Sunday 16^th. March.

There have been quite a few showers in the night, but no really bad weather, and I spend as much of the early morning as I can, before having to get out of my digs, sorting the photos and writing up the Thursday and Friday posts, before driving to Norman and Mon in Nelson.

Semi trusty SatNav actually delivers me directly to their door.

I have seen photos and knew to expect something special, but the reality is stunning. The house, the garden and the views over the suburbs, the bay and the mountains; and this is a cloudy day, but at the moment the cloud is not too low, and it is not actually raining, but I expect better when the weather improves, and so this is a day on which I take no photos at all, and may turn out to be unique on this holiday.

We instantly fall into that old rapport that long standing friends have when meeting up after a time apart, and there is just so much to talk about, and I am on such a high (I am literally on a trip) that they remark that I am a different person: that really is the effect of 4 weeks of sun and warmth shrugging off the SAD Syndrome, the continuous run of new experience of travel where everything every day is positive. I have not had a negative experience at all for 4 weeks.

We talk for hours, then go round to see their daughter Kate and her partner Will at the house they are renovating only 5 km. away on a hillside at Tahunanui. It is a small house, but a big project and they are doing it all themselves, from external boarding to internal walling, in spare time. The end result will be fantastic, as the position perched on a hillside, and views are similar to Norman and Mon’s, but they more directly overlook the beach, which they love to make use of for swimming and kayaking, when they are not further afield tramping.

The wind is getting up now, but there are a few brave-hearts swimming, wind surfing and kite surfing in the bay below us.

We go back home for more chat, snifters and nibbles, carrot and coriander soup (all from the garden of course, and I always have called Mon the Queen of Soups) followed by a lovely lamb supper, as those of you who know Mon can imagine, and a Pinot Noir that I had brought from the Rippon Vineyard in Wanaka, the oldest vineyard in Otago.

The storm is really brewing outside now; very strong winds and heavy rain much as forecast, but it doesn’t matter to us as we are doing what is best for such a day. It was supposed to have blown itself out by now; instead it increases overnight, but is pretty much gone by morning.

When we finally go to bed I can’t sleep because of being in such a high state, the opposite of being at home in winter, but is doesn’t bother me and I rest well instead.

What a great day: Many thanks to Norman and Monica.