BEVS

Napier - Wellington by road.

What does anyone consider to be the better route please.
Is there anything to see or do on the way down at all?

We were hopeful for some thermal or hot pools and maybe see glow-worms but I don't think this is possible unless we go further North of Napier.

I'd settle for some penguin watching though...................

irnbru14

He BEVS,

Personally I would run down through the Wairarapa, so SH2, as I think it's a more interesting drive.

Out of Napier, stop at Havelock North and go to Te Mata Cheese, Craggy Range vineyard, up Te Mata peak, Elephant Rock vineyard.

Don't stop in Danniverke...

When you get to the Wairarapa you should stop in Greytown for food and a wander, go to Martinborough for more wine, Castlepoint or one of the other lighthouses (Seal Colonies and stuff out that way) out on the coast, go to Lake Ferry for a wee wander round the lake and onto the beach.

I think there are places to see some penguins, just depends on the time of year!

Then drive over the "fun" Rimutuka Hill road to the Hutt and then on down to Welly

luvwelly

Agree with stopping in Greytown for lunch/coffee (Main Street Deli) - however if you are just driving through as originally planned, there will not be time to visit either lighthouse as they are both well off the beaten track - of the two I prefer Castlepoint though.

Masterton is the biggest town in the area and slightly north of it is this wildlife sanctuary:
http://www.pukaha.org.nz/

There's not a lot en route really once you've left the Wairapa behind - lots of hamlets with weird coffee (because really pubs) best keep driving. The scenery's good though.

Napier itself is worth doing of course and has some kind of spa complex on the promenade opposite the Scenic Circle hotel which is open in the evenings. http://www.oceanspa.co.nz/

The benefit of going the Kapiti Coast way and via Palmerston North (very unusual town square for an NZ town but you'd have to detour to see it) instead would be that you are on faster roads (I get withdrawal symptoms) and wouldn't have to do the windy road up over the mountain into the Wairapa. Also there are lots of little towns as you go up the Kapiti coast until Levin. I'm told there's a cafe in Otaki that does scones to order.

Why not drive in a circle - one way there, the other back.

BEVS

Oops . Forgot to mention that we now have Thursday and Friday as we shan't travel back to Nelson until Saturday morning.

luvwelly

Just reviewed my blog and see I forgot about the TUI brewery! http://www.tui.co.nz/default.asp?s1=...Brewery%20Home

Well you could at least stop there to use the loo and browse in the Museum.

irnbru14

Some wouldn't class going to Palmy as a benefit for anything

Yes there are benefits going via the Kapiti Coast, but I think the Wairarapa is fantastic if you have never been that way before, especially if you like Vino, there are some excellent boutique wineries

If you do go via the Kapiti, Otaki has a lot of Outlet style stores on the main street, including a fabulous Icebreaker shop at discount prices! Traffic cafe, by the railway station, is very good for food and coffee too.

Also Southward car museum is really surprisingly impressive with a great selection of motor cars and well worth going to if anyone has any interest in cars and vehicles.

Also good excuse to take a trip over the Paekakiriki (spelling!) hill road for some fab views back over to Kapiti island.

luvwelly

I always took the view that I had to see it precisely because it is so infamous - I wanted to judge for myself. I was pleasantly surprised - small NZ towns are so samey and there's an awful lot of them so it actually made a refreshing change.

If they are driving both ways and not flying for one, it makes sense to do the round trip and take both routes.