Whakatane and Kawerau

We had originally planned to stay on the coastal route from Gisborne and travel up around the eastern tip through Hicks Bay and then over to Whakatane. This area is a little more remote but after looking at the driving distance (and more importantly the driving times) we decided it would be too much time sitting in the car for Bree and Russ has also decided that driving every second day is a much more relaxing way to travel! So we instead took the inland route through Matawai and through the Raukumara Range which was quite a spectacular drive.

Whakatane is a beautiful town and we took it easy enjoying the area. I went for a run/hike on the Nga Tapuwae O Toi Walkway which had wonderful views of the area but unfortunately I did not take my camera. In the Maori language the “wh” is pronounced as an “f” sound so you can imagine the fun we had trying to properly pronounce Whakatane.

On the second day we drove to Kawerau to visit Dave’s (aka Kiwi Dave) parents. Dave’s father, Timo, took Russ and I on a tour of the family owned Mata brewery while Bree stayed with Dave’s mom, Carol. The tour of the brewery was a highlight for us and it was great to learn a little more about beer making and marketing. This is a small brewery that has only been in operation for 5-6 years but is already doing well and winning awards in NZ. We sampled some of their beers and they were great. My favourite was Blondie, a wheat ale with a special (but secret) ingredient that had a wonderful lemony taste.  

Timo and Carol made a wonderful meal for us and Carol even put some candles on the desert when Bree told her my birthday was the next day. We had a wonderful visit and hope to go back through Kawerau on or return from the Coromandel area.