Monday 17^th. March.

Norman had in mind a big trip out to Mount Arthur, which on clear days can be seen as just one of a multitude of mountains from the house, but it looks as though this will not come off because of the after effects of the storm. At that distance, some of which on gravel mountain roads, there is almost sure to be difficulty with fallen trees and landslips common in NZ, and the mountains are cloaked in hanging cloud.

This is a more gentle and leisurely pace of life out here anyway, so they take me on a walk to Cable Bay instead. We pick up Kate, who is on Holiday this week from her Nursing Training, and drive through Nelson and NE to Glenduan (just known as The Glen) to start the walk. The cloud begins to break, and it looks as though I didn’t need to bring waterproofs. We climb a vehicle track with views of surrounding bush covered hillside, and are pleased to enter the cover of bush and forest which is beautifully cooling especially as an effect of last night’s rain. Kate and I chatter away about farming and her especial love of the natural environment, conservation and sustainability. Later we emerge to blue skies at a temperature of 24˚C, grassland with Hereford Cattle, sheep and a few goats, and good views of surrounding bush and forest clad hillsides, but more especially of the wide blue Tasman Bay with the coast I had been boating, walking and swimming along 30 km. away. A couple of hours from the start we climb the final hill for spectacular views of the hills to the east, Tasman Bay to the west and Pepin Island across Cable Bay directly in front of us to the north.

 

After lunch Norman and I went to the bottom of the hill to see the information display board by the bay. The Bay is so named because it is where they brought ashore the first undersea Telegraph Cable NZ in 1867. By connecting to Australia it was possible to communicate with UK in 4 days, at a cost of about £1 for every 2 words. (£75 in real terms, but the economic buying power of that £1 in today’s terms would be in the region of £750 to £1500: can you imagine paying a few hundred for each word? My Blog which is around 15 thousand words already would have cost £15 million pounds, without the photos)

Even though we can now do emails in 4 minutes, and my Blog is costing me next to nothing, that was an incredible achievement.

 

Norman and I then have a steepish 20 minute climb in the strong sun back to the last hill, and a further hour or so more gently uphill to catch up with Monica and Kate who are waiting for us in the shade.

We take a different route down with pleasant views of Nelson with its hills one side and Tasman Bay the other.

 

 

 

Yes that is Gorse in Bloom

Drive back to Tahunanui for a refreshing swim in the bay.

A good shower, snifters, nibbles, good food, wine and chat finishes the day: what else would one expect at Norman and Monica’s.