Heading south

The next day we packed up Egbert (the car) and set off south to Napier, a beautiful bay on the other side of the world.

I bought a CD of world music and played it as we drove. I love the driving here, it's really easy and stress free. You feel free and easy.

Every time you head over another hilltop you confronted by yet another landscape which seems so different from that which you have just left. At one time you could be in Finland with acres of forest, at another point maybe the mid west of America, then big flat fields with sheep and cattel, then vinyards. It truly suprises you at every moment. We stopped briefly at a place called Taupo for coffee and tea, it nestlesd on the edge of a huge lake (Lake Taupo).

We arrived at Napier and had a late lunch. Napier is rather elegant with a lot of Art deco buildings. It too had been earthquaked and when they came to rebuilding Art deco was the thing. Here's a question though - if a place is levelled to the ground by an earthquake how sensible is it to rebuild in exactly the same spot? Just a question.

It's a beautiful place though with a beach that stretches for miles; mainly black pebbles rather than sand. There's a promanade that runs along for miles. Absolutely beautiful. The sea was an endless blue horizon, and white surf zig zagged along against the black pebbles like lace. I loved it. I picked up a white shell and put it in my pocket. A shell from the other end of the world.

The place we had booked into was an interesting place run by a very careful man whose face did not seem to have any expression at all. He was pleasant and frinedly but extremely enigmatic. The place had about 8 rooms and looked out over the sea. Free tea and Coffee, unsophisticat4ed but comfortablke rooms and cheap as well.

We walked to a park which had palm trees and fountains, and shade, and benches. I sat on a bench whil Mum wrestled with a phone box.

I could see how if things were different - like if you had no family connections, no roots anywhere this would be a very attractive place to stay. To live.

We had a kind of picnic in my room, and then wandered along the be=each in the dark. I was unable to recognose any of the stars or contellations except Orion. The rest was a mystery.

Back to Pinehaven for a long sleep. I was tired after all that driving.