Bus stop Cafe

Te Horo Beach

As the country celebrates another Labour Weekend holiday, spare a thought for those essential services that continue to toil day in and day out so that you, dear reader can continue to enjoy the lifestyles we have become accustomed to. I refer, of course, to emergency services and cafe reviewers everywhere. No holiday for us as we again head north of Wellington to a small seaside pinprick on a map called Te Horo beach in search of an eatery called Bus stop cafe, where we have been invited by our good friends the Edmonds family, Wendy, Simon, their daughters Kate, Ellen and their two grandchildren, Henry and Scarlett.

Neither of us are familiar with this area 3km west of state highway one and we require some gentle guidance from Siri to locate what would otherwise be a very obscure farmgate leading into the cafe carpark. Once parked we’re still not too sure of our final destination as everywhere we look there’s farmland and country gardens. Eventually we spot a path and it quickly takes us to a beautifully tucked away setting where the first thing you’ll notice is a rather large blue bus circa early 1960’s. Dotted around are buildings and shelters of varying sizes with chairs and tables able to cater for intimate couples to larger groups of 12 or more depending on the size of your party.

If you’re looking for something a little different then this place is for you! I immediately felt at home and memories of Nambasa and Sweetwaters began to stir in the recesses of my mind. (Google those two names and you’ll see why the bus and it’s setting are comparable) There’s something here for everyone, the oldies can sit and chat and the younger set can explore to their heart’s content.

The menu although rather limited, changes often and for our group it’s mainly donuts, cheese scones and toasted sandwiches all round, although there are other options to appease the more discerning palate.

Looks like asparagus and goats cheese tart is sold out!

The food arrives quickly despite Andre giving a “fake” name when ordering at the counter in the bus and it’s all a bit awkward as it seems there’s already another customer who’s also used the name “Andrew”. (Next time Andre why don’t you give a fake name that’s a little less common…try Raoul!)

The food is incredibly delicious and it’s a great 90 minutes or so of chatter and chewing while the kids explore and the world continues on unnoticed outside this small enclave of peace.

You’ll notice…everything arrives on paper plates! While that’s a little unusual for a cafe it’s because an industrial dishwasher can’t be accommodated on a bus so it’s a tidy solution. The paper plates are composted onsite so nothing ends up at the landfill. They say a picture is worth a thousand words so here’s sixty thousand!