DAY 7
Week 1
NAPIER (Hawke's Bay, NZ) to PALMERSTON NORTH (Manawatu-Wanganui, NZ)
Friday October 27th, 2006
TODAYS MILEAGE – 238 miles or 383 kilometres
TRIP MILEAGE – 8344 miles or 13418 kilometres
We're headed to the coast – East Coast that is!!! 
As you can se by the photos below, it looks as if we were driving through the Yorkshire countryside. We could have headed down Highway 2 to Palmerston North, but that would have been so much "a rubber neck thing to do" that is was instantly dismissed.
I'm thinking that if the traveling dynamic duo consisting of a 24 year veteran Marine and an Aussie who's been on more Walkabouts than a tribe of Kalahari bushmen, we'd be able to cross the country without getting into too much trouble.
It only took us one wrong left turn in finding Highway 50 from Napier to Taihape (pronounced Tay-Happy), who's major claim to fame is being the gumboot capitol of New Zealand. The road goes from two lanes, to a single lane and eventually to a dirt track. No dramas as we have a rental Ford Focus, but why is everyone else rollin' in their 4 wheel drive "Mormon Assault Vehicles" and very big red or green "Manly Man" tractors???
In all honesty, we had no problems at all and the drive was spectacular. The countryside and vegetation changed every mountain you went over. I can't imagine why anyone would like to shoot down Interstate 2 when the sights, sounds and smells of driving through the back roads is so much more inviting.
I'm thinking Dougy Doug must have worked as a commercial airline pilot as he has introduced me to a great tradition. A quick pint or two before traveling is an awesome way to allay the need in consulting an epidemiologist.
Lunch was had in Taihape and we pushed on over another dirt track in the direction of Wanganui. The plan was to park up there for the night, but seeing as 2 of my 3 guide books didn't even mention the place, so we trundled on down the university town of Palmerston North.
We decided to head out for a feed and settled on a joint called Flavour Bistro and for my mind, it was the least favorable dining experience for the week. The food was fine, but the waiter we had didn't know shit from clay in regards making a White Russian.
His first effort came in a Martini glass and consisted of Kahlua, Creme de Curacao, frothed up milk and sprinkles of cocoa powder and cinnamon. It even arrived with two straws for Christ's sake. Fair dinkum it tasted like a shit sandwich without the bread, so I call over this fully paid up life member of the rainbow tribe and explain to him just how simple a White Russian is – a shot of Vodka, a shot of Kahlua, some ice and topped off with milk. How hard is it??? Dougy Doug goes over to make sure the waiter get's it right and he's all in a tither and not knowing what a shot was. His second effort was a tall glass of barely flavored milk, bugger it we reckon and simply pay the bill and head on out into the night.
We stopped off at The Fitz pub on the way home to get a night cap and ended up watching Otago Highlanders take on the Waikato Chiefs on the big screen.
Tomorrow we hook up with the boys in preparation for the World Golden Oldies Rugby Festival.
• TAIHAPE (Manawatu-Whanganui, NZ)