And the temperatures on the rise again up to 28*c by afternoon.

We have now been away 5 weeks and in NZ over 4 weeks and there’s loads more to see.

We wanted to explore the Sound areas around Havelock.

At Havelock we found a nice bakery to stop at. Lovely breakfast sandwich.

We looked around the town and then hit the road. We aimed to go to Tennyson Inlet.

We travelled along a delightful valley and then began to climb steeply. Again we found the road steep and windy as it led  over the mountain and down to the other side and the inlet. We travelled 10kms along this road.

We finally came to the start of the inlet with boats and a few jetties and homes. The water was a beautiful turquoise blue and very deep.

There was a walk signposted to Pipi beach. Great we thought lets go along to the beach.

We walked up the side of the bay through forest mainly rainforest with chirping insects.

It took about 15 minutes steady walking each way it was 1km.

We were amused to find the smallest beach we’ve  ever been on. It was at the bottom of a steep path down the hillside. About 3 metres wide and about 20 metres long! We sat down on dirty dusty sand that doesn’t rub off clothes and shells. The views were wonderful though. I could see all along the forest just dipped into the sea and this really was the only bit of a beach anywhere along.

I hope you like the photos, we saw a painting of a Tuatara above a shop in Havelock.

These animals are still in remote areas of south island.( Up to 30,000 )  90% live in the Marlborough Sounds on islands. They thought they were from the iguana family but now its been found they are from before the dinosaurs. They live 80 to 300 years. So some living now were there to see captain cook arrive! They are 50cm long and the most primitive reptile in existence .They were alive before the dinosaurs so before 220 million years ago! They have a third eye on top of their head. Thought  my 4 little grandchildren would be interested and Anona and Lily.

Lots of love from me xxxx

It is still cooler and yet dry.

We decided to explore south today. We only travelled about 30 miles but kept stopping at view points and side roads through the vineyards to the sea. There are acres of vines everywhere. The surrounding grass is bone dry and yellow quite a contrast to the irrigated vineyards.

We travelled roads through a huge vineyard following the Flaxbourne River. I loved the way the vines are in lines all up and down the valley sides. We had to stop to photo the lines!

 

The heavy cloudy skies were clearing all morning from the sea inland. Lovely blue sky then a huge curtain of cloud, certainly a warm front sweeping in.

The salt marsh was interesting, a different environment. We followed the road passing along lake Grassmere to Clifford Bay.

On the flat sands there were shells and masses of pink seaweed and loads of seagulls. You would have laughed at me. Grandad wanted a photo of the gulls flying up in a crowd. I threw 2 pebbles nearby to them, they ignored me. So I threw a bigger rock and shouted at them. This worked and the results were good. Don’t worry the gulls were nowhere near the flying rock.

We walked right along the bay to near the end. There is a lighthouse but we couldn’t see it.

Back on the road we were going to go straight back to Blenheim but saw a sign to Ward bay. It was a lovely road through farmland with cattle and a lime Quarry.

The bay was a graded pebble beach with steep sides a bit like Beer beach. It had rocky outcrops and crashing waves. There was a seal and a white faced or a reef heron ( not sure which) close by. I chatted to a lady while grandad went on a photo shoot!

The lady had just retired from teaching and asked me how I adjusted to being retired from teaching. She had been teaching in China and lived in Brussels for 20 years. We’ve met really interesting people.

We ended the day by another trip to Whites Bay. Some students were doing Outward bound there and camping. There are glow worms to be seen after dark but the road is shut after 9pm for safety as it has steep drops and no way would we travel along it in the dark.

It is a Maori special day today and a holiday for everyone in NewZealand.

We went to a Heritage Event at Blenheim Museum and in the surrounding parkland area. The museum and heritage museum was free entry for the day. It featured info about the Maoris and the European settlers. Lots of info and exhibitions on wines in this area. Lots more of life in the 1880s with original shops and houses to explore.

