peregrination :: New Zealand [2016]

peregrination :: cousin’s 70^th birthday in New Zealand – February 2016

Tuesday, 23 February

We drove from Paraparaumu to (Lake) Taupo through the locations of Turner family.

Levin

Houses where the Turner family lived in Levin.

The first Turner family home in Levin

The first Turner family home in Levin

The house neighbouring the Turner home

The view across the road from the Turner home

The second Turner family home in Levin

We visited Horowhenua College, where Dad and Aunt Cath both went to school. Aunty Cath was Dux in her final year.

The School in Levin that Dad and Aunt Cath attended — The School in Levin–Horowhenua College–that Dad and Aunt Cath attended

The School in Levin that Dad and Aunt Cath attended — The School in Levin–Horowhenua College–that Dad and Aunt Cath attended

The dedication plaque at Horowhenua College

The Dux Honour Board at Horowhenua College — The Dux Honour Board at Horowhenua College
Note ‘Cathie’ Turner, Dux in 1948!

The Honour Boards at Horowhenua College

Koputoroa?

We visited the farm on which Aunty Cath and Dad were born before the family moved into Levin.

Farm where Turner family originated

Farm where Turner family originated

Farm where Turner family originated

Whanganui

We drove on from Levin to Whanganui to visit cousins of Aunty Cath.

Aunty Cath with cousins — Aunty Cath with her Cousins, Rion and Anne

Aunty Cath with more cousins — Aunty Cath with cousin Rion and her children [unknown], [unknown], and [unknown]

We drove on from Whanganui to Lake Taupo.

Some of the road followed the Mangawhero River in a steeply-sided valley.

The river in its valley

The road in the river's valley — The road in the river’s valley

Canoers on the Mangawhero River

Canoers on the Mangawhero River

(Lake) Taupo

We stayed for two nights at Lake Taupo.

The motel where we stayed in Taupo — The motel where we stayed in Taupo
You could see the lake at the end of the street on the right of this photo

Panoramic view of Lake Taupo — Panoramic view of Lake Taupo from the end of the street we stayed on

Mount Ruapehu across Lake Taupo — Mount Ruapehu across Lake Taupo
Taken in the early afternoon

Mount Ruapehu across Lake Taupo — Mount Ruapehu across Lake Taupo
Taken at sunset

Mount Ruapehu across Lake Taupo — ‘Close up’ of Mount Ruapehu across Lake Taupo
Taken at sunset

A major highlight of our stay in Taupo was a degustation dinner eaten at the Rose on Roberts Gastro-Pub, recommended off-hand by the motel proprietor.

The pub was a short walk up the road from the motel. We had expected ‘pub food’ – perhaps a little fancy because of the ‘gastro-pub’ moniker.

In fact, the 5-course degustation was spectacular, complimented by fantastic local wine.

We were practically the only restaurant patrons that night (it seemed).

When thanking the chef, we discovered that he was an Australian, from Canberra(!), and trained at Beess & Co, a local and loved cafe of mine!

The Rose on Roberts, a gastro-pub in Taupo