This morning as we were getting ready to leave the lodging, the front door was left open for a couple of minutes (!!) and our host threw a wobbly because at some time in the past, someone had walked in and stolen a microwave. So we left under a cloud and won’t be welcome back, not that we would anyway!
Having been all but thrown out, we drove sedately to the Interislander Ferry without any more mishaps. The ferry we were on, the Kaitake,
is the biggest in their fleet and it certainly is huge. I don’t know what the capacity of cross-channel ferries is but this one holds 1650 passengers and lots of cars and lorries (sorry, that piece of information escapes me for the moment). After being warned that the crossing of the Cook Strait can be one of the roughest known to man (and woman), we had the calmest crossing either of us have EVER experienced on any ferry. 
Mind you, Tom had bought some anti sea-sickness wristbands so the same principle as the brolly purchase in Waitangi must have been at work.
It was overcast but with bursts of sunshine as we came up the narrow sounds into Picton harbour.
We then drove to Blenheim and decided that was far enough for the day. It was probably a good choice as, having booked into a motel at 1.00pm, it was the last room available and the other motels in the area were also full when we came back from exploring the town about 2 hours later. So I think our future plan is to stop early or phone ahead when we know how far we’re going to get.
Blenheim is a lovely little town with a good range of shops and
a magnificent new combined Clubs building. Basically all the various clubs in town pooled their resources to finance a new building on the riverbank. It would put many a top class Conference centre, bar and restaurant to shame. Tom flashed his Retired Serviceman’s card (but only that, thank goodness) and we had a light lunch in the enormous Bistro Bar overlooking the river
. We got chatting to a couple of local ladies who told me where to go for patchwork etc supplies but as we found that it was further away than we thought, we went back for the car. Not only was there a well stocked needlework shop, but next door was a cancer charity shop, so we helped the cause and bought some books and a couple of warmer tops, as the evenings are definitely chillier than we’d been led to believe. So we’re now equipped for just about anything the weather can throw at us - apart from rain – and we’re relying on the magic brolly to keep that away!!
The ladies who had told us where the shop was were so funny – they’re avid Coronation Street watchers and wanted to know what was happening as NZ tv is months behind UK. As we don’t watch Corrie, I was unable to enlighten them! Everyone here is just so friendly – as we were walking into town yesterday, Tom stopped to take a photo of the railway line which runs through the middle of a roundabout on the main road (!!). A lady just started chatting to us, telling us how when she first arrived here she tried to warn her husband about it. He obviously didn’t understand because when he did encounter it he’d said “what the f*** is going on here?” (They’re very fond of the f word here! But for some reason it doesn’t sound nearly so offensive as in UK). Going back to the roundabout, Tom says that the road rules dictate that, as in UK, you give way to the right for everything except trains….you give way to them whichever direction they’re coming from!! Some of the rail crossings have to be seen to be believed.
We got back to the motel at about 5.00pm and I went for a swim while Tom (….you’ve guessed it….) fiddled with his gadgets. He says that if he doesn’t do it regularly, they stop working! After he’d done whatever, we walked back into town to the RSA club and had a very pleasant meal. It was quiet in there, the staff say that it only really gets busy on Friday and Saturday evenings when there’s usually some entertainment on.
The town itself was almost empty apart from a handful of youngsters standing around outside one of the pubs, in fact, the only pub we saw in the town centre – so unlike anything we’re used to in Bedford where every second building seems to be some sort of drinking place.
One of the things we noticed on all the shops was a warning “R U A Waga?”. They have a system for reporting kids who “wag” (play truant from) school and refusing to serve anyone of school age during school hours. Just think, if they tried to do that in UK the Ooman rights brigade would be on them in a flash.
Then it was home to bed ready for another day – tomorrow it’s Kaikoura then on to Christchurch.
