May 11, 2007 Napier, New Zealand

Date:  Friday, May 11, 2007

Location:  Napier, New Zealand

 

Today was one beautiful day.  It started off gloomy and rainy in Lower Hutt (Wellington) but soon became partly cloudy with beautiful clouds as we came up over the mountains from Lower Hutt and into the flatter farming areas northeast from there.  There was some white knuckle roads over the mountain with the guardrail along the mountain curves being the 2x2’s with #10 bailing wire strung between.  Since they are painted white we decided they are mostly for visual effect and not practical effect.

 

As the land leveled we started through the beautiful rolling hills covered with green grass for grazing sheep and cattle.  As we got closer to Hastings and Napier it was into the vineyards and wineries once again.  The vineyards are really looking healthy this year and even though the grapes have been harvested the fall leaf colors and the absolutely straight and cultivated rows are really spectacular. 

 

After we arrived in Napier we had a call from Donna Roberts, our New Zealand Habitat coordinator that the word on Bob and Esther (as in broken ankle) was that they were going to turn in their KEA in Christchurch and fly to Auckland on Monday.  They may be able to rejoin the team in Rotorua on Monday but more likely will join us in Manukau (South Auckland) on Tuesday.

 

The day warmed and with more sunshine it really was a nice day as weentered Napier.  It was a shorter drive day today and we all got into the campground around 3-4PM.  Someone made the excellent suggestion that we pull some of the picnic tables together and have a “happy hour” and go ahead and have our daily meeting and devotions.  We all sampled some excellent New Zealand wines, had cheeses and various snacks and then Roy and Doris had devotions and prayer. 

 

Joan and I had decided that we wanted to have dinner out at the Acqous Seafood restaurant in the old part of town again this year making it even more of a tradition.  Some others decided to go along and nine of us piled into out KEA and we went downtown.  Meals were delicious and included between us lamb, pork, snapper, and steak.  Afterwards we sniffed the salt air from the Pacific right across the street from the Acqous and walked the shopping district admiring the beautiful Art Deco architecture.  It was just a beautiful evening out and conclusion to a beautiful day.

 

This was an excellent day!!

 

Tomorrow we’re off to Taupo.