November 18 & 19 - On to Hamilton

 November 18

Another photo of the Duke of  Marlborough

     We got up, had a hearty breakfast at the Duke of Marlborough and headed out to 10-minute ferry. This time, it was full - probably about 18 cars. 

     And, luckily for us, the detour we'd traveled northward on Route 1 was not necessary, so it was a much shorter and easier drive.

     

We arrived early at Takapuna Guest House (a former garage that became a one-room flat during Covid.) The parking area was blocked and we were early, so we drove around the corner to a little local Indian restaurant - Kabana. It was really good, especially the naan bread. Barbara had chicken saag and Mark had butter chicken.

    A road work man tried to help us as a truck and trailer were still blocking where we needed to park. He went beyond his duty as the truck/trailer were not part of their crew. Eventually, the owner of the flat, Karla, came out and she and Mark switched parking spots AND the landscaper, who turned out to be Karla's friend, moved his vehicles. We had a long conversation with them both. (The landscaper's brother lives in Maine.)

Chinese Garden in Hamilton

November 19

Today we woke to rain. We went out for breakfast at a coffee shop in Takapuna and set off. It was less than a two-hour drive between Takapuna and Hamilton - mostly in the rain. However, it was good highway. No photos from Takapuna - just a stop along the way.

   We were able to check into the Quest Hotel in Hamilton almost when we arrived which was convenient. The parking is done by a weird "stackable" system in a tight space.

     We were pretty desperate to do a laundry, so we got that started right away and then went out for a late lunch to a Japanese restaurant. Barbara had a bento box with chicken and sushi and Mark had something called Donburi. Both were tasty.

       After that, we went to the famous Hamilton Gardens, but opted to stay in the non-paying section as it was not great weather; we hope to return on Friday. We got some eat-in food at Woolworth's for an evening snack.