Our house-sit in Tawa, Wellington, has come to an end with Gareth, Tao and son, Michael, heading back home from a long trip abroad. I’ve finished the first draft of my murder mystery and can now concentrate on the task of working out where on earth we’re going to live. We begin with Napier on the east coast of the North Island.
It’s New Zealand’s Art Deco capital and is fronted by a wide bay and surrounded by wineries. it has an Avant-garde theatre company, a choir, an operatic society, several festivals and lots of visiting theatre. So there’s much to like here. It also has some stunning turn of the century houses sitting high on Napier’s hills overlooking the town, docks and sea.
But before we drive north, we visit Wellington’s Te Papa museum which is full of imaginative displays and interactive exhibits. It’s aimed at all ages, but after a couple of hours, I do feel I’ve been lectured to, wall to wall, as if I’m a school child rather than a thoughtful adult. I also come away with the impression that, as a human, I have no right to be anywhere. Still, I admire the messaging which is quite typical in this country that takes its environmental concerns seriously.
On Sundays, on the quay side outside the museum, there’s a regular farmers’ market, complete with dozens of international food stalls. It’s very popular and we have to push our way through the crowds, negotiating bicycles, scooters and jaunty peddle-buggies as well as people. It’s all very good spirited and New Zealanders are very polite, but we decide to find a quieter place to enjoy our coffee.
In Napier, we spend three nights in a 1930s stucco house very near the centre of town. We can easily walk to the promenade or take a run along the miles of seafront walkway. On Monday, we view six houses, three on the twin hills above town and the others in surrounding areas. They all have appeal and some are quite exceptional, but we still don’t know if we actually want to live in New Zealand. Unfortunately seeing lovely houses has failed to push the decision any further forward. Can we really live on the other side of world from our friends and children? Well, there’s a question.