Wainui Beach

Arrived at Wainui Beach, Gisborne today. They had somehow lost my booking so I got a better room for the old price instead. Nice! Right on the beach too. Lots of briliant left-hand breaks here, rolling in. And a completely deserted beach as well. I can’t believe my luck. Of course, the moment I took off my shirt and set my longboard down on the sand (what kind of allegory is that now?) people started fighting over the best spots to watch the tanmaster wax his board. Guess I will be quite busy teaching the locals some new tricks over the next three days. I’ll post some pictures tomorrow.

We’ve spent two days in Napier before, in a very nice and highly recommendable B&B called „The Green House on the Hill“. One of the nicest places I’ve ever stayed at. And definitely the best mattress! 🙂 The reisebegleitung liked all the Art Deco stuff, I still find it depressing after 10 minutes or so. But then I’m an ignorant idiot anyway. Another recommendation: Drive from Havelock North towards Gisborne, nearly immediately after leaving Havelock North there is a place called Strawberry Patch on the right hand side. Go there.

I’m high on fruit here. I mean, in the few hours hours I’m halfway sober of course, but still.

Before Napier, we stayed at the Alpine Lodge on Mt Taranaki. As befits a rainforest, it rained all the time. So no summit climb again, but very nice forest hikes instead. And nice evenings spent watching the sheep outside watching us. Very calming, should promote that as some kind of alternative therapy. We had dinner at the Mountainhouse Cafe one night and it was delicious – I’d never have expected such good food in the middle of nowhere, absolutely worth the trip and the money. The setting if beautiful as well.

Back to Wainui – to bed now, wanna watch the sunrise tomorrow and surf a few barrels to greet the day!