Isle of Wight - 29/30 April

Jacks and I were invited to join a group of kiwi mates on a trip to the Isle of Wight. We caught a train down to Portsmouth Harbour, and then hopped on a ferry to the island. The plan was to explore as much as we could, and that's just what we did. Our base was Shanklin, on the east coast, and from there we cruised around in our 2 hired cars.

The island was much bigger, and more developed than I had expected. We took in all the sights and sounds, with highlights being the needles, a walk around Yarmouth and a game of putt-putt on the coast. Not much happens on the Isle of Wight, and when it does, it happens at its own pace.

The main weekend activity was eating and drinking, so I was fairly happy. The restaurant's however were a mix of good and bad. A truly amazing experience was dinner at Ferret's in Shanklin. Advertised as a South African restaurant, but most definately nothing of the sort. The owner and his crew were all nicely intoxicated, and although there was plenty of entertainment, the service was non-existant. The food crept out of the kitchen about 2 hours after we ordered, and at this stage we were fetching our own drinks. My ribs tasted more charred than grilled, and Jackie had what can only be described as a veggie mush.

I definately recommend the Isle of Wight as a chilled place to spend a day or 2. Go for the peace and quiet, and the abundance of country and coastal walks. Go for the fresh seafood, and be sure to visit Ferret's, for a good laugh.