Havelock North

Near the town, a viewing point with 360 deg views.  The paint splashes on the hillocks are land slips, the result of extreme weather at the end of last year.  Reportedly, in some areas, farms lost 50% of their usable land.  Gave the impression of a vandalised landscape painting.

 To the pub.  An Irish pub with sticky date pudding on the menu.  Going to miss new Zealand menus.

Wine growing is displacing sheep rearing.  All very twee and a bit too pretentious for my taste. 

Zimbabwe sculptures in the North Island, NZ. A family from that country, displace by the troubles in Zimbabwe, import work from one village there.

Well impressed with them, was I

Wellington, the front.

 For a capital city Wellington has to be the quietest on the planet.  A very livable place,  for a metropolis. 

Some things are  old,  "wait for me!!",

and somethings brand spanking new.  Trolley buses.  You may know of my love of the TB's.

Compare and contrast Ulaanbaatar TB built in 1987 and still running.  Needs a bit of a paint job but just as cute as her Wellington cousin.

Wellington and around

New Zealand's parliament,  known as the Beehive.  Bees- politicians?  Hummmm.

Wellington's suburbs sort of spreads around it's bay, with mountains as a back drop.

"

 From the "Oxford Street" of the city area, you can take a funicular railway up the hill behind the beehive.

Great view of the goings on in the harbour.

and Croquet??????  Not the first time we were to see a whole cricket sized pitch given over to croquet.  And this close to the city centre.

Wellington

The water front.  Very arty, with balls in the sky,

 

 metal trees planted.

 The gallery building is interesting,

 inside and out.

Charlotte Sound.

Little old Picton as seen from the stern of the Pride of Cherbourg.  

The sounds.  The ferry sails about 30 mins. down the sound to get to the Cook Straits,  making one sharp right turn followed by an almost equally sharp left on the way,

 and then another sharp turn right to exit the sound and into the strait.  Looked very small gap at this stage.

Didn't look much wider when we were about to pass through.  Really glad the captain of this ship knows what he is about.  Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, know what I am saying?

Choppy waters in the gap but we were blessed with a really calm and quiet crossing.  The next day saw 6 meter swell running.  I would have refused to get on the boat!!!

Blenheim

Our hospitable hosts in Blenheim,  my mum's cousin Frank and his wife, June.  Frank fishes, June cooks.  Great team!!!  Thanks for a great time at yours, especially the coastal drive.  Needed a four x four.  Brilliant photo ops.

Cloudy Bay

Only auto enhance on the computer,  I swear.

All these colours were already there.
 

Phew.  Normality

Charlotte Sound

The sound. 

And the Picton/Wellington Ferry arrived on cue.  Originally the Pride of Cherbourg she operated out of ports around the UK. 

Picton,  where she was headed. 

Havelock

Gek was cold, OK.  Needed the comfort of the nice warm car. 

How to stop shooting.

Layers and colours.

Te Mahia.  Time for a long black and flat white.  The sea food pizza was pretty impressive too.  Havelock and the sounds are renowned for mussels.  Think I need a hair cut?

Golden to Havelock

 On the road shots of the sky.

Extraordinary cloud formations

Golden Bay with friends

Morfydd with Gek.  Colleagues in NA in the 80's.

Husband Bill and the great game.  Hadn't played for years. Seat of my pants stuff.

And a new friend Siena at her bach.

But the bay is the place.  Such skies.

Golden Bay Bach.

A bach.  The original bach's were summer shelters for bachelor itinerant farm works.  Now much sought after sea front properties.

Beautiful lawn view 

and gannets.

Rosy Glow

Collingwood is the town where the north road runs out on the south island.  The home of the most delicious chocolate ever. 

Rosy Glow Chocolate House.

 

 How not to buy?

I immediately wanted one of each choc in the shop.  Then realised I would be bankrupt!!!   BUT THEY ARE TO DIE FOR.  What is this shop doing on the fringe of a frontier town at the end of a road to nowhere????

On the road to Golden Bay

One photo to say it all.............magnificent.