This was the day that required precision planning. A hefty drive from Wellington up to Hastings, but also a special detour I was keen to take - to the relatively small but important wine area Martinborough, and specifically the Ata Rangi winery as recommended by my work colleague (and professional Kiwi) Anne.
Wineries open at 10am, and the detour was feasible if we were on its doorstep as it opened. So we were...only to find this one opens at noon. Clearly we needed to form a new plan, ideally over coffee and muffins at one of the town cafes - by which time it was apparent that we should stay around until 12 and visit the winery.
Note to Anne, if you're reading: you were right. A tasting confirmed, and we'll give the Celebre some proper attention with my gourmet spaghetti bolognese tonight. (Yes, it's true I can only cook one thing, but it's good.)
A quick look back and forward over our itinerary. We've now been away from home for five weeks (hope I turned that oven off), and the first part of our holiday in Singapore seems as distant as Abbots Langley. Almost four weeks to go. We're in the Hastings/Napier area (Hawke's Bay) tonight and tomorrow, then headed for Lake Taupo, Rotorua, the Coromandel (Auckland's fun retreat), then Auckland itself. The trip so far has been light on Maori culture, which we'll rectify in Rotorua.
It's hard to be away from home through great events like a change of Norwich manager, but we're coping...
The second half of your trip sounds great - you're maintaining an impressive pace!
ReplyDeleteAs Sandra and I took a late winter walk this afternoon along Gorleston's promenade, (indeed, esplanade!), arctic blizzard conditions suddenly fell upon us, great gusts of stinging sleet, and I wondered whether you are both truly enjoying glorious summer weather or whether your whole trip is not in fact a wild and elaborate hoax in the way the Apollo moon landings were thought by some to be a gigantic scam! Whether or not you are in fact really there in NZ or in a computer generated fantasy world, be certain that it's really bitterly cold in the UK at the moment and tales of your sunny adventures help to keep us all warm - so keep driving, keep making the pasta and keep writing!