On the road

Ken Kesey in a campervan - minus the drugs. Which meant a week sans hairdryer, makeup, decent clothes and, god help me, tango. Yet I can report that I had a lovely time, and that there's a lot to be said for putting appearances behind you once in a while. It was already spring in Hawke's Bay and Gisborne, though, and the trees were dressed to kill.

First stop was Greytown, where I plunged into Minx shoes and discovered a sale.












As you can see, I have a lot to learn about photographing shoes on my own foot. Still, aren't they delicious. I would never have put royal blue and purple together, but since they're both colours I wear - albeit separately - I've decided these count as a sensible buy. Plus they work for tango.

The warm daytime temperatures went to S's head. Here he is heading for the Pacific Ocean at Wainui Beach, just north of Gisborne.

The old Gisborne Gentleman's Club - a series of wood-panelled rooms entered through grand doors with elaborate cut-glass handles - now operates as a cafe (the coffee is excellent) and shops. Among the latter I found a room crammed with Turkish stuff, including a lovely array of crazily cheap pashminas.

No, they're not all for me.