It’s hard to believe that we’ve already been gone for a month on our little adventure! We’ve developed something of a routine when we roll into a new accommodation. If we’re staying for longer than one night, all the suitcases and paraphernalia join us in the hotel room. If we’re just in town for one night or on an upper floor without elevator access, we bring in our carry-ons, which include an impressive amount of old, but serviceable, electronics/technology. To be honest, if we were to lose our clothes, it would be less traumatic than the loss of our VGA computer-to-TV cable.
But the most brilliant addition to our luggage is an egg cooker. Breakfast in New Zealand and Australia usually consists of bread, jam, cereal, pastries and mostly canned fruit—not ideal in my book, even when it’s included in the price (and that’s rare). Most motels have kitchens, but not all of them have a stovetop, so our first purchase of a tiny pot remains wrapped in cellophane on the back seat of our car, close at hand if a wayward seagull were to attack us (that’s a joke, folks!). Herman discovered the egg cooker for sale at Kmart. Yes, there are Kmarts in New Zealand!
As I mentioned in my last entry, we were in Nelson. At first glance, it seemed like a small town, but upon further exploration, it is actually a good size city. After our rest day, we drove around the city, visiting the Anglican church and some charming Victorian era workers’ cottages that have been renovated. The big news of the day was that we walked up to the Centre of New Zealand. Yes, I said “we,” all uphill to the top, 1.2 miles round trip, but it was worth it for the view. Don’t ask me how they judged that this spot was exactly the center of the country.
Nelson is also known for its arts scene, so we visited Hoglund Art Glass in Richmond. The vases, paperweights, jewelry, etc., were so beautiful that we were tempted to buy something, but cooler heads prevailed and we left empty handed.
While we were at the Weta Workshop in Wellington, we bought a book of “Lord of the Rings” filming locations, many of which are located on the South Island. One notation that caught my eye was mention of a jeweler by the name of Jens Hansen, whose shop is located in Nelson. LOTR director Peter Jackson asked Mr. Hansen to design the One Ring for the movie. Unfortunately, he died before he saw his creation on the screen, but his son and other designers continue on. The plan was to visit the shop and get a photo of the One Ring, though when we got there, we found out that there were many variations made for the films, including one that’s more than 5 inches in circumference! We got to hold it, and it’s heavy! As luck would have it, Mr. Hansen Jr. (I’m embarrassed that we didn’t get his name) was there, so you’ll see a photo of him posed with us. Also, to my great surprise, Herman noticed how entranced I had become with a Hansen designed rose gold kiwi and chain, so he bought it for me. The staff was so delighted about our purchase that I secretly wondered if we had helped them make their payroll for the week.
After four nights in Nelson, we’ve moved on to Takaka (pronounced with the emphasis on “Ta”). On the way, we stopped in Kaiteriteri to take a short boat tour. What a beautiful area, with water in shades of green and blue and golden sand! We finally got to see some fur seals lazying about on the rocks and one korora, the smallest penguin in the world, swimming in the ocean by itself. My guess is the rest of the penguins are on Easter break, and this little fellow picked the short straw, so he has to swim around while tourists ooh and ah.
Later that afternoon, we joined a convoy. About a month ago, a cyclone blew through the Takaka Hill area, destroying large areas of the mountainous roads that lead to the town. Thus, we had to wait until 5 p.m., along with all the other people heading in that direction, for the workers to finish their day and open the road for four hours. Having lived in California for 20 years, I thought I’d seen my share of mudslides and the damage they cause…I was wrong. Fortunately, we’ve heard that the road is scheduled to be opened permanently on Saturday, our day of departure.
Today, Herman hiked to the Wainui Falls, while I enjoyed the peace and birdsong in the parking lot. Afterwards, we drove 10 kilometers on a dirt/graveled, mountainous road to one of the most pristine beaches I’ve ever seen in my life, Totaranui Beach. On the way, we stopped while a couple of young guys, obviously driving too fast, tried to pull their car out of the dirt berm. They were lucky that the berm stopped their car’s motion, as they would have otherwise been at the bottom of a very deep chasm. Upon seeing that they had plenty of help, we continued on to the beach.
Tomorrow is another day in the Takaka area before we leave the following morning for Westport. I will try to update again in a few days, but if you don’t hear from me, don’t worry. We’re heading toward some remote spots. Be sure to check Herman’s website for more photos.
Trambling 
Gosh, I had to look at my calendar – – – so hard to believe y’all have been doing this for a full month now! Thanks for letting us all be stowaways and enjoy this journey w/ you! I’m having a grand time!!! Take care!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A 1.2 mile hike UPHILL – I’m impressed, Teresa! Question – how do you keep the eggs refrigerated until you’re ready to cook them in your handy-dandy little egg cooker?
LikeLiked by 1 person