Nelson and Kaikoura

We've had our three days in Nelson and have driven today to Kaikoura for an overnight stop with good wifi, thank goodness. We did manage to meet up with Sue's Soroptimist colleagues and I picked up two women!

The first night we were invited to Gay and Derek's house for dinner. A lovely house with a pool and a view out over the Bay, loads of garden and a big shed. I was jealous! A very nice meal, if a little abstemious. We had been picked up from the motel by Donna and Wayne (they were not linked to the same Soroptimist group and had become involved because......? Donna is a member of the SI Nelson club and has been the regional President). Donna invited both of us to visit the Museum of Wearable Art the following day, Sue accepted and I reluctantly declined (sic). I will leave it to her to describe the museum. It was fascinating if rather bizarre. Apparently a local woman set up a competition some time ago mixing art with clothes. Some of the ideas are brilliant – some outrageous and some wonderfully stitched and created. If you want a flavour it's best to see them and they have a website. Each year a theme is set and it has become an international event , it has grown so much that they have had to move it to the capital Wellington. Last year's was won by a Northern lass from the U.K. She entered a horse outfit made from wonderfully worked and embossed leather.

In the evening Sue had been invited to a Soroptimist social event, and initially so had I. At Gay's we were told that as a result of holidays it would only be a small group (sevenish) and I could be the only man. Thankfully they suggested that Derek and I went to the pub while the meeting was on and we agreed to meet up in Monaco (nothing like the real thing) at a pub called the Honest Lawyer.

We dutifully arrived at 17.45 and there was a lot of activity. It was a local holiday and there was a fun run starting at the pub car park. Derek and I went for a short walk to build up a thirst and got back at 18.30, just before the first of the runners, and the pub was shut. Apparently it had closed at 18.00 as it was a holiday!!!

Opposite the Honest Lawyer was a faux English village which had been built by a local eccentric who subsequently went bust, it is now a Mercure Resort. We went over to get a drink and some food and met Donna +friend. A total coincidence but we ended up having an (expensive) meal with them. I'm not sure Sue believes in coincidence.


As a punishment (no it wasn't, it was a special treat) the following day we had to have a walk through the Abel Tasman National Park. We took a scenic cruise to Bark Bay and walked 8 km to Torrent Bay. Although there was one excruciating climb (everyone who walked seemed to stop at some point on it),it was mainly fine. Walking through rainforest is strange, at first you say “Look a tree fern” but after a while you become blasé. We have taken photos of each other walking over the bridge at River Falls, looking like real outback explorers. There were even kayakers underneath us.

Today's drive to Kaikoura was supposed to be a routine point to point drive, but the scenery was lovely all the way. About 20 miles from our destination Sue pointed out a seal on a rock (we were by the sea, I should have said). We stopped and there was a whole seal colony to admire. Serendipity rules.

Sue's been thinking about swimming with dolphins but when we arrived the boats had already left, in some ways a good thing as shortly after the wind picked up to 40 knots and all other sailings from the harbour were cancelled. Tomorrow there are boats at 05.30 and 08.30 but she has not decided yet whether to try one.