Touring About With Me

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

OK it’s winter, so time for that winter holiday. New Zealand is one great play ground for that winter holiday.Be it sitting inside looking at the slopes or getting out on them there a place for everyone.
Me a hot spa. found in places like Hanmer Springs South Island, just beautiful.A hot toddy by the fire, good friends and a great view, all found any where in New Zealand.

I came across a site that helped you create your own ski winter holiday.It’s cool, you can choose where you want to go. South Island or North Island with accommodation packages. ski-newzealand. take a look and see if gets the juices going with the idea of a great time in the snow or is that on the snow.

I’m looking up more so will post when I find other sites or deals worth a mention.
Have fun in the snow…..or in the hot pools….

OK what a thought. Exercise while on holiday now why would you want to do that, and why not. While out touringabout today or should I say looking for somewhere different to exercise than my normal walking along the beach front. I decided to go to Park Island, it has a few different walking and cycling tracks around it with the added bonus of being a beautiful area with great views. You also look down on the sports fields. Not much on today but at times all fields are packed with rugby, soccer, hockey players and I’m sure lots more.  It can be an area that’s a real hive of activity at times. It also has a very safe feeling about it. I know being a woman out walking alone you can sometimes feel unsafe. I never wear my mp4 headphones in both ears, think no matter where we are we have to be a bit aware of what is going on around us. Can’t do that when plugged in both ears.

When on holiday we are all guilty of over eating and drinking, so what a great way to see an area and exercise at the same time. If you are into cemeteries too, you are in for a treat as there are two on this hill. Park Island and Western Hills cemetery. Some great views around all of the bay. I know some might say why go up to a cemetery, well once you see the views you’ll know why. The land has to be some of the best real estate in Hawke’s Bay. There are some interesting headstones dating back too 1917 and older. Strange but kids enjoy looking around up there. It’s also hilly so working the legs and exercising at the same time.

You have a few chooses on what you want to do, or should I say what your level of fitness and ability allows. There is always families strolling around, or mum and dad strolling,  kids wearing themselves out. People just walking taking it all in, or then you have the fitter ones,  running. I wish.   As I have a back disability I walk the tracks with a close eye on the ground. But don’t worry the tracks are pretty good really, I’m sure doing just the walk around the base of the hill, someone in a wheelchair with a bit of help in just one area (muddy from past rain) could get around it easily. There is a few old tree roots but nothing to dangerous.

As you can see if you check out my photo’s on flickr there are exercises to do as you make your way around too, so do give those a go it’s a bit of added fun. I push myself around and up the hill.  This is where you get some great views. Did it twice today as it was such a beautiful sunny winters day. You can also take the bigger track which takes you from the hill right around the block, which a lot of the cyclist do. It is part of our pathway around the whole of Napier.

So exercise while on holiday isn’t a bad thing after all, your killing two birds with one stone. Seeing the sites and exercising, what more could you ask for.  OK so you can take yourself off afterward for a treat, Ahuriri is a great place to start. Enjoy your day out and about.

The seasons are changing and what a beautiful time of the year it is. I was at a friends home a few days ago and just had to take some photo’s of the views from their deck. A truely magical place to live. Over looking Eskdale Wineries, State Highway 5, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, for those that want to visit this beautiful area. More photo’s to be seen on my flickr. Enjoy

The Mission Concert is another of our great yearly events. It has slowly grown over the years. I can remember sitting on top of Campbell Drive watching the first one we had here. Which was if I remember rightly Ray Charles. And no you weren’t allowed to be up there, being a non paying listener, but did anyway. They have stopped all that now by having security all around the Mission Estate. This one would have been our 17th concert, so can forgive me for not rememering that far back.

The concert is held each year in February at the Mission Estate Winery Church Road Napier. It’s a beautiful setting.  Mission Estate has a big area next to it’s vine yards where the concert is held. It has slowly over the years become worldwide known. I know people that over the years have come from parts of Australia, just because of the amazing atmosphere that has been spoken about so much. It’s not just a concert to see someone like Loinel Richie or The Beach Boys (one I really enjoyed). It’s a day and night to remember.

Most people will spend days arranging things like. Who the big group is they’ll be going with. What food and Wine they want to take. Deciding who is going to be at the gates when they open to get in to get the best spot. How they will get there and home again. (No drink and driving here). And can’t forget what they want to be seen in. Some people it’s their one yearly event , so get dressed to the nines. Or it’s just jeans and a T Shirt. Some will do the theme thing, usually to do with who is playing at the time. It’s a long day as gates open at 2pm so the more organized you are the better. You can buy everything you’ll need for the day at the concert,Food wine and beer. But to me a lot of the fun is in arranging it all yourself.

