Simply the best

OPINION: We have always been fans of the ‘don’t leave town ‘till you’ve seen the country’ concept. Exploring our own back yard.

A while ago I took a trip to Martinborough for the wine trail; brilliant. The Wairarapa has always been special. I took the opportunity to take the train to Wellington. My first visit for about 10 years. I’ve always loved Wellington for the places and events. I met my wife there and when the kids came along we made friends for life there – as you do when the kids are small.

You can’t beat Wellington on a fine day all righty.

Recently I had the chance for a few days at Lake Taupo. A stunningly beautiful place. I have been there a gazillion times but none was finer than this. The hot water beaches were at their best and the sun shone on maple, oak and beech trees in glorious autumn colours.

But there was something missing at all these places.

My return to New Plymouth made me realise that the aspects I valued in Wellington, Wairarapa and Taupo are alive and well right in our sparkling city-by-the-sea and the smaller towns.

We’re big enough to attract Womad, the Festival of Lights, the sports events and shows but small enough to easily get around.

We have great architecture, old and new, and the buildings are ‘low rise with big skies’. We too have the hills and the occasional breeze. We have beaches and a mountain. We have the cafe´ culture, art galleries and a harbour. What we have which Wellington in particular seems to have lost is a pride as big as the great outdoors and a sense of community that we have in spades. In the immortal words of Fred Dagg ‘‘We don’t know how lucky we are’’.