Great first day on our NI road trip, albeit a long one. Didn’t take long until the first stop – coffee at Gasoline Alley Services in Ngaio. And a second stop not long after in Upper Hutt at the Warehouse, to buy jandals for me – well we are going to be using camping ground shower facilities. And then it was over the Rimutakas, turn off at Featherston, and on through the beautiful southern Wairarapapa to the coast at Ngawi, Cape Palliser, and our first lighthouse. Managed the steps up to the lighthouse okay but the knees graunched a bit on the way down. The photos below are mostly at or near Cape Palliser.
From there it was on to Castlepoint where we spent the night in a small and basic but clean and comfortable cabin. It had one of those bunk beds with the single bunk on top (mine) and a double below (L – he’s doing the driving so got to make sure he gets a decent night’s sleep). Very comfortable. The space could do with more hooks, and some shelves, but that’s small quibble. The cabin has a kitchen bench-style unit against one wall and comes with fridge, toaster, electric jug, plates, pots and pans – everything except the kitchen sink – but the communal kitchen was right next door. A pared down, no-frills décor, mini-motel room. All for $75 a night, plus 50c for a hot shower. The Castlepoint Holiday Park is to be highly recommended. Lots of powered sites, good cabins, excellent facilities, clean and well run. And right by the beach.
Off Highway One 