Eastland

 Post three (for those of you playing along at home)

Eastland is the place where the first Polynesian canoes landed, Captain Cook made his first landfall and Maori and European first encountered each other. (www.newzealand.com)
Saturday and back on the road. We had heard there were good pies to be had from the bakery in Ruatoria so headed there. The road on this side was not so windy (I do not mean breezy when I say this, I mean curvy) so I was not sick at all. I have a bil who would have been hospitalised yesterday from the drive but I think he might be able to survive today. We arrived in Ruatoria and drove down nearly every street in this small isolated pocket and did not see anything even close to a bakery. Which was lucky in a way because we may not have stopped at Te Puka if we had already eaten. Te Puka was a real gem. A country pub sitting on the waters edge and a really beautiful day for sitting on the verandah. Sun shining and warm breezes blowing in across the water. We ordered lunch and I was able to get a decent coffee for the first time in days. There was a ladies fishing comp on and the trailers parked in the pix are waiting for them to return. There were 5 teams and we watched them all return one by one. No idea who had what fish as the judging was to later that day. A band was warming up in the bar behind us and we really wished we could have stayed. It was going to be a great night in the pub.

Te Puka

Team returning

Tokomaru Bay from Te Puka

 We reluctantly left this beautiful spot and headed further down the coast. I had found out about a jetty at Tolaga Bay that had had mllions of dollars spent on an           ongoing restoration so we wanted to check it out.
It takes half an hour to walk to the end of New Zealand's longest wharf. At 660 metres in length, this is no ordinary pier. Locals love the wharf because it's part of Eastland history, and because it's a most excellent place to catch a fish.
The opening of Tolaga Bay Wharf in 1929 made it possible for large coastal trading ships to load and offload goods. However, even as the Tolaga Bay wharf opened, improved roading and motor vehicles had begun to compete with coastal shipping. It was ironic that much of the cargo that passed over the wharf was road-making material, used to construct the road through to Gisborne, soon providing an alternate means of transport.
In recent years the wharf has undergone extensive restoration work, which will help to ensure that locals and travellers can dangle a line for many years to come. (www.newzealand.com) incl this pic.
                                                                                       

The gates at the wharf.

It is hard to convey in pictures just how spectacular this coastline really is. It is so peaceful and unspoilt. Natures at her very best.







We had booked into Cedar Lodge in Gisborne for the night and arrived late afternoon. The lodge is a 100 year old house that has a checkered past and is now a B&B. It is a lovingly restored old home that has pressed tine ceiling and lots of timber and stained glass. We had a very restful night there and headed off to Napier the next day. Another lovely day, we were doing so well with the weather. NZ is not known for its sunny days so we were very lucky. I have to mention the Mohaka Viaduct here. It is halfway between Napier and Wairoa and is the highest railway viaduct in NZ at 97m. It spans the Mohaka River and is 270m long and was opened in 1937.

          

Mohaka Viaduct http://trains.wellington.net.nz/misc2/mohaka_1983.jpg

This is what it looks like from the road as you drive underneath. It really is quite a sight.













From here we went out to the Mahia Peninsula. A land mass that juts out from the coast. I keep using the word spectacular but I cannot think of another one to describe this coastline. So just let me show you what it looks like.

 The road has fallen into the sea here and it had to be moved over. You can still see the bits of road on the beach below.

That tip of land sticking out to the right is where the road had fallen into the sea in the other photo

Mahia translates to murmur or indistinct sound. In its full form, Te Mahia mai Tawhiti means “the murmuring of home”. This rather romantic name refers to the immutable echo of the ocean, a sound permeating the small settlement that over the years has continued to grow alongside the sea. For decades, the breathtaking scenery has made Mahia a favourite holiday spot for many families and individuals.

Mahia Peninsula is an ecological island, that is unique & beautiful, and there is nowhere else like this place. (www.voyagemahia.co.nz)