles the Post, one can only get NZ Post outlets.  I rather wish they’d kept the old name, the Dom Post. That evening we had the leftovers from the platter we’d had at lunch time, before retiring for the short night heralding the start of Daylight Savings.

The weather was wild during the night. We set off to travel south, but the weather wasn’t too bad – just drizzling. We drove to Taupo, and had lunch at Victoria Café. I had fluffy lemon pancakes, which I could not finish, since JD had got me a delicious chocolate brownie with cream. I did not need this. I felt bad about being unable to finish the delicious pancakes.

Then we set out to drive to Hawkes Bay along the famous Taupo-Napier highway. It was fine, actually, although it was a bit trickier at the Napier end, with heavier rain, some fog, and widespread evidence of destruction. But we got through it, and to our motel in Havelock North.

It was much cooler than I expected everywhere we went. On Friday, it was about 18°C in Auckland, and I wore black trousers and a long sleeved top and was quite comfortable. But it was much cooler in Hawkes Bay, and mostly wet. On Sunday we walked up to Divo for dinner (really good – entrees and dessert); it was drizzling. We ate shrimp cocktails (a throwback!), arancini, and bruschetta, followed by affogato and tiramisu. It rained much harder the next day. I had intended to walk around the shops in Havelock North, but it was too wet for that. It’s quite slippery when it’s wet, as well as wetting your clothes, despite wearing a raincoat. We drove into Napier, where we bought a copy of the Wellington paper; I looked at Farmers, and then we drove to Hōhepa at Clive where I went to the lovely shop. I bought some Danbo cheese, and some quince jelly, but they didn’t have any jam available.

Driving from Napier to Clive we were amazed to see that not only have the railway line and main bridge been fixed, but there was a good train using the railway line! That is quite wonderful, since the railway line in the Esk Valley is still destroyed.

That evening we took our daughter out for dinner. She was beautifully dressed, and I was glad I’d taken a warmer top and a velvet bomber jacket, so I felt nearly as dressed up as her in her long black skirt, pink top and black velvet jacket. We went to the Thirsty Whale in Ahuriri, where we’ve been before several times, in fact, we had her thirtieth birthday party there.

The food was delicious!  Although it was very wet outside, and the drainage seemed insufficient. Thankfully, we got a car park right across the road.  There was more yummy affogato for dessert, this time with Frangelico. Our daughter had Berry Ambrosia, which looked good too.

Today (Tuesday) we drive back to Wellington. JD had a meeting with the General Manager of Hōhepa Hawkes Bay, and we went to the Clive site, but he was up at Poraiti, at Hōhepa School, so we drove up there.  What a lovely site it is, and how Harris and Cunningham houses, newly being built, have come on since we were last there at the end of May.   What a great job they are doing, although there are always challenges, of course.

We didn’t get away till after midday. We stopped in Taradale where I bought a copy of the Listener, and we managed to track down a copy of the Post, in the third shop we tried! I guess it’s good to know people are reading the Post in Hawkes Bay!

We had lunch in Dannevirke, at a café I hadn’t been to before. The one I thought it was, was closed on a Tuesday. Never mind, the Māori woman serving us was eager to please, and the food was good. Then we set about the drive back to Wellington. It was pretty uneventful, although the rain was stronger, and there were wind warnings on the Transmission Gully Motorway. And so we arrived safely home.

It is really cold in Wellington.  It feels colder than it did during the main cold of winter, although at that time we had heaters on and were wearing warmer clothes. Lately it had become much warmer and I was wearing much more summery clothes. It seems to take a long time for the heat pump to warm the house. We still don’t have the promised remote control to turn it on when we reach the Expressway into Wellington, now just north of Otaki.

It’s now Wednesday September 27^th.

We have very little food left in the house. Last night we had soup and toast, and watched the new series of Annika.

This afternoon we went shopping in Thorndon. A protest (with a long name beginning with Coalition) led by Brian Tamaki, and another protest, are due in Wellington tomorrow, and accordingly some streets have been closed off and adjustments made to public transport. Really, what is the point of protesting just before an election? If any party takes the protesters seriously, and says so, many people who don’t support it will be seriously annoyed. What’s more, it’s very cold and not great weather, although I’m sure Brian Tamaki will be staying somewhere comfortable.

The supermarket was not as full as usual, perhaps because it was late afternoon, or perhaps because of the much anticipated protests causing transport disruption.  JD got antsy and so I had to hurry around, which I found really frustrating, since there were some things I wanted to look for.  He has ignored my discomfort so many times when I haven’t been able to sit down, or use a restroom, and have had to stand while he talks to someone at great length. Perhaps I need a safe word to indicate when I’m distressed.

There is a General Election coming up on October 14^th. There were hoardings up the north island, by far the most of them being for the Act party and David Seymour. Evidently he’s been haemorrhaging support recently, and it seems as though Winston Peters may again be the “king maker”. I have to remind myself that he chose to go with Labour back in November 2017, and this we got Prime Minister Ardern for almost two terms. 

The local MP, Greg O’Connor, told my husband he expects Labour will lose the election, Furthermore, this view has been published in the local newspaper! He claims his main opponent, Nicola Willis, deputy leader of the National Party, is standing in Ohariu too. Evidently she has an impressive organisation, although she hasn’t been in touch with me. Greg puts failure down to the long shutdown in Tamaki Makaurau in the latter part of 2021, and to co-governance. Well, Greg, you shouldn’t be throwing in the towel! He’s not even a list MP! It’s not over till it’s over.  I cannot imagine any Māori people choosing to vote National or Act, although there may be a few.  Even if New Zealanders don’t like things Māori, in all likelihood Christopher Luxon will have to form a coalition with a Māori – either Winston Peters or David Seymour, like it or not. I think a coalition with Peters’ NZ First would be preferable, Acts’ demands are so scary.  Still, I guess it won’t make too much difference to us, as we’re both over 70 years old, and raising the pension age is unlikely to affect us.  It’s also unlikely to happen, since the older demographic are more likely to be National Party donors and supporters.

That’s it for now. Slava Ukraini! Ngā mihi nui.