When we were walking back to the motel, having had a great meal at a small bar, we saw a camper van on a supermarket car park with the occupants cooking their evening meal on a little gas burner. Hardly the most scenic of places, nor by the look of it, the most appetising of meals. We decided that we had made the right choice in giving the travel by camper van a miss. The overnight rain didn't change our minds either.
So it was on to Nelson and en route we had another camper van experience. We stopped at a view point in the midst of a mountain range. High above the valleys and gorges was a picnic spot with a bandstand-like structure. A couple sat inside their camper van, he reading, her knitting whilst their washing - bed sheets, undies and all were hung
out to dry on a line rigged up in the bandstand! They were oblivious to the comments and laughs that they, and their washing, were creating.
Our guidebook talks about Nelson getting under your skin, and it really does. However, before we could explore we had domestic chores to attend to. So as soon as we booked into a motel Annie was in her element in the laundry, which was good as the dirty clothes bag was beginning to create a certain aroma. She was in a state of bliss when she could peg it out in the sunshine.
A night out was called for and we went to the cinema to see George Clooney in The Descendents. That's living the high life!
We followed a hiking trail round Nelson which took in the supposed centre of New Zealand. It is a trig point on the top of a rather large hill accessed by a very steep path (why does every walk have to include a hike uphill?)
On our meanderings we came across the Founders Heritage Park which is full of old buildings brought from elsewhere in the country, and a few replicas, a bit like Beamish. However they let some of the buildings out to local businesses, they range from bakers, brewers, dressmakers, furniture makers, though no candlestick makers, through to a Montessori school.
After a couple of hours wandering round we finished off, at Annes insistence, at the brewery. We sat in the garden under the dappled shade of a tree sampling some of the local brew, much deserved after all the walking we had done. It did make the walk back to the motel seem a little longer than it should though.
Our last day in Nelson was spent cycling the byways of the local vineyards and farms. We booked a trip with the aptly named Gentle Cycling Company and the owner, Rosie, dropped us off in a small hamlet with the bikes and route maps arranging to meet us later.
So off we rode with the sun on our backs, through apple and plum orchards, vineyards, hop fields and kiwi farms, picnicking on a river bank - bliss.
Several off- road sections and some pretty challenging hills left us red faced and thirsty, luckily our meeting point was a pub, always is, and yes we got there early enough to sample their wares. When we walked in a local said we couldn't have a drink unless we had cycled more than 30k. Well we had, so we decided which of the 15 or so beers on sale would hit the spot.
During the journey back we, well Annie, had a good chin wag with Rosie, who is an ex teacher. They get everywhere.
Nelson is a lovely place but we had to move on and get the ferry back to the North Island. As we checked out the motel owner told us to make sure we took the very beautiful Queen Charlotte Drive to Picton, and the ferry terminal.
We went via Queen Charlotte Drive and she was right, a perfect end to our time on the South Island.
Just the ferry to contend with again....
- Posted using BlogPress from Annie & Jim's I-pad
Location:Picton, South Island, New Zealand
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