Child of the Planet

Napier The final day of the festaval and kids are out racing soup box carts. The grown ups are putting up marques and furnishing them in the art deco style. Pretty damn amazing!

Parade today All the beautiful old cars are driven down the main street, escorted by Army, Navy, and Police. More then once I've found my self part in the minority, surrounded by folk in period coustume.

Drove down to beach  have breakfast. Parked next to several vans similar to mine. All seemed to be owned by young Europeans. Sat eating pancakes and watching a parade of campers empty their toilets at a dump station up near the road side. There was an amenities block with toilets an an outdoor shower, next to the dump station. A girl in a bikini walked up to the block and had a wash at the shower head poking out from the concrete wall. She started washing her hair, which I thought was usual. Then she started to shave her pits and I thought, ahhhh backpacker. The Filter Room Visited the Filter Room , which is just outside the Napier CBD with my relatives and a couple of their mates. This business makes their own ciders and beer, and provide a great sampler rack where you can select any six drinks from their range. I've been here several times and always had a great time, sitting outside next to the orchard, working my way through the taste sensations. http://www.th...

Drove the Gentle Annie today. Was a bit surprised how quickly I did it. Pretty much a single days drive. Amazing view from rest stop What a drive though. Great scenery, and I'd heard that the road was a bit dodgy. Turns out the whole stretch is now sealed. I think they were finishing it off as I drove through there (ha ha) There is a video to come . View The Gentle Annie in a larger map Napier I started looking for some sort of accommodation as soon as I left the mountains. I was heading to Napier for the Art Deco fest there. I'd been camping for several days and I wanted to clean myself up before meeting up with my Uncle and Aunt. This festival has turned into a bit of a pilgrimage for them. They spend the year combing Op-shops, then get dressed up in period costume, and live out of a hotel room for the weekend.

Woke up to a gentle drizzle today and had to close up the roof and back door to stop the rain getting in. The rooster must have been marking out his territory cause his crowing started off in the distance and moved around the country side. I packed up, and made some breakfast in the rain. Very glad of the covered food prep area, and drove the van up to that side of the site. Getting pretty good at the pancakes. The rooster was still at it when I left round ten, and had made it into the camp proper. I feel sorry for anyone who is still trying to sleep. As I left the grounds, the older couple had left and the Gypsies and relocated to our position on the river bank. Not much happened today. Turns out that I was camped right at the end of the Forgotten Highway so I was straight into town to do a bit of internet, and then drive to Ohakune. Ohakune I've pitched my wagon in another DOC's site and I have a great view of Ruapehu mountain. Not much to say bout the site. ...

Whangamomona Everything out side the van is white with fog when I wake. Can't see much beyond the parameter of the camp site. I can hear alot of sheep out there somewhere. The chickens are back, pecking at things hidden in the grass. Didn't sleep very well due to the 'party animals' banging away all night. It's just me and the Auckland couple parked in the camp is morning. Drove the second half of the Highway today More brilliant scenery and fun roads. Stopped at the Mt Damper falls which were bathed in sunlight, casting sheets of rainbow spray.

Douglas  I wake up along with the rest of the countryside. Cows moo, cocks crow, and farmers drive motorised vehicles across the fields. I'm standing next to the van, planning my next move, which is probably going to include breakfast, when a van drives up the access road, and parks next to the little 'rail buggies'. A woman emerges and starts busying herself, taking the wraps off the buggies. I realise that she is part of Forgotten Adventures, and a group of customers will soon be arriving. I beat a quick retreat up the hill, to a derelict tile kiln. It's Douglas main tourist attraction Douglas-brick-kiln The Forgotten Highway is a great road to drive. Some really tight corners snake through some great scenery. Little white spindly thistle seeds are being blown all over the region. They swoop past my wind screen carried along by the slipstream. View Whangamomona in a larger map Whangamomona Found a camp site with no problems. Was looking to st...