This magnificent bronze statue of Makybe Diva is on the foreshore of Port Lincoln. One of her past owners was Tony Santic who is a local tuna fisherman.
Our cabin may have been tiny but the beds were comfortable and the buffet breakfast was passable. There was mass queuing to get off the ship but once out of the terminal building we easily caught a taxi to our Radisson Blu hotel just in time to miss a downpour. At the hotel we initially thought our clothes and luggage stank of cigarette smoke from the ferry. While smoking was banned in cabins and other inside areas of the ship, we could smell smoke everywhere. It now seems not to be our gear causing the smell but someone smoking in this non smoking hotel! When we contacted management about it they at least came to our room and agreed there is a smell of cigarettes smoke, and said they would investigate. The European Choir Games are taking place in Riga and we can hear a choir performing in the park across the road. This is a new hotel with air conditioning but there is a narrow floor to ceiling window that can be opened to let in fresh air, and which also allows us to hear the choir....
Our first stop was at the Hastings Farmers' Market, which is so popular it is held every Sunday - sun, rain or hail. The queues for coffee were too long for us to wait, but we bought two lovely croissants from a French baker's stall. We picked up coffees in town at the cinema cafe. Something we don't see at home is milk being sold in reusable bottles. It is decanted from a bulk container so is labour intensive. We stopped for lunch at Palmerston North. There are several wall murals in the city but none were very good. The art deco style "Ladies Rest" was built in 1937. Inside there are arm chairs in a lounge area, original tiles and some original plumbing. When first built it was just rendered, but the current colours work really well.
The historic village of Ahuriri is 5 minutes from Napier. It was the original port before the earthquake. These days it is home to the commercial fishing fleet and recreational boats. Restaurants and bars have taken over some of the old warehouses. My favorite art deco building is the National Tobacco Company building at Ahuriri. We walked around the nearby town of Hastings, which also boasts numerous art deco and Spanish mission style buildings. These grasses by the point grow in interesting swirly patterns.
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