Tuesday 12th February

Payback day! This is my turn to get my own back on Tom, and since I have no plans for anything adventurous or in the least bit dangerous, it’s gonna cost him money instead! Firstly, as we have good internet access here, it’s time to catch up on e-mails and photos on the blog so Tom’s been working on that.

A couple of months ago, we saw a programme on Discovery travel about Nelson and the surrounds and that is what gave me the plan for what we did. First, we drove out to Hoglund glass about 15 mins away,

where a Swedish couple, Ola and Marie Hoglund, set up a glass blowing workshop in 1982 and became NZ residents. Their glass products are fantastic – you can see them for yourselves on http://www.nelson.hoglund.co.nz/, if you’re interested. They don't allow photography inside, so we can't show you examples. The colours are so clear and the designs range from tiny birds to huge plates and vases (one vase weighs 9.26kg). One of the ladies on the sales desk comes from Newcastle so Tom and she had an interesting chat, and the other from USA. When we told them where we had seen Hoglund, they wrote it down so they could tell Ola and Marie. It seems they have quite a few camera crews from time to time but don’t always know if, when or where the footage has been shown. I only bought a small blue bird as I was saving myself for what was to come later in the day!

Also on the TV programme, was a visit to the Smokehouse on Mapua wharf on the Waimea Inlet of the Tasman Sea. We had the daily stop for coffee and a mouthwatering apple and blueberry cheesecake and I had a wander round the smokery shop while Tom took photos. We were both amazed at how fast the tide was coming in – it’s a really narrow entrance to a big bay so the water rushes in. There is also a gift shop which has the most eclectic display of “souvenirs” I’ve ever seen and it’s so cluttered, I’m sure some of the stuff underneath hasn’t seen the light of day since it was placed there. There’s also a gallery with local crafts, lots of pottery and paintings, jewellery and strange statuary made in all sorts of weird mediums. Very pricey.

Our next stop was to the artist, Brian Strong, (from the programme). He lives on just about the highest part of Nelson, up a very narrow dead end street. He was showing a Canadian mother and daughter around the garden when we arrived so we just wandered about his studio looking at the paintings. They are wonderful, at least I think so although I realise they would not be to everyone’s taste. Each one is like a collage of things peculiar to NZ – the Maori, palms, Waitangi Treaty, old NZ maps, beaches – and he blends them all into pictures that tell a bit about the islands. The colours are all rather muted but at the same time strong, lots of greeny blues, browns and creams. The light in them is subtle but at the same time catches the feel of the place. (You can find out about him by entering www.briancstrong.co.nz ). He showed us the sketchbook he carries about with all the little pencil drawings he turns into these great paintings – the sketches are a collector’s dream. As I like black and white or sepia images, he showed us a couple of larger framed drawings he’s done and I was hooked. I bought some small prints of his coloured works, and an original pencil drawing. So, on Thursday morning, we are picking up my drawing carefully unframed, rolled and packed into a tube to bring home. So I have my revenge for the gondola ride and the jetboat and Tom says that’s my Valentine’s gift too! I could have had one of his large oil paintings if I didn’t mind sleeping in the car during the Oz part of our great adventure!! I was tempted …..but only for a split second. Perhaps if we win the Lottery, I’ll add it to the list of things we want.

While Brian was showing us the views from his garden, it started to rain – again! - “We could do with this” he said “It’s been dry for a long time”. WE ARE THE RAIN GODS!

So we drove in the pouring rain into Nelson to find the other shops I had earmarked and lo and behold, the rain stopped just as we got out of the car. Firstly to the patchwork shop – oh wow! Vi, you’d have had your eyes out on stalks. It made anything we have around Bedford look like a market stall. Tom chose a kit for me (!!!) and I have to admit it’s lovely – it’ll be a nice reminder of NZ when we get home. Then we went to see the jewellers where the rings for Lord of the Rings were made. Did you know that there were 40 rings made in various sizes, all used during the films? I got to hold the original of the second largest ring – the largest ring is in a museum in NZ, but I can’t remember which one. Their jewellery is quite magnificent but way out of our price range but we had a nice chat to the assistant and she told us that Peter Jackson is currently starting to make The Hobbit – something for Tolkien fans to look out for.

It was almost closing time, so we had a few minutes to walk around Nelson, admiring the hanging baskets that seem to line every street. In UK, they wouldn’t have lasted 5 minutes, but vandalism here seems non-existent. Then back to the car and the motel.

On the way back to the Motel, IT RAINED – we’re definitely getting a complex about this, but tomorrow is meant to be dry and hot so we’ll see. Got to go and make dinner now – can’t afford to eat out – I’ve spent tonight’s dinner money! Goodnight all.