Cape Kidnappers – Captain Cook wuz ere…!

Cape Kidnappers is a nice little spot at the southern end of Hawke Bay (named by Captain Cook after his hero Admiral Sir Edward Hawke), on the East coast. We know it, not only as the area of Cook’s first sighting of New Zealand (that was actually ‘Young Nick’s Head’ further to the North, named after the young seaman in the crows nest of HMS Endeavour who shouted the immortal words ‘Land Ahoy’), but also of a well-known wine producing region. 

NZ 'Watties in Hastings'. we thought there must be a connection with UK Heinz!

We passed many wine producers and it seems the thing to do is rent a bike and cycle to each of them, along the numerous cycle ways (maybe the police turn a blind eye to drinking and cycling!), as the many groups we saw (including what looked like a hen party) testified. The leaflet we got shows 35 wineries, including Linden Estate, Church Road, Moana Park, Hawkes Ridge, Elephant Hill and Stonecroft to name but a few.

Art Deco Napier

To get there we passed through Hastings (a little inland) and Napier (on the coast), two beautiful and very interesting towns built in 1930’s Art Deco style, Napier having the majority of its buildings in this style. The Art Deco tradition dates back to the almost total destruction of both towns in 1931 following a violent earthquake, with the rebuilding commencing within a year or two in an ‘over the top’ Art Deco style and continues today. 

They revel in the style and most shops sell at least something from this era, with the café’s decorated out accordingly, quite a few people in 1930’s dress and a few vintage cars offering tours. We took a self guided tour with a leaflet pointing out the most notable examples and had a thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours here.

Vintage car tour of Napier anyone? I say, jolly good!

Te Mata Peak

Hastings (left) and Napier (on the coast in the distance) from Te Mata Peak

Close by is Havelock North and the hilltop lookout of Te Mata Peak, which gives a great view of the bay, towns and inland over pretty scorched hills (water is in short supply here at the moment due to the driest summer for many years). Its good walking country, but we drove up (yes I know, it was a bit late in the day and dinner beckoned), had a stroll round the immediate peaks, took in the great views, looked wistfully at the amazing looking mountain bike track winding its way down from the summit (wouldn’t I like to do that!) and headed off to a strange, but acceptable beachside campsite (friendly, but very odd locals living permanently in caravans cum chalets and quite a few youngsters staying there while apple and grape picking – I feel old next to them!).

Cape Kidnappers

Cape Kidnappers was our target the next day (after visiting the Hastings Sunday market and Napier) and this involved an 11km walk along the beach at lowish tide and back again (22km round trip, plus a 30min hike up to the plateau to see the gannet colonies and a great view of the end of the Cape). It is possible to get a tractor ride, but this time we decided to get some exercise and set off at a cracking pace, which we kept up for the 4 hours it took us. Yes we were feeling it at the end, but the views and the gannets were fantastic (but also very smelly!). I was pleased to get to the plateau, not only to see the gannets and their chicks, but also to stand at the point Captain Cook looked at on 15^th October 1769, when anchored in HMS Endeavour. 

From the summit plateau

It was the second stop on his first voyage of discovery, during which local Māori pulled alongside the Endeavour in a fishing boat and dragged aboard one of Cook’s crew, who was swimming in the sea. Sailors from Endeavour′s deck immediately opened fire on the fishing boat, killing two Māori, wounding a third and allowing the captured sailor to jump overboard and swim back. A disillusioned Cook gave the cape its name.

Cape Kidnappers (far distance) from the start of the 11km beach walk

Gannets & month old chick

Today we’ve driven 150km odd through the middle of nowhere to a place called Taihape, which is just South of Tongariro National Park, site of several active volcano’s and exciting walking! We’re leaving all that until after our house-sit next week and intend heading a little South to the Palmerston North area and the Kapiti coast for this week.

Slowly travelling in the North

A bit too busy for us!

We left Greytown and pottered slowly up the road to the DoC camp as recommended by Mr Talkative, we had stopped to look at another one on the way, but it was full of outward bound kids, so we carried on and that was where we ended up, he’s right it was fab!

The O.B. kids preparing to raft down the river

Holdsworth campsite

We managed to avoid him as we arrived and collected our registration form, even though they were parked just by, however as they drove round the campsite there was no avoiding them! We had a chat and off they went, we then had to walk back towards them to pay our fees (having got some change from the couple we’d parked close ish to who hadn’t looked too pleased on our arrival, then Mr Talkative had talked at them and they’d decided perhaps we weren’t that bad!). Couldn’t get away without having a glass of wine (beer for B with them) and a chat. Discovered that people have lied – there are biting sandflies in the N Island too! 

The 'Stonehenge' of NZ - its a modern wooden construction, sadly closed on the day we visited

Dinner with our unexpected hosts, Alan and Jackie

Went back to cook supper only to be asked by the other couple if we’d like to share their tea with them! She must have leaped into action the minute we walked off – there was Jamie Oliver’s 30 minute Thai steak, dauphinoise potatoes, marinated onions and bean salad followed by Ainsley Harriot’s caramalised pineapple with rum butter sauce! Rude to say no, and we felt like real social butterflies! Hadn’t the heart to tell them that we’d also got steak, though ours was with chilli and garlic butter and stuffed mushrooms (and jolly good it was too, last night, though I do say so myself!) B did wake up slightly fuzzy apparently – small can of beer, our bottle of red wine, then some homebrew wine from the other couple….. They were so friendly, we’ve got their address to visit them in the north, and some recommendations of other places to go. All that we were told in the south about them being friendlier than those in the north, hmm not sure!

Holdsworth Lookout - not a bad view!

Went for a bit of a walk the following morning, though not to the lookout we’d intended as they were doing track repairs there, and not in the peace and tranquility we’d expected as the helicopter kept flying overhead. Good bit of exercise none the less, though it was ruined for me by the wizened old person coming down the track towards us, man or woman? Oh God, man definitely man, wearing loose shorts, and nothing else! I really didn’t need to see that!

But a bit of a noise from the helicopter, about every 15 minutes!

Hold on, whats that he's got there?

Today we left another odd campsite to see the worlds longest place name – a small hill, but what a name, and to look at the beach, the waves were wonderful, so quick paddle with lunch and off we went!

Ready? Altogether now........ (apparently 'wh' is pronounced 'f' in Maori. The hill in question is directly above the sign

The only other news is we have a 9 day house sit from 10^th March in Wanganui for an outdoors cat, so won’t be at all the same as the last one, but looking forward to it even so. In the same email we saw that one advertised though, John was advertising for sitters for the last ones we sat for! It was horrible, they are my surrogate pets, I wanted to do it!
 
For those of you interested, the placename is said in the song 'Lone Ranger' by Quantum Jump, as identified by my brother, well done Jonathan, it is strange though as the whole song is about the Lone Ranger and Silver and American Indians, so why start it with a NZ place name? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzJtK3c9fl8