From Arataki to Napier

Robin is a bit of a honey connoisseur and loves honey – and Manuka honey in particular.  While we were in the area we took a side trip today to replenish Robin’s honey supply from Arataki Honey Centre.  This shop is full of delightful honey products, including sweets, chocolates, beeswax candles, and gifts.  And the honey tasting area is always a hit, specially with youngsters. Our honey containers were refilled, one with Manuka and the other with Rewarewa.  That should keep him going for a while.

Arataki Honey Visitor Centre

Some liquid gold

Napier is known as the Art Deco Capitol of the world.  We stopped to admire the Art Deco designed Rothman’s Building.  Robin sold the tobacco products made by this company back in the days when he was worked for Toops.  This building is just as attractive inside as it is outside, he said.   There was a tour in full swing going on – the group had arrived in the interesting Napier Art Deco Tours carriages parked outside.  We want to do the tour too – perhaps next time when we come back this way! 

Rothman’s Building – Art Deco style

We parked the car along Marine Parade and had strolled through the very attractive Sunken Garden, imagining how it would look filled with people dressed in their finery during the Art Deco Celebrations each year.

View of the Sunken Garden

Water wheel in the Sunken Garden

On the way back to the car, we wandered into the  Opossum World Shop.  In fact, it was much more than just a shop selling possum and merino wool jerseys, and possum skin products.  There was quite a large display showing the huge amount of damaged that these introduced animals have done to the New Zealand native forests.  And it also told the story of possum trapping and skinning.

  Possum hunter’s camp

Possum mother and youngster

There was a bit of Kiwi humour shown too, such as the group of singing possums on the red mini, with one of there brethren battered and bruised after an encounter with a car.  There were some beautiful soft possum and merino knitwear on sale – but the prices were a bit steep for locals.  Guess the idea is to buy some of the woollen yarn and get knitting!

  Singing possums

Back at our Pop once more we watched with interest as the 5th Wheeler Ultima changed hands.  It had been parked up since our arrival and had just been sold, Robin was told.  The original owners drove up in their red Holden Colorado and showed the new owners how to hitch up.  The buyers and sellers were swapping cars, so the sellers went home with a little red Toyota, and the buyers proudly drove their new rig away to start their touring adventures. 

The Ultima has new owners