Hastings
A phone call first thing in the morning brought a quick
apology from the Maui Campervan folks and a promise that a new one would
be waiting for us that afternoon in Napier, which was our next destination.
With that assurance, we drove to Hastings which, like Napier, was rebuilt in
1931 in art deco style following a devasting earthquake that leveled much
of the city. We enjoyed the relatively quiet and attractive downtown and
coffee and scones at Warren's Bakery which has been in business on Russell
Street across from the Hastings clocktower since the 1880s.
Before going to Napier, we drove as far as we could
toward Cape Kidnappers in hopes of catching a glimpse of the gannet colony
located there. The walk along the shoreline proved impassable due to the
incoming tide. We were forced to turn back without knowingly spotting a
single gannet.
