Boring place but Kittens.

After Whanganui it was off to  Ohakune. What can I say about that place, the drive over was beautiful with lots of bends and up and downs an very few people but the other drivers I did meet where crazy. I am really wondering why there are no F1 drivers from New Zealand, the driving style is crazy enough. Unless it is because they are dead or injured by a big crash before they make it into F1? Or it might be their insistence on tailgating but not overtaking even if it is perfectly safe and legal to do so? I don’t know but I do not like the driving style of the locals over here. And maybe it aren’t the locals but if it are the tourists those tourists are a lot braver then I am in a car they do not really know. Added handicap is that I do not like the car I have here on the north island.

But okay Ohakune. The B&B looked great at first like a big chalet. Sturdy outside walls of tree trunks. Inside a bit dark but hey that is to expected with a wooden chalet. Other problem became clear during the first night. My room was right next to the bathroom and toilet of one of the other rooms. And the male part of the couple in there had a prostate problem. He went to the toilet about 6 times a night and it sounded as if he was peeing right next to my bed. And then he would flush. The plumbing in this place sounded older then the discovery of New Zealand by Captain Cook. It took about 2 minutes for the toilet to fill up and those where very loud two minutes. So I woke up every time my neighbor had to pee. Not nice.

Then the town. It was BORING. Nothing there but a supermarket and a bunch of restaurants that where half dead. Because this is a ski resort and not a summer vacation place. only thing to do in summer is a bike ride over an old train track. I do not like riding a bike. So the only thing to do was drive over 50 kilometers to go for walks along the mountain. And they where nice walks with pretty waterfalls at the end. On half way actually. But I have done so many walks already and seen a lot of waterfalls by now. And it was hot. Way to hot to go walking up and down a mountain.

And this are just the “normal” things that happen on vacation. To make it even worse the host was a single guy from Switzerland. Now that isn’t a problem, but he clearly didn’t like being single anymore.

I was taking pictures of the sunset around 9 and all of a sudden he comes out in just his underwear. And I am the only one sleeping in the lodge that night. Auch. I barricaded my door that night. The next morning he was telling me how he was looking for a girlfriend who liked to cook because he was a bad cook. ARGGGG.

I was never so happy to leave somewhere.

Really only upside on this place, he had two kittens of about 12 weeks old. And they where the cutest. Mommy cat was already pregnant again. Daddy cat was around and playing with his baby’s.

From there it was to the next place, it sounded great on paper, self-catering so a real kitchen to cook in.  Because yes I do like cooking and I can cook. And after almost two months of eating out I am bored with restaurant food.

But it seems I didn’t explain properly to the travel agency what I wanted because it was 25 to 30 minutes from any form of civilization. So not to a big town no 25 to 30 minutes’ drive from the nearest supermarket or any kind of shop. And nothing around to do without driving at least 40 minutes.

And the hosts where not there when I arrived. Or when I left. Not the way it should be.

So that was not a good start of my stay there. When the hosts finally arrived it turned out the cottage was open because why lock a door? Still boggles the mind how leaving doors open is pretty normal over here. Okay it is the middle of nowhere. That was my complaint just a few lines up, but still?

After settling in back into the car and driving to the nearest supermarket and do some shopping for two to three evening  meals and breakfast. Lunch is still going to be in a restaurant because I am  not staying in this place the whole day.

First day I had the pottery workshop in the morning. That was fun and I learned quite a bit. Only down side is that I can’t take anything with me. Or even wait to see how it turns out when fired.

Second day I went to Napier. The art deco capital of New Zealand. And yes it has a bunch of beautiful buildings. And I am also sure that the art deco festival that would start the next day is amazing and very busy. But I am travel tired. So my favorite was the little blue penguin in the aquarium that was very interested in my camera.

And I did manage to get my laundry done. Without shrinking anything. Yeah me.