Back on line

We said farewell to cycling friends in St Clare's winery cafe after their run...and headed West via Renwick and Havelock

The small local museum as ever has much interesting history..plus in another corner of the town is a display devoted to Earnest Rutherford, and the other local, (name escapes me at the moment) who worked with Van Allen and Von Braun on the first USA satellite in 1958.
Onward to a Department of Conservation camping site at Pelorus Bridge..by what could be a seventy foot wide over forty foot deep raging torrent..but now is much reduced, thankfully.
Unfortunately it was full of sandflies.....
We escaped to Nelson , a beautiful city by the sea with beautiful parks, old buildings and a marvellous art gallery, The Suter.
Most local potters seemed to have work there, for which we were thankful on a hot day!!

The next day we explored again to the Rai Valley and off up a beautiful small valley and over to Okiwi by the sea. I wasn't brave enough to drive further up Frenchman's Pass!

Back to Picton to catch the evening ferry, after a cuppa with a friend and watching our ferry come in

We came over on the Bluebridge... better coffee and a good welcome, but it did run half an hour late!
It meant arriving in the dark in Wellington with a revised route it of the port from two years ago..and changes to the one way system...afte ahalf an hour's wandering I was very glad to find the Youth Hostel!!
This morning we had a motorized wander around the scenic drive including a stop at Shelly Bay to see the Chocolate Fish cafe, artists workshops and galleries in the old barracks.once navy then air force but under threat of redevelopment.

Onwards to meet another potter 'in the round' in Lower Hutt, Christine Wimbush..and a group exhibition of seven different artists.. something that we need so much where we are at home..
Then a scary drive over the Rimutakas to Martinborough and another campsite..with a different welcome..