Monday morning at 6 pm we left Auckland to head to Palmerston North where we were going to stay with Margaret, a friend of mine. Even at 6 am the northbound traffic on the motorway was busy and Tarun was amazed. I think he may have thought every person in NZ was on that road.
We had planned to take our time and make several stops along the way, with the first being the relatively unknown Blue Springs between Tirau and Putaruru. From the car park we walked about 10 minutes to the swimming place. Despite the water being a constant 11 degrees all year Tarun , of course, was still keen to swim. It is a really beautiful spot that was well worth the detour. The water is very very clear and blue and the area fringed with native bush. The birds were singing and we only saw a couple of other people.
It was a water day!!! The next stop was for lunch beside the Waikato River then on to Huka Falls where we certainly weren't the only people. ... so many tourists. We didn't stay long as we will be returning to Taupo, but carried on round the Lake where we made another swimming stop. I wondered whether Tarun was planning to cross the lake at one point, but after swimming out some considerably distance he decided to return.
South of Taihape we decided to take the scenic back road to Palmerston North. It was a good choice. We travelled many backgrounds in India and this is something Tarun and I both enjoy doing, and no doubt will do several times on this trip..... It is so great having the luxury of time.
On our arrival in Palmerston North we were ready for dinner. Tarun was on meat overload and wanted a meat free meal ... Indian was the obvious choice!!!! We sat outside watching the Monday night sights of Palmerston North ... a few quacking ducks in the square and a minor car accident. We couldn't even people watch as there weren't any! This was Taruns first meal in an Indian restaurant since arriving here and he seemed fairly impressed... And he finished off every little bit.
Tuesday was my day of self-indulgence with a trip to Woodville... not a place where many tourists go, but it was a place that I enjoyed living in as a child and I was keen to go back and look at it. We saw my old house , the school I went to, and the park I spent many hours in. I was astonished to see how small they all were as I remembered them as being so much larger than they really are.
On the way back to Palmerston North Margaret and I dropped Tarun off at the beginning of the Manuwatu Gorge walk armed with a bottle of water, an apple and a carrot. The sign suggested the walk was 3 to 5 hours so I arranged to go and pick him up after 3 hours. Oh to be so young and fit as he arrived at the pickup point before I did.
While Tarun was walking I went on a tiki tour around Palmerston North. I also lived here for a couple of years as a child so I visited many places I remembered well .... The house I lived in and the shop my parents owned, the schools I went to and the place I used to roller skate. Once again all of these places all looked far smaller than I remembered.
Another Indian meal at night ... This time takeaways which we ate beside the lagoon where they were playing canoe polo.
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