It’s a real fun day for everyone. Different support acts from all over New Zealand to listen to before the main event, which usually by then everyone is well on their for a great night. (To much wine sometimes). The crowds are pretty well behaved, as age group is more the muture group. For some it’s a time to catch up with friends and family they don’t get a chance to see often. So as I said it’s more than just a concert.

Concert sadly for the first time was cancelled. I can’t remember the last time we had such heavy rain like yesterday. Didn’t think it was going to make for a great day for anyone, let alone going to a outdoor concert. I had friends down from Tauranga that got to the concert at 6pm to find they had decided in the public’s best interest and safety to cancell it. Good move I think. I know there would have been a lot of upset people, as they travel for miles and spend lots of money for that one event. But can’t change the weather.

We’ll all be looking forward to seeing who will be here next year. This one cancelled one won’t stop the next lot of around 20 to 25,000 people attending next year. There are always the die hard fans you can count on. So until then you can still enjoy smaller concerts coming to the Mission Estate and other vine yards around Hawke’s Bay.

This weekend would have to be one of the biggest on the Hawke’s Bay calendar each summer. So if you want to see what it was like back in the early 1900’s take a tour round town and there will be something on nearly every corner.

The line up of events are huge this year and already so many of them are sold out. Doesn’t seem like people are willing to give up having some fun. Things might be hard all over the world, but do need to still live on and enjoy some of the good things in life. So if you are heading here for the weekend here’s a list of a few things that are still not yet sold out. And of cause it’s free to just go touringabout and taking in all the sights.

Art Deco Magnum Walk.. Friday 20th, Tour the Art Deco Quarter.

Charlie’s Chow Down..     Friday 20th, A La Carte Luncheon.

Cocktail-Ender on Herschell..Sunday 22nd,Wind down Listen to Jazz,Cocktails and Nibbles.

Inner Harbour Tour.. Saturday 21st, Tour the Fringes of Ahuriri Lagoon by bus.

Oceans 9 to 11 Brunch.. Friday to Sunday, Videos of the great Proformers from the Deco Era.

Red Hot and Cole.. Friday & Saturday, Listen at the Hawke’s Bay Opera House.

Taste Hastings Tour.. Saturday, Visit Hastings, 30minute guided tour Spanish Mission Walk.

T-Party.. Henry Ford’s Model T Ford in the Street Parade Ts Leading the way.

I was in town this morning and saw we already have a ship in port and people from all over the world enjoying our fun town.

There is so so much more to enjoy. visit www.artdeconapier.com for more information.  Do enjoy your weekend.

When we live in a area that has a lot of tourist sights we rarely get to see them ourselves. I took a ride up to Bluff Hill last weekend. Napier once again turned on the most amazing weather. It got to around 30c which is very hot, as we have what is called a burning heat here. Our humidity can get up there sometimes but more a burning sun. So what better place to be than on top of the world looking down on all the lovely sights. Don’t worry once I came down the next visit was the beach.

Just taking the drive up to Bluff Hill is beautiful in itself. The roads leading up can be a little narrow and lined with fabulous old trees and homes. It’s a shame some parts of it you can’t stop and get out and have a look. Well you probably could if there were no cars behind you. You would have to pull into someones driveway to do this, but the sights could be worth it. There are a few different roads you can take but last week I went up Coote Road which leads you past the Old Prison which I’ll go visit and do a story about at a later stage. Sorry if you clicked on that link and it made you jump, which it did me. Just follow the sign posts and it’s only a few twists and turns until you come to the Big Water Pump Station. There is some lovely Art Deco fences across the road from here. One called The Hill Top catches the eye, think it’s the style and age that enables you to envision a time of Class and Glamour. It has stood the test of time with a few big earthquakes thrown in.

I stopped just at the top of the Bluff Hill car park, probably wasn’t supposed to park so close to the end of car park, but there was a lot of sight seeing that day. Usually when we have a cruise ship in, The Nuatic was in that day, I’m told the hotelier’s inform the tourist. Good to see though. I started taking photo’s from all over the place. I’ll add link to my flickr set for you to see. It is so worth the time to take yourself, friends and family up there every now and then. Napier changes pretty fast these days. There are areas around the Port of Napier which seem to change daily. It is growing very fast and luckily for us it’s allowing bigger Cruise Ships to come here. They are a sight to make you want to jump on board and go touring about the open sea’s. The views of the coast lines from Cape Kidnappers to Mahia on a beautiful clear sunny day are breath taking. Some tourist have even left their mark on our foliage which I photographed, have added them for you to see too. So start touring about a bit and see some of our great sights it’s fun.

Next time I visit Bluff Hill I’m going to take a picnic, as with the amazing views what better spot to sit and enjoy it all at your own leisure. Can get a ice cream up there at times from Mr Whippy, needed it in the heat thats for sure.

Enjoy my photo’s and let me know what you think.

just one of the beautiful views to be seen from above