Road trip Gisborne to Ohope

This morning on the Wainui-Makoriri headland at Gisborne.

We drove through the Waioeka Gorge from Gisborne to Opotiki and stopped to look at the Tauranga suspension bridge.

At opotiki we cycled the dunes trail...

Malcolm on the dunes trail...

...that dot is me...

Malcolm ahead again.

From Opotiki we continued on to Ohope.

Gisborne

We are staying in a cute airbnb with alpacas in the paddock next door.

Today we went on the Gisborne railbikes...

This is as far as the ride goes, the tracks are damaged.  We had morning tea here then turned around.

We had lunch in Gisborne, then looked around...

Eastwoodhill Arboretum

We drove to Eastwoodhil Arboretum which has the largest collection of Northern Hemisphere trees south of the equator - as well as lots of native trees and plants.

This stand of trees was planted to replicate a cathedral.

Further along the road is Rere Falls.  We are having a drought so not much water coming over.

This is Rere Rockslide where you can have a natural hydro-slide. (We didn't)

Napier and Wairoa

A busy couple of days in Napier with Katherine.  One day we cycled from Clive to Clifton, these photos are taken on the Puketapu Loop.

Katherine

Lunch at the puketapu Pub, under the vines, listening to live music.  Then it was off to wairoa...

...we did some beach combing...

and shared this fish n chips for $8.50!

Taupo

A great couple of days in Taupo.  This is Huka Falls - we cycled along from here to the Aratiatia Dam and back...

This is the dam and gorge.

Malcolm checked out a hot stream - way too hot to paddle!

Relaxing at our airbnb

The next day we went for a bush walk to Kaumatua Point...

...then we drove to the dam for its opening time...

...an amazing amount of water comes through the gorge.

Lunch at Lava Glass...

...then a walk around the 'craters of the moon' geothermal area.

Before leaving Taupo the next day we checked out L'Arte cafe, gallery and gardens...

On the way to Napier we stopped to do two bush walks, one on each side of the road.  The first one had amazing bush, lots of variety and big old trees.

Also this graveyard from the 1860s.

The other walk had remnants from when there was a settlement at Opepe and from the New Zealand Wars.

A pit saw on the walk and (below) interesting history.