Trip to Patea

Talk to anyone round here and they will tell you the most significant thing about Patea is the freezing works. We actually went to talk to the museum staff about education programmes. We didn't get to actually see the museum because it is currently a building site but the plans look great and I'm definitely planning a trip back to visit after it's opened early next year.



I've driven through Patea on my way to Wellington and notice the Waka memorial. I didn't stop that time but today I got a photo. It is in honour of the canoe called Aotea that landed in South Taranaki and is the beginning of the Iwi (tribes) in that area.




On our way back we stopped for lunch just outside Hawera at the cafe near the Fonterra factory. Fonterra is the big dairy company so it should be no suprise that there is a big cow out the front and inside the tables are on a rotary milking platform - a tiny version of a rotating restaurant. There are non moving tables if you suffer from motion issues.


I have also added a trip to Eltham to my list of things to do - cheese factory and retro shopping, both fabulous on reliable information.