Louise and I both slept like logs last night! For the first time in 3 nights, at the same time and in the same location! Bliss! Slept through until about 11am, got up and had some tea and orange juice and decided we really ought to get out now that Louise’s feet (well, the sandfly bites on her feet) were slightly better under control…………
We had put off a trip to Carterton over towards the East in the Wairapa valley, and so we decided thats where we were going!
To add a little “spice” to the trip, we thought we’d try a bit of a more direct route over to the Rimatuka Ranges by taking the Akatawara road from Waikanae. We’d taken this on a bike 2 years ago, and apart from needing to go slow, take deep breaths and maybe think about taking up religion once or twice, it was a lovely road. The drawback this time around was that last time it had been sunny, this time we had high winds and low clouds courtesy a weather front parked over the South Island and Tasman Sea. It wasn’t raining as we left, but it certainly did once we entered the clouds going over the Tararua mountains!! Needless to say, it was a “slow” journey over the mountains, but also therefore a safe one.
We popped up over the Rimatuka Pass, through the clouds again, down into Featherston and all of a sudden the clouds cleared and it was gorgeous for the rest of the trip up to Carterton. The reason we went to Carterton was to go to the Paua World shop/factory again. We thoroughly enjoyed the visit last time and did so again this time around! I’d forgotten about the free tea/coffee on offer while you sat down and watched a little “Discovery Channel” type video about the Paua, its habitat, history and how the shells are produced into jewellery etc. Even I managed 2 circuits around the shop looking at all the different ways you could present the paua shell into your home – amazing!
We stayed until it closed at 5pm and thought it would be a good idea to go have a looksee at the Manawatu Gorge that we missed on a trip last month by heading North out of Carterton instead of backtracking the roads already travelled today. Apart from the fact that we ran into some lousy weather at the head of the Wairapa around Woodville, it was well worth it!! We’re definitely going back when the weather there is better with a camera – we had the camera this time, but the rain didn’t really make for good picture weather.
We stopped off at a “New World” supermarket on our way back home down the SH57 – first time for this store, as the nearest store is in Waikanae and we hadn’t visited there yet. Not bad, pleasantly laid out and the prices not as bad as we’d been led to believe, if you’re a little careful about what you’re buying of course!
As we headed back for Levin, Otaki and home, we realised that the beef stroganof planned for tonight would have to be made by the night shift when we got back. So, we picked up a KFC in Paraparam and look forward to the stroganof tomorrow!!
