Gannet Beach Adventures

Hawke's Bay, New Zealand
February 23, 2007

Sometimes, I see other CA blogs (like John Wall's recent Pt. Reyes post) and can't help but think of our trip to New Zealand a couple years back. It surprised me how much New Zealand reminded me of California, from the geology on the North Island to the dry, yellow grass, wine regions on the South Island. We signed up for the Gannet Beach Adventures tour of the local gannet reserve thinking it'd be pretty lame. Seriously, who in their right mind would ride on a tractor trailer on the beach??? Much to our delight, not to mention getting stuck on those massive beach rocks, it was incredibly fun with the kiwi charismatic and knowledgeable local guides. I highly recommend this tour if you ever find yourself anywhere near Napier. There was a small chippies place on the only road out (sorry, I forget the name, but it was the only place, on the only road, so I imagine it wouldn't be too hard to find) that had the best fish and chips I have ever had!... and, of course, it was served on newspaper.