Taranaki to Wellington
Well the rain has caused a change in plans. Monday I was planning on taking the ferry to the South Island and then do a whale watch cruise today (Tuesday) and return to the North Island on Wednesday. However, very high winds, driving rain and storms led me to realize my whale watch cruise would not happen so I stayed put and explored a bit of the countryside from Taranaki to Wellington.
Mount Taranaki, the iconic volcano, remains shrouded in clouds, so I headed south down the coast to Wellington. THis drive reminded me a lot of Wales due tot he rolling green hills, cliffs to the sea, and hundreds of sheep everywhere you look. Oh, and just like in Wales, rugby pitches (fields) everywhere you look! But besides the typical rugby field and goalposts found in parks, at school grounds, etc, you also will find the town’s rugby club in the center of town. Complete with 3-4 pitches each, scrum sleds, locker rooms, grandstands, etc. Pretty cool.
Once you leave the Taranaki Region you encounter more trees, more mountains as opposed to rolling hills, and lots of picturesque bays and rivers. Wellington itself is similar to Seattle I thought.
After about a 5 hour drive, just as I was going to set off to find a good lunch spot....a huge thunderstorm rolled in with pelting hail, that progressively got larger. I grabbed a sandwch at a shop, and parked by the water, ate and just watched the storm blow through. All the while hoping that my rental car was not damaged by the pelting it was taking.
New Zealand Food
In this region at least, I have found less seafood and more lamb, pork and beef. Breakfast is always interesting as most towns have cafes that sell “baked beans on toast” as a staple breakfast sandwich. Also, lots of mince meat pastry for breakfast. In addition, you’ll find pastry with flaky crusts and eggs, ham or sausage inside. Another common sandwich is cheese and onion.
Another surprise happened at lunch, where I ordered a Caesar Salad. Well first off, it was field greens, not romaine, it did have croutons, bacon, ham and some sort of dressing. Oh, did I mention that it had a poached egg on top? So when you poked the egg, the yolk then poured out all over your salad. Sounds messy and gross, but was surprisingly good.
Finally, I discovered that most Kiwis love a local soft drink called L&P. Its Lemon & Paeroa and I have to admit it is good. Although I have not yet determined exactly what Paeroa is. They also drink Ginger Beer instead of Root Beer, and seems different from GingerAle to me....
Wednesday Plans
On Wednesday I plan on driving the “Forgotten Highway” which has no services, but cuts through spectacular scenery, provided that the clouds disperse. A portion is on unsealed road, but I have 4WD so I should be okay, unless there is snow and impassable. I don’t expect that even though the volcano still is snow-capped (so the lcoals tell me, since I have yet to see it due to the clouds and am beginning to think it does not exist). I promise to bring my camera to take photgraphic evidence of its existence.
If I make good headway, my drive will take me to Routorua which is about a 4 hr drive north. It is known for its sulfur smell due to the volcanic and geo-thermal features. I have tickets for the Samoa vs Namibia rugby match in Routura. It is an afternoon match which will give me plenty of time to drive back to New Plymouth for the night. Thursday evening is US vs Russia. This is the most winnable match for the US at this World Cup.
More photos for your enjoyment:
No comments:
Post a Comment