Today we celebrated a friend's birthday at Café Ahuriri. When I first came to live in New Zealand I used to cycle right around the seafront of Napier from the first place I stayed to Ahuriri and there I used to have breakfast and coffee and do the crossword before cycling home again. It was a good distance but a 6am start would see me home and showered ready for croquet at 0930. I was fitter then!! At that time the café was in the 'village' centre. In 2009 Cheryl who has the café acquired a largeish old property out of the centre (which was a movie theatre from the 1930s) and converted it into the new Café Ahuriri. It has lots of shelter and an outside walled area as well as inside space but many, me included, thought that the move was a big mistake. However we have been proved wrong. It's lost none of its old homely character and home cooking but it now also has a lunchtime chef and new dishes for lunch each week. It's also about the least expensive place to eat in Napier. I absolutely love it and am delighted that it appears to be as strong and successful as ever.
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| The café with Bluff Hill (Napier Hill) behind it |
It sounds like a good place for a birthday celebration. Is the person in jeans and black t-shirt performing a birthday dance in honour of your friend? :-)
ReplyDeleteI am sure Ahuriri has a special meaning.
Meike I have absolutely no idea what the lad was up to: he certainly looks strange. Ironically my book of place names in the area is back in Scotland. However Ahuriri was the original name for Napier until it was renamed in about 1860 after Sir Charles Napier although I can't actually recall much about him except that he had been the head of British Forces in India.
DeleteLooks like there's a 'hold-up' in process. I see that NZ has come very high in a list of the best places to retire. I'm not surprised.
ReplyDeleteIt does doesn't it Cro. I'm not really sure but I think it was a ball game of some sort. NZ is a great place to retire in that there is lots for older people to do if they are so inclined especially in the more urban or less remote areas. The quality of life in general and the temperate climate also help although, ironically, many older people I know don't like the hot weather whereas I detest being cold.
DeleteI love that picture Graham. There's a lot going on in it. The young fellow by the doorway appears to be a contortionist! Either that or he's playing cricket with the little chap on the left.
ReplyDeleteNow you mention it YP I think that's exactly what might be going on.
DeleteIt must be like the Tardis. It doesn't look very big at all.
ReplyDeleteI had to look up Tardis but after I did, I agree with Adrian :)
DeleteIt is like a Tardis. That is simply the small front entrance of the original movie theatre. I'll post some inside pictures some time.
DeleteGraham, it sounds like you can find the good places. Riding bike to breakfast is a great routine.
ReplyDeleteIt was excellent excercise Red with a great reward to make it worthwhile.
DeleteIt's always great when a move like that is surprisingly successful! It does look very small from the outside but I can believe it is rather roomy inside, as we have many cafes in Brisbane exactly like that. Looks can be deceiving!
ReplyDeleteThinking about it Liz there are a lot in Napier with small frontages that go a long way back and often have outside garden areas at the rear.
DeleteAs long as the food has the same exceptional quality and the service remains top notch I would follow that restaurant anywhere...I do it here all the time when businesses change locations.
ReplyDeleteVirginia to be honest the café's great attraction is it's friendly ambiance and good food at a reasonable cost. The fact that I have never seen it anywhere near empty says a lot.
DeleteNapier sounds (and looks) like such a beautiful city. I really am enjoying your photos.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lee. It is a beautiful city.
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