Napier Day 1

Liz had taken today off and we were expecting her to be out when we got up as Ross was due back from Australia this morning.  However, his flight from Perth was cancelled and he was to come in via Sydney and Auckland and not due to arrive until early evening which meant a change of plan.  So, after a gentle start and Ingrid doing the washing so that stocks of socks etc are replenished, we went out.  First up, we visited a winery - unusually for us, it was not to taste any wine!  This was a trip so that we could see the venue for Kristi and Ross' wedding next month.  The winery has a lovely setting amongst trees and vines and, if the weather is good (which one very much hopes it will be) the ceremony will be held outside.  The winery itself has enough space and function room areas that dining and dancing can take place and those wanting a chat can be away from the main room.  Then we went on to a gallery near Havelock North called the Birdwood.  This has been set up by a family forcibly evicted from their farm in Zimbabwe - there is an eclectic mix of art and handicraft in the gallery and a sculpture garden too.  The highlight was, though, the next door old fashioned sweet shop!  From there we went into Havelock North and wandered round the shops and had a coffee before calling in at the information booth to get some details of local walks etc.  From there we went into Napier and to the top of Bluff Hill to have a look over Hawke's Bay and the port.  Sadly it was a bit misty and rain was gathering over the hills so the view was not quite the full monty.  We had lunch down by the Marina and, after that, went on to the Mission Estate winery, which was founded by Marist missionaries.  It planted vines for sacramental and table wines and there are records of commercial sales from 1870.  The building is very impressive - it comprises the old chapel and seminary - even more so, when one realises that the whole building was moved in 1910 up the hill from a coastal site prone to flooding.  We could not miss out on tasting a couple of wines here.


From there, we went back to Liz's to await redelivery of Beau from his child care.  Liz's parents popped in to say hello - we last saw them on out trip here in 2001.  After a shy 10 minutes, Beau was content to play (aeroplanes, trains and buses being the order of the day) and, by the end, he was happy enough to sit on Ingrid's lap for a couple of stories before being taken off to meet his delayed dad at Napier Airport.