What a fantastic weekend of adventure. I got home after absolute bedlam at work and took a while to unwind. But by the time Mike had packed (and packed for Toby - who was in Porirua still!) I was starting to relax a little. Andrew arrived and helped corral us into the car. He drove down to the Bluebridge and we followed. We met Sally and Toby at the train station (Toby had successfully negotiated the train system back to town and saw Tessa off home on her bus) and transferred into the Subaru for the ferry crossing. 8.45pm on Bluebridge.
Sally had booked a cabin - and that was so nice! I got under the duvet, and Toby slept on the pullout bed above me, and Mike and Andrew drank their way across the Strait. I fell asleep and before I knew it, we were in Picton. Was it a rough crossing? Don't ask me. Hahaha.
We were late getting into Picton a bit. More like 12.30am when we left the ferry. It was an easy drive into Blenheim and Iona woke up as we arrived and unloaded the car.
Toby had an awesome bed in the lounge on the bed that comes out of the ottoman! Who knew that was in there? It was toastie pie warm in there from the fire. Mmmm. He fell on the bed and didn't move. Hahah.
Mike and I were in the back room - Mike declared the bed better than ours at home. And I was instantly comatose.
Up slowly the next morning and Iona made a pile of her yummy oatmeal pancakes. Mmmmm. I ate my way through quite a lot of them. Mike and Toby left after a struggle for Mike with opening up lodge bookings (some glitch). Probably 11am by the time they eventually got away.
We left not long after that and headed to Picton and then up to the lookout over the log pile. Maybe it is called Shakespeare Bay? Not sure.
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| Did a walk along the Sounds |
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| Got a little wet - but not too bad |
We walked up to a lookout with World War II concrete walls left behind. Might have been a gun emplacement. Maybe? Now it was a good rat trap.
We had a bit of rain - walking with jackets on for the last part. We decided against a picnic lunch out in the drizzle and walked back to the car. We jammed our wet bodies in, and then feasted on lentil soup, leftover pancakes and boiled eggs. Mmmmm.
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| Good iced coffee |
Back to Blenheim for a good iced coffee at a cafe I have been to before but can't remember the name.
Then home to get ready for dinner and the rugby. The pub was so quiet - lucky we had a table reserved. Hahahah.
The Chiefs thrashed the Crusaders in Suva. The Crusaders were 20 up after 20 mins and I figured we could go home. But no. The Chiefs came back and at fulltime it was 40-27. Wow! Great game.
Bed early and up early to get away to meet the others in Cable Bay for a walk around Pepin Island. We stopped in at the cafe before the others got there and tried their scones and iced coffees.
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| Iced coffee at Cable Bay |
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| Trying for a better angle |
As we decided to get ready, Sally, Mike and Toby arrived from their Nelson night at Trailways hotel. Perfect timing.
It cost us $10 each to get in and the walkers were sent one way and the mountain bikers sent another way. It was probably about 11am when we started.
Andrew departed on his mountain bike and we never saw him again! Hahahah. Sally got a text that he was back at 12.30pm and enjoying the cafe once more. We weren't even halfway at that stage.
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| And we start! |
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| Gorgeous views |
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| Looking at the inlet to the estuary |
But what a gorgeous walk. Might have been a bit longer and steeper than the 2 hour walk we were led to believe. I was ruing my decision to keep my jeans on. Well, not really. But it would have been nicer in my walking gear.
The scenery was stunning - we had such a good day. Meanwhile, out of sight behind D'Urville Island on our horizon, Wellington was getting battered by foul weather.
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| Mike looking very manly |
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| Iona and Col enjoy the view |
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| At the top! |
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| Toby falls gracefully off the fence |
Once we were at the trig at the top, it was an easy, fast descent to the causeway. But seeing Andrew afterwards where he said that descent was actually the way they sent the mountain bikers up, made me happy I was walking. Wow!
We headed back to Nelson, at around 3pm. So it was a bit longer than the 2 hour walk - but it was a great walk anyway.
We went to the hotel and I had a bath. Mike, Sally and Andrew went for a drink. I stayed and relaxed with Toby. Then it was time to head to Allan and Jean's place for a family dinner. And was that scrumptious, or what?
Iona and Col were staying there. And cousin Jane, her partner Allison, Claire and her partner John (who had recently impaled himself on his brake lever while mountain biking - he was sporting an awesome gash with stitches). It was crowded - and such fun. Claire is due to have her first baby any day now. I didn't actually know that.
Mike, Iona and I also sat around the dinner table afterwards and looked at our phones to view the various photos we'd taken. Mike built up anticipation well, and then was as surprised as us to find he had taken a grant total of 1 photo. It was a good one. But... well, anticlimactic.
Meanwhile Iona had taken a lot of photos, as did I. I enjoyed getting a feel for Iona's perspective on the walk. In her words: all scenery, with a person here and there.
You can't fault that because the scenery was stunning.
Back to the hotel and a collapse into bed. Slept well in this huge king sized bed. I had to crawl around to find Mike.
Up for brekkie at Riverside Kitchen - just over the bridge from Trailways. Had a lovely iced coffee and good eggs Benedict with mushrooms. Yum.
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| Riverside Kitchen |
Walked up to Bayleys to chat to the property managers there. Sally and Andrew went back to get the car and then we left from Bayleys and went to our new house.
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| Ok - that view is stunning |
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| The port with snow on the mountains |
It did not disappoint with another glorious day. The snow on the mountains made it look even better that it did a few weeks back when we first saw the house. Toby would move there tomorrow! Mike also loved it.
So, yes. Apparently I did well in saying yes and spending screeds of money we don't have. Hahahah.
Iona and Col were off to see Col's nephew so we said goodbye to them. Chris went back to real estate agent fun and games (but we were so pleased she took time out to take us through). And Sally, Andrew, Mike, Toby and I went to Brightwater to see Ernest Rutherford's memorial. And Wakefield for lunch.
Back to a pub in town and Toby and I went shopping. Then hurtled off to the airport for our 4pm flight back with Sounds Air.
Woot!
Caught an Uber back to the house. Cats all happy to see us (thanks Ange for looking after them).
And the week starts - short working week for us. Yay!
Have a great week ahead.
Love,
Angela
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