Not the prettiest...
Despite anticipating a beautiful, slow and steady Friday evening drive with a stop for dinner, it was not to be. A couple of hours in, I started complaining of hunger, admittedly shunning a fish and chip shop (it looked dodgy) and of course forgetting you can drive hours here before seeing anything other than countryside. Eventually we rolled into Opitiki and found one restaurant who kindly agreed to serve us; but not before enjoying their own steak supper, washed down with a glass of wine!
Gisborne was now within reach, we just had to make it through the gorge in the pitch black, no easy task as we discovered.
Narrowly avoiding large fallen rocks, a traffic accident and milk lorry (travelling at 100km/hr),but out of nowhere...
our first road kill - a possum.
Eventually we arrived in Gisborne on our way to the vineyards, I can't let us pass through without visiting the Tairawhiti museum
http://www.tairawhitimuseum.org.nz/
Whilst here, we see a fantastic exhibition on Maori history, including reference to Captain Cooks landing in 1769 and the integration between Maori and Pakeha (European). A particularly moving tribute is the exhibition to commemorate the Maori battalion who fought in WW11.
Andy - aka Captain Cook at the landing spot
Fired up with history, we make our way to the first winery...
then a second
and a third...
I've mastered spitting and Andy is (for once) loving having a chauffeur to drive him around.
The next day we feel obliged to search out yet more delicious wine and food, so we're off to
Bushmere winery...
This time for jazz too, with Stevie Marie Hill and Kit Higgins!
...whilst devouring delicious lamb burgers and pecan pie!
http://www.bushmere.com
Weighed down with great wine we make for home.
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