VictoriaMay 13
We walked outside to put our luggage in the car and saw the Tongaririo Crossing shrouded in clouds. Boy were we lucky! We checked the forecast and it’s calling for rain. Time to hit the road Jack.
We caught some nice photos on the drive out of the national park. The clouds were changing fast which also meant there was a lot of wind up there, too.
Today my friend Rikki texted and asked if we’re ready to come home. This was my answer:
We miss our family and friends, bathroom counter space and people wearing shoes in the grocery store. So yeah. We’re ready to put our luggage away and sleep in our own bed.
Upon further thought, I would add that I also miss my fur baby, tumble dryers, our favorite Thai takeout place, blaring music when I drive solo, baking, reading in my favorite chair and stores that stay open past 4 p.m. (grocery stores not included).
More than anything we miss our kids. Not long now, guys!
Today we drove from Tongariro to Napier, about a three hour drive. The leaves were changing and the drive was beautiful.
We stopped halfway for a great breakfast at Industrie French Kitchen (yes, again), since we had to drive east through Taupo to cross over to the east coast.
This road was one of the busiest with large 18 wheelers and freight trucks. Apparently this is a major route across the country to the Napier Port. Crews were also working on repairing the roads from last year’s major cyclone so there was a lot of slow zones and waiting for one way traffic to pass.
All in all the delays weren’t too bad. We arrived just after lunch time in the Art Deco capital of NZ, Napier.
We opened the door to our Airbnb to find ants in the bathroom. Not a ton but enough to warrant a message to the host. Apparently they’re more prevalent after heavy rain, which I guess Napier has had recently. We sprayed bug spray and went to explore the town and pick up ant traps.
Napier experienced a massive earthquake in 1931 and the city center was rebuilt as an Art Deco seaside city. Along with South Beach, FL, these two cities are considered to be the two best preserved Art Deco towns in the world.
Tired from our big hike yesterday, we came back to the apartment to relax and set our new ant traps. Gotcha!
Working on the blog in the living room, we heard a noise. It sounded like a rumble. Could it be an earthquake? Could our timing truly be that bad, seeing as how we arrived in Napier just a few hours ago? We looked out the back window and alas, not an earthquake but a freight train running behind the back of the house.
And to think not one reviewer mentioned this in the Airbnb comments. Perhaps they were too busy gazing out the front window overlooking Hawke’s Bay.
