February 18
Gisborne
Jet lag has struck. First bad night since I left the UK. How odd. I breakfasted leisurely on the supplies that I had purchased yesterday and then set out into a bright and hot day, although there were some clouds inland.
After about half a mile, I realised that my sun tan lotion would be a good idea but that I had left it at the motel. Rather than walking there and back again, I stopped at a chemist's shop and bought some and also some throat sweets in case my throat, which still felt odd, did something nasty.
When I arrived at the Wine Centre there were already cruise ship passengers in evidence. The nice lady said she might be able to sneak me onto the train but that I would have to pay about $120. We agreed that a climb up the mountain, actually Titirangi or Kaiti and only a hill, would be better for me, so I hydrated myself with a glass of water and set off.
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
At the foot of the climb was the Cook Memorial, now inland and hidden in the log terminal. There have been many plans to protect the site but, to date, all have come to nought.
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
The path went up through the trees and then morphed into a flight of steps - about 145 of them. For those who didn't find the climb fierce enough, there were even exercise bars to play on. I stopped at intervals to regain my breath and to take photos in various directions. There were car parks all over, which explained all the fat people - even fatter than me - and the prams that I encountered. |
|
|
After about 50 minutes, I reached the trig point and the observatory at the top, only 340 metres if the sign was to be believed. It felt higher but I am an old man.
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
The views were excellent and included the huge cruise ship parked in the bay and the tiny launches ferrying the passengers to and fro.
Just as I was leaving, I was encouraged by the arrival of four buses full of passengers from the ship. I set off down the road, deciding that it would be easier than the path.
Near the bottom I passed a very pretty blue and white church, Te Toku Toru Tapu Church. Research when I got home revealed that this is currently closed for repairs but I could find out little else about it. |
 |
 |
|
|
|
Once back at the harbour, there were cruise ship passengers everywhere. I returned to the Wine Centre and rehydrated on water and Gisborne Gold, the lager from the local brewery. The latter was best!
Right: Cruise ship passengers everywhere |
 |
I had just ordered a tasting tray when I heard a steam train so abandoned my bag with the nice lady and rushed outside. I walked round the corner, saw the train 50 yards away approaching in reverse and a silly lady in the throes of parking her car across the railway line. She had done this by manoeuvring her car round lots of orange cones and dodging huge crowds of people.
 |
 |
|
|
I screamed at her and she looked confused, then realised that there was a large train about 10 yards from her car and fled rather rapidly. Luckily, there was a man riding shotgun on the back of the train, linked to the driver by radio , and he had already given the order to stop. We exchanged our thoughts on the mental capacities of the woman in the red car! Alas, I was too busy to record the events with my camera.
I took the obligatory photos of the train, which was puffing out clouds of black smoke and doing its best to pollute the atmosphere.
Returning to the Wine Centre, I resumed my tasting. The wines were pleasant enough but not earth shattering.
I had just finished when I was approached by an Englishmen and asked if I would like to join the tasting that he was hosting for the cruise ship passengers. I explained that I wasn't one of their number but he said not to worry. He runs Hihi wines, is definitely a salesman but also knows how to make really good wine. His Arneis was interesting, his Gewurztraminer was very good and his Full Monty Chardonnay was amazing. At $20 a bottle it was a brilliant buy. His Malbec wasn't at all bad, a very big wine which needs a lot of time. He doesn't currently export but is hoping to start in a couple of years. I will keep my eyes open. |
 |
|
Feeling the need for food to soak up the alcohol so I poured myself over the road to Soho for lunch. Moules et frites seemed like a good idea, accompanied by lots of water and no alcohol. I watched the people queuing for the launches back to the ship and was very glad that I wasn't one of them.
|
 |
I had emerged from the restaurant and was watching the launches through the fence when a big man with a moustache and a Harley tee shirt came alongside, looking like an aging gang member, and said that the queuing was ridiculous.
It transpired that, in spite of appearances, he was one of the passengers and was having a wonderful time - except for the queuing!
 |
 |
|
|
I stopped to ask one of the uniformed ladies from the ship how they checked that everyone was back on board. She told me that they all wore bar codes on the labels that hung round their necks and that these were scanned as they boarded the launches. The computer did the rest.
 |
A bottle shop in the town provided me with a bottle of the Hihi Chardonnay to take to Auckland. I had previously bought a bottle of the Family Company Gewurztraminer, which I had enjoyed at the restaurant the night before, at the Wine Centre. This meant that my bag was now a considerable weight so I stopped for a sit down and a coffee.I made it back to the motel feeling very hot and tired by the time I arrived. A cool shower and a two hour rest helped a little but I still felt hot when I left at 6 to walk back into town. |
|
Outside, it was considerably cooler, there was a gently breeze and a build up of cloud suggested that some rain might arrive during the evening.
I made reasonable progress to the restaurant, which is housed in an old building on the other side of the river, near the junction of the two rivers which meet in the centre of the town.
 |
 |
|
|
Whilst last night's restaurant was definitely a bistro, The Marina was a fine dining establishment, although the prices were similar. The service was excellent and the wine list spectacular. A glass of Ashridge Estate Chardonnay helped me to relax until the food arrived.
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
An amuse bouche of duck pate appeared. Delicate and beautiful. The chilled courgette and kamo kamo soup was also very delicate and also beautiful. This place is good.
A glass of Garagiste Gewurztraminer appeared. Like the other local Gewurztraminers that I have tried, this was good. The chef's special, the fisherman's plate, contained octopus, dory and squid gnocchi in a prawn bisque. The octopus was chewy but had a really good flavour. All in all, it was an exciting dish with strong flavours. I'm not sure that I would order it again but I'm glad I tried it.
I paid my bill, slightly less than last night, ordered a taxi - after seven trips between the motel and the city I was tired - and I was home in no time at all.