After the plantation tour, the weather is definitely not cooperating with a mountain visit, so we take Christine’s advice and head downtown to do the Coastal Walkway and visit the Puke Ariki museum.
We park on the waterfront across from the museum and wander a bit deciding on lunch. Salt is right there – ocean view and pricey – even the museum café is way more than we want to spend. So, we head over to the little shopping center across the street and find Annie Kim’s café. It’s a cute little coffee shop with sandwiches, breakfast and bakery items. Works for us! I got a bacon and egg pie – excellent! Basically an upside down quiche – all bacon and eggs on the bottom with a light and flaky puff pastry dough top. Ed got a ham and egg sandwich on this awesome caraway seed bread – and the egg was basically egg salad. We’re good to go – and all for 8.50NZ. Can’t beat that!
Since the sun is out – and we can see the clouds gathering, we decide to walk the Coastal Walkway first – then hit the museum. The walkway is an 11KM seaside promenade that runs along the Tasman sea from the Port to Hickman’s Park, way out east in the suburbs of New Plymouth. We start out from the museum and the Wind Wand – a sculpture by Lyn Ling , a famous New Zealander, and make our way around to the East End Reserve – a large park-like area where the Te Henui walkway intersects (there are TONS of walkways and parks and eco-things to do here in New Plymouth – we could spend weeks here and never cover them all!).
The weather is really holding out for us – clouds over the mountains, but clear and sunny here on the coast. Maybe 75 degrees with a breeze. Awesome! We walk a couple of KM, then find the bike rental place. Yes! We hire bikes so we can make it all the way out to the bridge – which everyone just raves over – and maybe even to the end of the walk.
The bikes are the way to go. We zip along the walkway, making awesome time – and seeing all the sites – the life saving stations, the pools (raised pools, looking very much like water treatment plants, you know, those raised cement holding tanks?), and finally the Te Rewa Rewa bridge rising up like whale bones or some skeleton above the river.
Great way to spend a few hours in the sunshine (which proves to be a bit much for me because I get a sunburn for the first time in – oh – I can’t remember when!).
Back in town, we visit the Puke Ariki museum which chronicles the Maori tribes in the area and their oppressed history. It’s just amazing! Up until the 60’s, the Maori’s weren’t allowed to speak their language or wear their traditional clothing. Now, the traditions are allowed and are coming back (language taught in school, clothing allowed).
After our educational afternoon, we return to the motel to relax and get ready for the evening.
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