Quail, Kubb and Young Nick’s Head

Quail, Kubb and Young Nick’s Head

So we thought since it was Sunday we’d have a rest day at Napier.  Then we realised it was Saturday but we had the rest day anyway!

The campsite we were in was one of the most expensive so far and there was a lot of noise overnight, so we moved to a small, privately owned site that we’d been told about, at Puketapu in the hills above Napier.

As we were about to turn into their gate, five or six birds went running across the road in front of us, accompanied by a tiny one, no more than a couple of inches tall.  We found out later that they were quail, and that there was a family of them living at the back of the site.  Later that evening, they all came out to feed in front of Ermintrude.

That afternoon we got involved in a game of Kubb.  This involves 10 little blocks of wood, one big one and six batons.  It’s kind of a cross between Aunt Sally and bar billiards.  I’ve no idea what the rules are, but see here for a summary.

Next day we were back on the SH2, or Pacific Coast Highway as it’s called at this point, to make our way to Gisborne.  As always, there are plenty of winding, hilly roads, but we passed increasing numbers of sweetcorn fields and fruit orchards.  You still see plenty of sheep and cattle, but there were also quite a few herds of goats.

Approaching Gisborne we had a great view down into Poverty Bay, where Captain Cook made his first landing in 1769.  We also passed Young Nick’s Head, the first land sighted, named after Nicholas Young, the cabin boy who first spotted it.

These days Gisborne is known as the Chardonnay Capital of NZ and is also the first city in the world to see the sun each morning – assuming it isn’t cloudy. We’re currently parked at our campsite by the beach facing the sea, hoping to be the first people to see the sun tomorrow.  Well, us, the rest of the campers and 36,100 Gisborne residents.