It's a balmy 24' and the radio is proclaiming it the hottest day this summer. Our Hobbit fans lead by Hannah have gone on a bus trip to look at the movie location - David, Daisy and I walked into Tauranga to the hot swimming pools as recommended by Janet from the ship knitting group. And it was gorgeous! Warm and hot pools with hardly anyone there.
David and Helen walking to the hot pools
Yesterday we had an interesting tour of the Esk Valley out of Napier, famous for its vineyards and fruit farms, culminating in a hairy jolting trip through a sheep farm to view Napier from on high.
We enjoyed the Esk Valley wines, particularly the 2012 reisling which won an award for best white wine in New Zealand.
Back in the 1930s Art-Deco town we admired the buildings: here is David at the Tobacco Company
I'm behind in blogging as it's just so hard to find free wi-fi. The ship charges like a wounded bull, MacDonalds is free and so is Starbucks but you have to make a purchase - not that Daisy and I mind as we love frappuccinos and have two in Wellington. There's a sale on at Kircaldie and Stains - very tempting - and I buy a lovely pink silk blouse which lasted 5 minutes at dinner before a feral olive ran down my front leaving an oily trail...
Wellington is usually the Windy City but we had an exceptionally fine calm day, perfect weather for a cable car trip and a walk around the Botanical Gardens. Daisy and I had lunch in the rose garden.
Christopher had bought me a present - a pirate's eye-patch and earring - because the girls' name for me (among others...) is Pirate Gran. I just happened to have it in my evening bag when we noticed that the photography crew was operating a pirate theme. So I quickly donned my patch and got into the spirit of things:
Ahoy me hearties!
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