Nelson
Its taken some time to get the first of this lovely tours blogs up I’m afraid. An unexpected trip Melbourne to our granddaughters 2nd birthday and the imminent arrival of a new baby in Auckland.
I planned this tour in time for a peaceful quieter time of the year when the summer weather has receded a bit and Autumn is on its way. The winds have died down and the heat is not so extreme.
My 10-day tour to one of my favourite regions in New Zealand couldn’t have been at a better time. Although as I keep telling all my tour groups I always request good weather and its surprising how often I get it. My group comprised of only 6 after a couple of cancellations at the last minute. Along with an Auckland Covid lockdown and re-arranging transport in the last week prior to the tour, it was anxious and the all clear only became clear days before departure.
I used the very comfortable mini Van from my last tour. Its soft large leather seats are so comfortable and Kim from Iconic tours in Dunedin rented it to me for the week. A few years ago I did do my ‘P’ licence which puts me in the driver’s seat for the tour. One of my flatmates Sally put me up at her gorgeous house and garden in Hororata and it turned out to be a 7-hour drive though to Nelson over the Lewis Pass with lots of stops for endless road works. It even took an hour to get from Brightwater into our accommodation for the next 3 nights at Sails in Nelson!! The spacious rooms and a wonderful motel manager – that couldn’t do enough for you made our introduction to a new tour easy and comfortable. I knew four of my ladies from previous tours, three from Auckland, 1 Tutakaka, 1 Wellington and even 1 from Blenheim who just wanted a new experience.
It was an easy walk down Trafalgar St to a welcome glass of bubbles by the Matai River and a few blocks on to ‘Arden’ Restaurant. I was more than happy to go with chef’s choice. Usual tour rules apply which means we can only drink wine from the region and choose local food.
Two full days in Nelson started with breakfast out each day. The tour began well with two stand out visits. Firstly, to my dear friend Christine Boswijk, who is one of New Zealand’s outstanding ceramic artists. She is no longer working on her mammoth installations that she created for many years but is immersed in her garden. Instead translating her artistic flair with plants, spaces and an abundance of vegetables and fruit trees. She lives with her equally creative husband Patrick and between them they had their property looking perfect. Poor Patrick had been on the end of the water blaster and Christine had made club sandwiches, a huge chocolate roulade oozing with whipped cream and her special strong coffee.
She walked us around the garden and it was very inspiring to see and feel her passion as she talked about her favourite roses – Mutabilis, Anne Endt and General Galieni and how she created her garden spaces. Christine’s daughter Kirsten is now creating her own fabulous pottery – all in pastel shades. It compliments Christine’s work and yet has a fineness and detail that is very different and totally beautiful. We were pleased to be able to purchase
Mapua is 5 minutes down the road and after our rather decadent morning tea we were happy with a slice of Pizza and for some a glass of wine.
My friends Leanne and Lou joined us for the morning and lunch and on the other side of Mapua Leanne has recently moved with her partner Neil to a property with a commanding view of the Tasman Bay. Leanne has so many skills and in the tidiest studio I have ever seen which is full of containers with her collections from her antique hunts, she has created a unique exclusive business making of the most exquisite broaches using old ribbons, medals, badges – all old and natural, using the treasures in her boxes. ‘Eye and Behold’ is the name of Leanne’s jewellery and now she is creating pieces of jewellery using collections from the local Kina beach, carving and embedding treasures into stones. I know some of my ladies want to commission Leanne to create a family broach using their historical medals and jewellery.
Hopgoods has long been at the top for consistently good food and dining in Nelson. Again a set menu provided a delicious selection of locally inspired dishes which we accompanied with the acclaimed Neudorf wines. My husband Philip flew in tonight and managed to arrive in time to join us for dinner.
Day 2 in Nelson started with breakfast at the Suter Art gallery which had just held Christine’s ‘Surreal exhibition’ – celebrating 4 decades of her work. Sadly, it ended the previous week, but we were very excited to see Kirsten and Leeane’s work for sale.
Saturday morning is market day in Nelson so, before heading to lunch in the Moutere hills everyone had a chance to spend time in the Suter, walk in the gardens next door and wander through the market.
On the first night while eating at Arden the lovely Mary Gavin spotted me and came in to say hello. She was walking past and notices a group in the window that reminded her of her tour to Italy/France with me several years before… then she noticed me sitting on a bar stool paying the bill. It was so good to see her and although I had intended making contact it was a lovely surprise. Mary is involved with the historical house Broadgreen in Stoke and she comes with a vast knowledge of the Nelson region. So… she became my guide for the afternoon and helped tremendously put Nelson into context through its history and life as it is today as a fast growing busy city. As s we drove out to our lunch booking at Forsters in the Moutere hill’s Mary had the front seat and microphone.
Lunch couldn’t have been better. We were joined by Leanne and Neil and sat at a long table in the shade of a very large tree. We all had the signature long boards with 5 delectable tapas which as you can see by the photos were beautifully presented and delicious, as was desert, but we shared that. Don’t visit this region without going here. The service, friendly staff, food and wine – along with resplendent company made for the perfect long lunch.
Before our return to Nelson the little Moutere village is always worth a visit and a late afternoon stop at our friends Rebecca and Petes Truffery, where they grow truffles successfully for sale in NZ. They have a vast collection of trees which surround the citrus, fig and fruit orchards and Rebecca’s comprehensive vegetable garden. Sitting in the garden with a glass of local Rose was rather enjoyable and we reluctantly left only to have an OK meal at the local Italian food store. It was a busy Saturday night and after a big day a quiet meal and an early night was appreciated.
This tour includes two excursions on the water and today we travel the length of the Abel Tasman National park by water taxi. But, you can never leave Nelson without a meal at the iconic Boatshed and breakfast this morning was in the glorious sun watching the energetic Nelsonian’s swim, paddleboard and Kayak in the harbour. Some felt inclined to start the day with a Mimosa and the menu included such specialties as whitebait omelette and Smoked fish and potato hash cake.
The Abel Tasman National Park is usually heaving with ocean kayakers and trampers at this time of the year. It is noticeably quiet in Kaiteriteri where we board our large virtually empty water taxi to Awaroa. I did ayak this once with my daughter Hannah when she was in year 12 on her Outdoor Education elective. But, this time I get the comfort of Awaroa lodge and don’t have to endure sleeping on the ground.
The lodge sits by itself in the bush a short walk along the beach where the water taxi drops you off. Bags were taken directly to our rooms and it’s a lovely introduction walking through the native bush to the lodge entrance. I remember this lodge years ago. The lunch restaurant full of people that’s seem to come out of nowhere. It still has an exclusive feel about it but, needs someone with flair and creativity to give it a distinctive lodge feel. We had time for a walk along the estuary past the airfield and holiday batches before dinner. It’s very quiet and the birds are glorious.
A day reading and enjoying the peacefulness would be lovely but not a tour activity. On our return back to Kaiteriteri I had a little surprise installed and instead of taking the water taxi all the way back we stopped at Bark Bay and boarded a catamaran. It was a bit of a shocker for everyone but, what a fun experience and gave us a slower trip to explore the coastline and watch the sea life especially the cute little seals.
