New Zealand 2 : Waikato

New Zealand still has plenty of corner cafes like we had in SA in the 70's but they call them Dairies. Bakeries are also in most suburbs selling bread, pastries and pies. Some also have a few tables and serve coffee and light breakfasts and are frequented by locals. So in NZ, egg and bacon toasties replace the McMuffin of the US road trip. After Huhei and Hot Water Beach, we head down the Bay of Plenty to Tauranga. Here we stay with Lionel and Jenny, another great catch up after many years. We have dinner at the waterfront at Phil's Place ( Owned by Phil Rudd, one time ACDC drummer who lives in Tauranga and is totally off his rocker these days). On Tuesday, we head to Lake Rotarua and Lake Taupo and then back to the coast to overnight in Napier. Napier is the self proclaimed Art Deco capital of the world. An earthquake in the early 1930's meant that everything had to be rebuilt and there are some cool buildings here. Dinner is at Trattoria alla Toscana, run by a great Italian guy. We have been impressed with the quality of restaurants in New Zealand, but they are not cheap! The Hawkes Bay wine region is here too. Good  NZ Chardy and Shiraz from this region. We visit Mission, Church Road and Elephant Hills wineries. On Wednesday, the road trip to Wellington continues. Due to the cricket there is virtually no accommodation in central Wellington and we are saved by a late cancellation at the Copthorne. A bed at any price. Wellington has a compact, fun centre with lots of bars and restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. We choose Japanese cuisine followed by a student pub showing cricket.