Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
boats ashore. Note the grassy picnic spot next door. You won't find coffee here, but you
will get a taste of salt.
Next stop is the malodorous
seal colony
, the North Island's largest breeding area for these
fellers. Whatever you do in your quest for a photo, don't get between the seals and the sea.
If you block their escape route they're likely to have a go at you!
Just beyond stands the
Cape Palliser Lighthouse
, where you can get a few puffs into the
lungs on the 250-step climb to its foot. It's a beaut view from here, and a great place to
linger if the wind isn't blowing your eyeballs into the back of your head.
On the way there or back, take the short detour to the crusty waterside settlement of
Lake Ferry
, overlooking Lake Onoke. The tastiest attraction here is the
Lake Ferry Hotel
(
www.lakeferryhotel.co.nz
;
1 Lake Ferry Rd; mains $12-28; from 11am)
, happily trapped in a time warp
with its formica tables and resident old-timers. Pull up a pew in the window and enjoy a
good feed of fish and chips.
However, don't leave Lake Ferry without venturing beyond the pub to the grey,
shingled dunes at the rivermouth where the water rushes and swirls while big black-
backed gulls circle overhead. This is a classic coastal corner of NZ where nothing ever
happens but there's plenty to see.
Martinborough i-SITE can help with accommodation options in the Lake Ferry and
Cape Palliser area, which include campsites and holiday homes for rent.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Greytown
POP 2200
The most seductive of several small towns along SH2, Greytown has tarted itself up over
recent years and is now home to a permanent population at critical mass, and waves of
Wellington weekenders. It has plenty of accommodation, some decent food, three high-
street pubs and some swanky shopping. Check out
www.greytown.co.nz
for more inform-
ation.
Sights
Cobblestones Village Museum
MUSEUM