It was a smaller version of an agricultural show with a train and a station in operation for today. Vintage farm machinery and cars, steam engines, heritage homes, old ways of farm working with wood. Embroidery exhibitions and the 1940,s army. People were dressed up. It had a nice small town community feel to it. I took quite a few photos. We spent the morning there.0

We had a ride along the Wairau Valley for quite a way. It goes to lake Rotoiti part of the Nelson Lakes. It was full of vineyards for miles. As they have had so little rain the grass was scorched yellow and the poor cows and sheep were scrounging around trying to feed. I felt sorry for them. The vines were irrigated but not the fields.

The weather today is 20 degrees colder than yesterday!! It felt so cold 36*c yesterday 16*c today.

We went to the coast and climbed up and along a path to monkey bay. It wasn’t a spectacular cove but I got my exercise.

Tonight we walked through Pollard Park.

This picture is especially for Alice. It’s the hungry caterpillar and the beautiful butterfly xxxx

Love to you all xxxxx

Yesterday evening as the sun got cooler, we went to Picton. It is the ferry port, ferries going to the North Island to Wellington.

It was nice window shopping when shops are closed. Lots of restaurants and pubs there.

So today it was 28*c already when we left the motel around 10am. We planned to go through Picton to the Queen Charlotte Sound. The inlets all around this land mass area north of Picton are filled with the sea. They appear to be like islands. there is a very windy road that goes along winding up and down the hillsides. We soon reached Picton and our first stop was at Waikawa Bay. It is a huge marina. We continued along the road to a viewing point. Karaka point. As always you have a 10 minute steep walk, this time down to the waters edge.

It is an historic Maori sight and not yet investigated fully. There are mounds and basins created for food storage. This point was a defensive site defending against other marauding tribes coming down the sound. Do you like the wooden Maori pou carving sculpture? I liked the view over the harbour towards Picton.

We went further but it got very steep and windy and we couldn’t see much but steep drops and forest. So we turned round and stopped at a small river campsite and sat in the sun. It was so windy there but a warm wind. I saw this pukeko.

In Picton a cruise ship was in and a craft market was there to attract their custom. The fair was an interesting assortment and you had to admire some initiatives by the locals to gain money from the visitors, i.e. the prices were very steep!

We sat outside a cafe,people watching in the sunshine and ate a lamb burger with jellied beetroot shredded carrot lettuce and mayonnaise and raw onion rings in a bap held together with a long cocktail stick. It was yummy but difficult to eat daintily!

Oh and we called in at the chocolate factory nearby to our hotel. We ate the free samples along with the coach party that had just arrived aren’t we cheeky! We decided not to buy the chocolate and left hee hee!

So hot so as yesterday we came back to the motel and I had a swim to cool down, grandad went for a nap! It was 36*c

We are off to Whites Bay in a minute.

This is especially for lily love from Grandma  xxx

Love to Anona and Lily, Louis and Alice, Otis and Xavi xxxx

 

It is hot in the 30s*c with a strong gusty wind. It’s like walking with a hairdryer around me!

We went along to  White Bay today. The bay is called after a black American who jumped ship from a whaling ship and joined the local Maori tribe. He was well thought of and was named White Jack Black by the Europeans and Mr White by the missionaries.The Bay was named after him.

We travelled past acres of vines and fruit trees. The road was ok but a few hairpin bends. The first town on the plain was Rarangi. We stopped at the coast to view. We could see a sea stack at the end of this Bay.

Up over the hillside we got a good view of the vineyards.

White Bay was nestled in the wooded hills surrounding. There were showers and changing rooms and toilets and a camp site too. We parked in the car park and wandered to the beach. Here at this spot was sited the first telegraph cable in 1860.

There was a cave and a stack nearby. I’m sure we will come and spend more time here.

It is too hot for me today.

We went to Blenheim and enjoyed the air conditioning in the shops. The town is tidy and well designed. There is a war memorial clock tower in the park close to the shopping area and it is built of different layers of stone from the area. Also the huge trees are all different kinds and native to NZ. I especially liked the pink oak tree.

There is another bell tower/ clock in the centre of Town

We found a brilliant park full of Summer flowers a stream and trees. It was shady and cool in the shade there.

Back at motel and ate a magnum classic and bought some salad items for our tea tonight

Hope Louis Alice and Matthew are feeling better today.

