We left fairly early today from Plimmerton, on our way to New Plymouth for a quick stopover before continuing on to Raglan. It was not a terribly stimulating drive, since we’re passing through mostly the kind of farmland and plains areas that constituted the “leftovers” that went unmentioned in our description of the more interesting drives up north.
We had our breakfast at a cafe called Orange Lounge in Wanganui, which is a very nice little university town in which I wouldn’t have minded spending another day or two. We had a similar meal to that in Wellington, but my breakfast had a roasted tomato, the biggest shiitake mushroom I’ve seen, for about three times the price… Christina noted that some meals, like this breakfast, have a very similar formula, but seem to have radically different pricing. Having already booked our nights accommodation in New Plymouth, we continued driving after the meal, and after a longer-than-intended tour of town, during which I missed a signpost indicating our next destination.
The only feature worth mentioning in the remainder of the drive was Mt Taranaki, seen in the distance (looks way, way in the distance in the photo, but appeared closer in person), robed in Olympian clouds. Apparently you can ski there, though my eyebrow remains in the raised position at the idea of skiing in the sub-tropics. At $40NZD for a day pass, right around half of our typical CAD lift pass cost, I’d be willing to put it to the test, were this only the right season. One more reason for a return trip, I suppose.
No trouble with arriving at our New Plymouth hostel, Shoestring Backpackers, in good order, and it seems like a very nice one. In fact, this hostel (if not the town itself) seems like one that we could be quite comfortable in for a few days. Contrary to the humble name, it is very well equipped, with a huge common area, nice kitchen, ideal located, clean facilities. It’s got it all. The town has the basic strip of shops and cafes, as do they all, without much to recommend it. There’s a decent beach here, but we’ve been promised the authentic beach experience just up the road, so do not feel inclined to see this runner-up in too great detail.
My cousin, Girlie, in the burbs of Christchurch said, you missed a more beautiful scenery in the south island. Furthermore, she mentioned they used to live there in Plymouth and in fact still has a house there!
So Tina, I see you are stocking yourself of the photo stock when you get back to the office… Do you get commission if you get sales of your pictures?
$2/liter gas! Though we are choking here with $1.14 – $1.18…
maybe in Australia, just take the bus. He-he!
You should go back to new Plymouth to see The Cat Empire next week. And Teesh says hi…she’s watching cute kid videos on YouTube and thinking of you.