Wine Country 1/18/08

Our Napier day turned out to be cool and cloudy so our sunny streak is over. Our first order of business was to check out Cape Kidnappers Golf Club which has been ranked as the 27th best in the world. Our host Gary called ahead to make sure we could get on the property (normally you can’t unless you have a confirmed tee time) and we were able to breeze through the security gate once we found it. They almost hide it. Once inside the gate it was a five mile drive to the clubhouse. The setting around the clubhouse actually reminded us of a course we played near Williston ND with harsh rolling land and scrubby grasses. As the course winds toward the coast it takes advantage of nasty Cliffside hole locations. Google it for some wild pictures. At $400 per round we checked out stock portfolio and decided to pass.

Our first winery visit was at Kim Crawford, a name we recognized from home. We tried a couple pinot gris and bought a bottle of sauvignon blanc just in case we got thirsty. We took off from there along the Tukituki river which winds through a spectacular valley near Havelock North, dotted with wineries and surrounded by substantial hills. We popped out of the valley at Black Barn winery which had been recommended for lunch. Mary had an appetizer tasting plate (smoked beef, salmon and cheese with bread and crackers) and John ordered the smoked chicken salad with nectarines and bleu cheese, and we both passed back and forth.

After lunch we wound up Te Mata Peak Road which is a death-defying, switch back, no-guardrail, windy narrow path up the side of the tallest point of land in these parts for an unbelievable view in all directions. It is a very good thing we skipped the wine at lunch. It was an easy drive into Hastings that thinks it (not Napier) is the dominant town in the region. The main street in Hastings is lined at rooftop height with pink flowers for about 10 blocks and the result is impressive. We wandered around for about an hour and the city is less touristy than Napier with more of a hometown sort of feel.

Our next stop was back in Napier at the quay. A fishing boat had just come in and we watched them unload a pretty big bin of sole destined for some of our local restaurants. They worked so hard we were pretty thirsty by the time they finished so we popped into the Thirsty Whale for a pint of Tui. The "Whale" has about a 6-foot square glass floor area and as you look down you see a band of skeletons playing their instruments. Odd.

After a sit down looking at the ocean from our room we went to "Take Five" for dinner. This place was recommended by our host and the lady at Kim Crawford Winery so with a double rec we had to try it. The food was excellent (John, duck; Mary, stuffed vegetables) and there was a duo singing all the right songs for us. (Desperado, Ain’t no Sunshine, Love me Tender, Fever, etc.). Outside of the drive up the mountain, it was a very laid back day with a very nice finish.

Today’s Local Headline: Snubbed, Wellington Dominion Post (Royal Family skipping Sir Edmund Hillary’s funeral)