Nelson

We spent a week in Nelson, with Margaret and Gordon, which went too quickly. Always the way, sadly.

Of course the week was not complete without a game of bowls, under the careful eye of Gordon, and some welcome advice from Margaret.  I did not win any ends of course, but felt that my game had improved somewhat.

I looked across at the other green, where a serious club match was being played.

Then off to the club across the road from the bowls club, for dinner and a few drinks.  A group of early St Patrick's Day revellers were enjoying themselves, with a couple of singers adding to the merry atmosphere,

We travelled to Mapua,  for lunch at a favourite restaurant overlooking the water, with Rabbit Island on the right of the photograph.  Rabbit Island is accessible via a bridge, and is a recreational reserve as well as used for growing pine trees.   I tried to find out why it was called Rabbit Island;  named after Mr Rabbit, an owner of the land, or maybe early settlers released some rabbits on the island?  No information was to be found.

This looks real!  But no, it is a fake water bird standing on the pole at Mapua.   Easily fooled.

Gordon enjoying the sunshine

Canoes out on the sea.  Learning how to keep a canoe upright in surf is not easy.

Walter enjoying the sun.  And there was plenty of it, with average temperatures of around 24 degrees.  But we did have some heavy rain too, which everyone said was badly needed. Compared to Adelaide it was pretty green.

We went out for dinner at The Smugglers.  A pub with plenty of atmosphere and good food.

Flat land in Nelson is becoming very scarce, so people are building houses on the very steep hills.  Wonderful views but I would not like to be in one of those houses should there be a serious earthquake.  Nelson is on the fault line.

Looking down on Nelson, the sea, and the suburbs, from one of the hills.  But not for me.

And the blog would not be complete without a photograph of a sunset.  Taken from the patio at Margaret and Gordon' s house.

On Thursday we said our reluctant farewells to Margaret and Gordon, and set out at 6am to drive to Christchurch in order to catch our plane to the Gold Coast, Australia.

One more comment on the winding roads, driving over the ranges coming out of Nelson, in the dark, was both demanding on Walter and scary for me. Especially with so many trucks on the road.

I also must apologise for the lack of photographs of Invercargill.  This was due to leaving my camera in Clyde, where thankfully David and Catherine found it, and returned it to me just before we left Wallacetown.   I discovered I did not have my camera when I went to take a photograph of Jimmy' s Pie Shop in Roxburgh.  Great pies too, I might add.  And an interesting little building too.

We had a lovely time in Invercargill, and managed to visit or see everyone.  Lots of talking and eating great food.  Fantastic.   Thank you to all my New Zealand family for looking after us so well.  It was great being with you all, and very special to be there for David and Brian' s birthday.