Xavi was very ill for 2 weeks with a nasty tummy gastro type bug. He and Otis are well and enjoyed the snow on Friday .

I love hearing news of you all and now we have reliable Wifi it’s easier to pick it up. Love to Anona and Lily too

Take care and lots of love grandma and grandad xxx

Here are the photos missing from yesterday. The wifi cut out before they downloaded

We are now in vineyard country near Blenheim. The drive here was good. We have left the mountains and now have hills and coastline and towns to explore.

A couple of photos from Havelock and Picton as we passed by on the way here. We did a 10 minute steep walk up a hillside to the view over Havelock and so got my exercise for the day🏃‍♀️

The good news is we have a reliable and fast wifi connection here. It is very hot and blue sky with no clouds, hope it lasts. Dad bought a nice bottle of red wine so we are set up for the evening. We have a swimming pool to use too 😀

Today after a huge breakfast of wait for it ….

Muesli yoghurt and blue juice with fresh orange juice, followed by curry pie and a half of cheese and ham pie with shredded carrots soft boiled egg pineapple salad cucumber mushrooms and tomatoes corn on the cob and coffee. It filled us up all day!

We went through Collingwood to the Puponga turn off at Cape Farewell. We explored the Kahurangi National Park. As earlier on in the week, we parked the car along a gravel road and walked on the paths for half an hour through farmland and sand dunes.

We saw amazing scenery! Rivers feeding into the ocean, many caves, arches, stacks, surf beach and also the addition of seabirds and seals. We arrived just as the tide was turning and through low tide. It gradually revealed the caves. We had the time of our lives and walked for miles.

Lastly, at the visitor centre there is a viewing point 360* of the whole area. We literally dragged ourselves up the steep hill as we were so tired and aching

Fish and chips tasted very good at Collingwood as we left!

So we move on tomorrow over that very mountainous mountain on to Blenheim area

I’ll let my photos speak for me to show you the beauty we saw today xxx

We have hot sunshine and you had snow 😏

We left the farm went through Pohara and followed the road to Wainui Bay. This is where we took all the photos yesterday.

The gravel road leads to a car park for the walk to Wainui Falls. We were now in Abel Tasman National Park. It is totally unspoilt rainforest. We followed a long path by the river. It started off fairly gently and gets higher gently. After a long while the path is now quite high up and a long drop to the river. Then the upper river bed is level to the footpath. We crossed a wire suspended bridge (like a rope bridge in Indiana Jones) it swings as you walk over it. Climbed up wooden steps and then along the high part of the river we could hear the waterfall. It was quite impressive and as there is a drought at present in this area it makes me wonder what it looks like in full flow.

It is a sacred spot for the Maori and you are not supposed to eat food there!

On return we found there was a cafe area in the grounds of the large house by the car park. We had a Turkish bread toastie

With lashing of cheese and tomato and ham. It was huge and we should have shared one if we had known. It was so lovely there sitting under giant trees called Tasmanian black wood in the sunshine. The lady told us all about the life cycle of the large clicking noisy insects and their discarded shells on the trees.

So our exercise done for the morning! We met an oldish man and wife who said they had just travelled the other way along gravel tracks to Totaranui Beach. They were very excited about it and encouraged us to go. We were pleased we did. It was a gravel road 10 km and took 30 mins to get there going carefully as the road wound up over the mountain and down.

All this is in Abel Tasman National Park. Well the Bay was beautiful with deep blue and turquoise sea, and really orangey sand.

We walked all along it and sat taking in the view. You can travel there by sea taxi too we found out.

Returning along the gravel road didn’t seem too bad as we knew what to expect this time.

It was quite windy by now and the tide was right out so I had a paddle not a swim as planned.while Grandad went to sleep on the sand.

It looks like it may rain tonight. We explored a bit of Rene and Marianne’s farm. Their cows, alpacas and fruit trees. They have a lemon bush full of big lemons. Lots of grapes coming too. They keep pigs and chickens too. A lovely life but a big commitment isn’t it with a b&b and Marianne has an online shop.