An odd sort of day.
After a sleepless night of dog filled anxiety, it was hard to get up. Two strong cups of coffee and a need to clear our room by 10 am did focus the mind eventually, and we returned to Mangonui one last time to see if the Saturday morning craft market was any better than the Friday evening one, but sadly it was not. I wish these time-rich locals had better taste or more talent, so that I could spend more of my money enriching the local economy. From there we headed back north again, dropping in to visit my mother’s youngest brother in Taipa en route. He was one of two much loved relatives that we used to call “the drunken uncles”. He and his brother were perpetual bachelors, and now are approaching eighty and live across the road from each other in this tiny tin pot Northland town, where their parents had a bach when they were growing up.
From Taipa we drive out to the Kari Kari peninsula. The beaches out there are lovely – long stretches of squeaky white sand with crystal clear water on one side, and more typical golden sand and pohutakawas on the other. NZs northernmost winery is there, Kari Kari estate. We did a wine tasting with a French winemaker from Toulouse, which was fun although neither of us were particularly struck by the wines. We had lunch at the Carrington Golf resort restaurant, and then drove on to Kaitaia. We went to the graveyard where my grandfather was buried, and also drove along the road named after him. Quite surprised to learn that there are no streets named after any of my husband’s relatives.
Tonight we were booked into accommodation which we have been dreading and we actually spent an hour this afternoon trying to find any alternative accommodation we possibly could. The problem is not so much the location – the outskirts of a very depressed little town called Awanui – but the shared bathroom. Unfortunately, because it’s Labour Weekend, we found no alternative – so here we are. Turns out the other people sharing the two bedroom bach are a young Indian couple from Auckland. They arrived late, said hello and then headed out for dinner, and are leaving at 5 am tomorrow to see the dawn from Cape Reinga. So very little bathroom sharing needed in fact.
The house itself is in an old run down citrus orchard, and there are lots of very neglected looking sheep around, so it’s quite rural in its outlook.
Dining options were limited so we got fish burgers from the local takeaways (closing time 7pm) and ate them outside amongst the sheep droppings. I thought this might make Simon feel sentimental for his youth on the farm but not so far.
Off to Cape Reinga tomorrow – but at a decent hour.