Having been all but thrown out, we drove sedately to the Interislander Ferry without any more mishaps. The ferry we were on, the Kaitake,
is the biggest in their fleet and it certainly is huge. I don’t know what the capacity of cross-channel ferries is but this one holds 1650 passengers and lots of cars and lorries (sorry, that piece of information escapes me for the moment). After being warned that the crossing of the Cook Strait can be one of the roughest known to man (and woman), we had the calmest crossing either of us have EVER experienced on any ferry. Mind you, Tom had bought some anti sea-sickness wristbands so the same principle as the brolly purchase in Waitangi must have been at work.It was overcast but with bursts of sunshine as we came up the narrow sounds into Picton harbour.
We then drove to Blenheim and decided that was far enough for the day. It was probably a good choice as, having booked into a motel at 1.00pm, it was the last room available and the other motels in the area were also full when we came back from exploring the town about 2 hours later. So I think our future plan is to stop early or phone ahead when we know how far we’re going to get.Blenheim is a lovely little town with a good range of shops and
a magnificent new combined Clubs building. Basically all the various clubs in town pooled their resources to finance a new building on the riverbank. It would put many a top class Conference centre, bar and restaurant to shame. Tom flashed his Retired Serviceman’s card (but only that, thank goodness) and we had a light lunch in the enormous Bistro Bar overlooking the river
. We got chatting to a couple of local ladies who told me where to go for patchwork etc supplies but as we found that it was further away than we thought, we went back for the car. Not only was there a well stocked needlework shop, but next door was a cancer charity shop, so we helped the cause and bought some books and a couple of warmer tops, as the evenings are definitely chillier than we’d been led to believe. So we’re now equipped for just about anything the weather can throw at us - apart from rain – and we’re relying on the magic brolly to keep that away!!The ladies who had told us where the shop was were so funny – they’re avid Coronation Street watchers and wanted to know what was happening as NZ tv is months behind UK. As we don’t watch Corrie, I was unable to enlighten them! Everyone here is just so friendly – as we were walking into town yesterday, Tom stopped to take a photo of the railway line which runs through the middle of a roundabout on the main road (!!). A lady just started chatting to us, telling us how when she first arrived here she tried to warn her husband about it. He obviously didn’t understand because when he did encounter it he’d said “what the f*** is going on here?” (They’re very fond of the f word here! But for some reason it doesn’t sound nearly so offensive as in UK). Going back to the roundabout, Tom says that the road rules dictate that, as in UK, you give way to the right for everything except trains….you give way to them whichever direction they’re coming from!! Some of the rail crossings have to be seen to be believed.
We got back to the motel at about 5.00pm and I went for a swim while Tom (….you’ve guessed it….) fiddled with his gadgets. He says that if he doesn’t do it regularly, they stop working! After he’d done whatever, we walked back into town to the RSA club and had a very pleasant meal. It was quiet in there, the staff say that it only really gets busy on Friday and Saturday evenings when there’s usually some entertainment on.
The town itself was almost empty apart from a handful of youngsters standing around outside one of the pubs, in fact, the only pub we saw in the town centre – so unlike anything we’re used to in Bedford where every second building seems to be some sort of drinking place.One of the things we noticed on all the shops was a warning “R U A Waga?”. They have a system for reporting kids who “wag” (play truant from) school and refusing to serve anyone of school age during school hours. Just think, if they tried to do that in UK the Ooman rights brigade would be on them in a flash.
Then it was home to bed ready for another day – tomorrow it’s Kaikoura then on to Christchurch.
2 comments:
I did tell you you would need some warm jumpers didn't I? I don't know, kids today, never listen...
and leaving doors open - what, were you brought up in a barn?!!
Teehee!! These travels are obviously bringing out your inner child.
Miss you lots!
Well here goes I am trying to follow your instructions Tom but there are no bendy letters - perhaps they will appear. What horrid 'hosts' - you are having quite a variety of lodgings. Everyone very friendly there, apparently, apart from your ex hosts. Really enjoying the blog, but I couldn't cope with the hard work of it all - the best our lot can hope for is the odd e-mail and text.Well here goes, where are the bendy letters .......
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