So here we are, on day three of our road tripping adventures, and so far it's going great. Only complaints are the millions of swervy curvy roads and the sketchy radio, but other than that, we are having a blast! We managed to sneak in a bit of NZ's Next Top Model last night and rested up for today's drive and adventures. Our first stop, right outside Tauranga, was Mount Manganui. In the latter days of our long term travel, we have become increasingly tired, and at this point the thought of climbing to the top for yet another breathtaking view was furthest from our minds. A nice lunch at a café or relaxing on the beach was more up our alley. We rolled into the beautiful beach town, with the windows down, and very happy and excited (we were actually getting a radio signal!). Right along the waterfront, with parking at a prime, it wasn't until I just mentioned aloud that I hope we get parking when a car pulled out, and we pulled in. Great day! I tucked things away in the car, we jumped out, and were greeted by this wonderful view.
The surf was roaring and the sun was shining, and lots of people were out and about. We strolled along the street of cafés and shops, debating if we wanted to do a little walk up part of Manganui. Deciding to give it a go, we stopped back at the car for more appropriate shoes besides our jandals. Bret jokingly asked me for the key (which I didn't have since I haven't been driving), when he realized, he didn't have it either! Keys locked in the car! Oh no! We arrive at the car, sure enough, to find the keys in the car...in the ignition...with the car running! Bret went into panic mode, I found it slightly amusing (phone was locked in the car too), and we scurried to the nearest payphone to call AA (their AAA). Laughing the whole way (well, I was, Bret felt kind of bad), I stopped as soon as I found out it would cost $93 to unlock the doors. I trudged back to the car to wait for the man to come unlock it, totally impatient and frustrated. After the half hour which felt like forever being stuck next to a running, parked, and locked car, the man arrived, and jimmied the lock open. An OMG road trip moment...I suppose it was inevitiable.
Bummed Bret!
Day is saved!
After the morning drama, we decided to skip the previous mountain walk, and settled for patio paninis at a yummy café. Happier now that we were well fed, we spent some time walking in the sand, and climbing the rock sculptures jutting out of the beach.
On our way south towards our final stop for the night, Rotorua, we were lucky enough to stop in Te Puke (rhymes with 'the cookie') for another road trip kiwi must-see. The second space on our NZ Monopoly board is the giant kiwifruit in Te Puke. The entire town was centered around the kiwifruit, right down to the road signs! We shopped in the visitor center, sampled kiwifruit and wine, climbed to the top of the kiwi, and finally, moved on!
No comments:
Post a Comment