Hastings and back

We have our very own “pop-over-property” to stay at when we visit my sister and her family in Hastings.  There is an authentic caravan  power point wired in to their house which enables us to be on power.  Hastings is usually much warmer than the Wellington region but during the latter part of the week experienced cold temperatures which seem to be gripping the whole country.  As a major fruit growing area, the recent hail storms caused a lot of damage to the valuable crops.  We prepared breakfast for everyone on Saturday morning.  The pancakes could have been a little bigger, but they still tasted nice smothered with boysenberries and whipped cream, or drizzled with honey/maple syrup.

  Robin hard at work making pancakes for breakfast

Hastings has rail tracks running right through the city centre.  Right through a water feature complete with small bubbling fountains, in fact.  The days of the Wellington to Napier Railcar are long gone.  I can remember travelling on these railcars many times to visit Kathleen.  These days the city centre only sees the occasional goods train using the tracks.

 

Rail tracks running through the city centre

We had a quick trip to the Farmer’s Market on Sunday morning.  These types of markets are really popular.  Organic meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, preserves, chocolates and gelato ice-cream were some of the products on offer.  We bought some new season’s strawberries to take back home, a couple of nice pastries for our road trip , apples, and a lovely hot latte for me to enjoy while we sat in the sunshine while watching all the shoppers .  We said our goodbyes to the family, hooked up the caravan and started the trip back home.  The farms were full of  baby lambs and young calves in the paddocks, munching on grass in the warm spring sunshine.

The historic Anzac Bridge at Kaiparoi

Each time we make the trip to Hastings we pass the Anzac Bridge at Kaiparo, south of Eketahuna, and on our return trip we were determined to stop and investigate this very special piece of history.  Local mill owner, Alfred Faulkner, had lost his youngest son and his nephew in WW1.  Alfred was a draughtsman and drew up the plans for the bridge and the local community raised half of the 800 pounds needed to build it.  The bridge was opened in December 1922, and the plaques unveiled on Anzac Day the following year. Further names were added after WW11, and Anzac Day commemorations are still held each year at the bridge.  The Anzac Bridge is a Registered Building under the NZ Historic Places Trust, and in 1956 a replacement bridge was built.