VictoriaApril 20
We awoke to 30 mph wind and pouring rain pounding on the roof of the RV. It’s very comforting to be snuggled up in bed, listening to the rain right on top of you. We continue to be impressed with another accurate NZ forecast.
We had a lunch reservation at Sage at Paroa Bay, so enjoying a leisurely meal during a storm seemed as good of an idea as any.
We left the RV park around 10 a.m. and headed up to the Bay of Islands. Apple Maps insisted we cut across a 17 mile dirt and gravel road mountain pass known as the Hikurangi Coastal Ward. The road was narrow, windy and through thick forest bush. Initially, we stopped at the entrance of the road and debated our passage for a few minutes. Apple Maps must be right, we thought, and we went for it. Maybe it’s not the best idea to take a forest road in the pouring rain. Perhaps the signs showing curvy roads with falling rocks would be a clue? Silly foreigners.
We drove through the scenic Ngaiotonga nature reserve. As a result of the storm, there were downed trees, flooding and boulders in the middle of road. It was a white knuckle drive for Mitch, maneuvering around all those road blocks in the RV.
We got caught in one small landslide. Mitch had to get out of the RV and remove debris and rocks from the road, so we could get through.
Then, just as we passed that, downed trees created our next navigation obstacle.
It was lucky that no other cars were behind us or passing in the other direction (of course not, locals don’t take this road in the heavy rain).
On the curvy, narrow, gravel road, we veered around more sharp bends before we could finally breathe a sigh of relief that we made it down the other side of the pass and the end of this road to arrive at a vineyard — a perfect place to unwind from the stressful drive. No road obstructions can stop us from eating!
In addition to a restaurant and lodge, Sage is also a winery. We skipped the afternoon drink and went straight for the food.
We started with kumara (sweet potato) bread with whipped honey butter and goat cheese crisps. Our plum and grilled goat cheese salad was next, followed by red snapper in a carrot and vanilla bean puree. We topped it off with a vegan chocolate mousse with blood orange granita and crunchy cake pieces. It was an outstanding meal from start to finish with terrific service.
Fifteen minutes later we arrived at an empty Russell Top 10 Holiday Park with the friendliest receptionist of all the holiday parks yet. We practically had the place to ourselves. We chose a spot overlooking the bay and settled in to our new surroundings.
It finally stopped raining so we walked into town. Wow. What a beautiful town right on Kororareka Bay. Russell is a historic seaside village and was a base for the whaling industry in the 1830s.
Hell Hole was the description given to it by the famous evolutionary, Charles Darwin when he anchored off the whaling post in the HMS Beagle in 1835. The port village was flanked by grog shops and brothels and from then on, Russell or Kororareka was known world wide as the “Hell Hole of the Pacific.” Today, it’s a charming, artisan town with tree-lined walkways along the waterfront.
Boats of all sizes were bobbing in the water as the sun was setting. People were strolling along the waterfront, kids were frolicking in the water and couples were enjoying a waterfront meal. This is easily a place we could stay for a while.
We grabbed a seat on the pier and watched the sunset.
