HASTINGS !

Hastings is a town close to Napier, but not as well-known for some reason. They, too were affected by the earthquake but not as badly and not as many casualties. Both towns were given government money to repair and rebuild – one town had a vision, the other just rebuilt ad hoc.






The central street in Hastings showed some effort, but the historic element was missing and it seemed more of a ‘locals’ place, rather than a tourist place that had made the most of its past.




Outside Hastings we discovered an oak avenue planted in 1854. Huge, imposing oaks lined the way for a good five minute drive, impressive even by National Trust standards! We loved the way they seemed to be holding branches over our heads.





There was also a tiny signpost for Frimley Park, where originally there had been a homestead surrounded by formal gardens and a wide variety of non-native trees. The farm homestead burned down, but the gardens remain, with acres of climbing roses and huge trees from all over the world.







The rhododendrons were massed along one side in splashes of colour and there were so many shades of green it was almost shocking. It did remind us of England with its circles of multicoloured poppies and scented flox.


Our final stop for the day was Pernel Fruitworld, where we managed to catch the owner Phil, driving his tractor along and coerced him into taking us on a tour of the orchards. It took us an hour to go round and lines and lines of trees covered in white blossom everywhere. They even rent bees in the spring to pollinate the trees and ensure a good crop.



He decribed each grove in detail and we came away with the distinct impression that pacific Rose and Jazzy apples were the best in the world and that apple trees must be pruned or they become ‘wooly’ and the fruit is only good for juicing.
He grew kiwis, five kinds of apricots, six kinds of apple, pears “you grow pears for your heirs” apparently. He was full of NZ expressions, the best one was about the lambs who he said “could run like egg!”




The skies were a blue that hurt your eyes and we all caught the sun and delighted in the shade and home-baked cupcakes when we got home! We also came away with a ‘tasting’ bag of different apples and pears, to go with our diminishing stock of tangelos.