Road trip

We picked up a Nissan Sunny in downtown Auckland yesterday and headed out to the wild west--the west coast beaches. Mike had preloaded the addresses of all the places we knew we were going, but this trip wasn't among them. We followed directions from our B&B hostess Perrine's niece Charlotte until I could find an address in Piha from the guidebook I have on my iPad. We also used the low-tech NZ atlas we brought on the trip. The scenery was stunning. Getting through Auckland traffic was nothing compared to driving on narrow 2-lane roads with no shoulders twisting through the mountains, one blind curve after another. My adrenaline was pumping as Mike drove close to the left edge of the road, right next to drop-offs, ditches, and other hazards. Our first stop was Karekare falls and beach, where the "The Piano" was filmed. It was sunny, so not as gloomy as the film. Aside from the stunning scenery, the other big discovery were the wild gazanias and stargazer lilies. Those things grow wild?

Our next stop--back up the twisting narrow road, then down again, was Piha beach. Both are "black sand" beaches. Mike thought the sand was just dirty. We climbed tall Lion Rock on the edge of the ocean. Mike decided an advantage of being a photographer is that stopping is for photo shoots, not to catch your breath.

We left Devonport this noon, after a walking tour of the historic sites and a last conversation or two with Perrine. She really made us feel as if we were her personal house guests. It was hard to leave. The scenery on the drive north was stunning--a word you will tire of reading but entirely appropriate. Think green hills with amazing trees and frequent views of the blue ocean. We took a scenic bypass around the one toll road in the country so we could drive along the coast for a few miles. We also saw lots of sheep and cows, as well as clear-cut hillsides. It isn't all paradise.

We shared the driving today. We found that driving on the wrong side of the road takes a lot more concentration and therefore energy than driving at home. That will probably get better, but today we arrived at our new home-away-from-home, Lupton Lodge, and decided to chill out here for the afternoon. The house was built in 1896 and has been beautifully updated. They needed the room we had booked, the only one with a tub, so they put us in a 2-room suite with our own private verandah and garden. If only the iPad could get the Internet signal from the verandah! We went for a dip in the pool and may take a walk around the orchards before we go to dinner, which they are making for us here.

Tomorrow's plans are diving for Mike and "A Perfect Day" for me at Poor Knights Island. The weather is supposed to cooperate, so it should be great. Off now to enjoy the verandah. Or maybe the hammock in the garden.