11th Oct - I can't stand the rain

I over slept. It must have been the two late nights, big drive, and sleeping less than 30 yards from the sea. The noise of the waves, the dark, the warmth of the bed, must’ve made me think that I was still in the womb, and I wasn’t going to wake up. (6.15am is about 30 minutes too late.) It was light when I woke up. The consolation to me was that it was over cast and spitting with rain and so I wouldn’t have seen sunrise anyway.

Gisborne is strange. It makes a play in the tourism literature about its surfing on the beaches, and the harbour, but there are no signs helping the tourist to get there unlike other towns. It’s a bit like Burton. Down by the River Trent, and Stapenhill Gardens are lovely places to visit, but known only by locals, as the brown tourism signs aren’t there. Where there is something to be proud of, a town should make something of it, and sadly Gisborne doesn’t.

And then the rain came. I still didn’t find the harbour, so decided to drive back to the Bay of Plenty, where wether forecasters predicted 200mm rain in 48 hours, (starting at lunchtime). I drove to Opotiki, a nice seaside town, but when its pouring with rain, there’s a limit to the amount of ‘shopping’ you can do – i.e. very little, and so I went to Whatakene, another nice seaside town, but when its pouring with rain, there’s a limit to the amount of ‘shopping’ you can do – i.e. very little, and so I went to Tauranga. I would imagine in sunnier times, it would be a real party town. Brilliant bayside bars, cafes and restaurants, a city centre with everything you could possibly want, a large bay, and nearby mountain. Only the rain was pouring down so much, the mountain was hidden from view. (I did get my blog up to date at last). I decided to give up on the day, park up and go to the cinema, but the camp site was so far away and walking the 8km there and back in the rain didn’t appeal. So I drove on again.

I ended up in Waihi, the gold mining capital of Coromandel, and found a pretty site to stay at. It has blossom on the trees, a duck pond, trout stream and is surrounded by mountains, and it stopped raining long enough for me to look round the gold mine pit head and pump station, and have tea. And then the rain came again.

I can’t stand the rain – Anne Peebles. Does what its says on the tin.