De La Terre Vineyard, Taradale, Napier, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

"Sundaze", Sacred Hill Vineyard, Puketapu, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

Anothet weekend, another open day at a vineyard. This time it is Sacred Hill who, although they do have a cellar door, are only normally open to groups by appointment, possibly to be fair as they are a bit out of the way. In January however they team up with the Puketapu Pub and have Sunday bands, wine and food. Unlike Taradise it is not BYO so it is a bit more like just having lunch at a vineyard. You can bring chairs and sit on the grass but we chose to leave them in thr car and just used the benches.

"Taradise", Moana Park Vineyard, Puketapu, Napier, New Zealand

We've got a public holiday weekend. Southerly 23 degrees in the Bay yesterday but switched to Northerly today and 32 degrees. Year right, gotta be 35 in the shade .... is this turning into 'Stralia.

Taradise is an annual 'day out' at Moana Park vineyard, which just happens to be just within spitting dustance of our house. So we drove down with the kitchen sink ....

Hot as but the beach umbrella worked a treat, but truely sweaty-as in the shade.

Favourite music:

A Thousand Years - Christina Perri

Little talks - Of monsters and Men

Th Gambler - Kenny Rogers

Little Lion Man - Mimford and Sons

Rockin in the heat of the vines. Coooool as.

Puketapu, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

Weekends in Puketapu certainly are raining in the hot weather. Hawkes Bay seems to be thr place to be this summer. LOL - we live there!!

Crab Farm Vineyard, Napier, New Zealand

Just landed from Wellington into Napier and it us a riasting day, so headed to Crab Farm for a Rose.

Market Weekend, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

Friends over for the weekend. Managed not one but two farmers markets. Black Barn 'miniature latte' (that is not the official name) market on Saturday and then the Hastings Farmers proper market on Sunday was buzzing. Christmas one week away.

Black Barn, Open Air Cinema, Havelock North, New Zealand

Black Barn Open Air Cinema

New Years Day, Waipatiki Beach, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

Spent the morning on the beach just up the coast. Excellent little spot for the day. Some big waves crashing one after the other onto white sand beach (and on top of Linda).

Waipatiki Beach is pretty hard to find on the map, in fact Google does not seem to know it exists. It lies 20km north of Napier with view back to Bluff Hill. We missed the first road off the SH2 and so went mostly on an unsealed road, but the first road is sealed.

Waipatiki apparently means “water of the flounder” in Māori. It was once an abundant fishing estuary valley. The 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake lifted the flats up in the air and formed the current sea front and stream.

Lessons from the day:
- Buy a less bendy umbrella
- Take picture of beach before you leave
- Wear more supportive swim wear in big waves

Picture of Waipatiki Beach from Public toilets !