Big wheels keep on turning

After a night in Picton at the Top 10 Holiday Park (NZ$44) it was back in the saddle again. Time to get the big wheels turning! We’d had a week or so of not pedalling much further than around town, or to a beach, or to a vineyard. Although one such ride to the vineyards on the Napier trails on Christmas Eve did rack up 50km!

Marlborough Sounds

Turning the wheels again could not have been more of a pleasure on the 35km Queen Charlotte Drive to Havelock. It was stunning. View after stunning view, across the Marlborough Sounds in the beautiful morning sunshine, and unlike being in a car, we could pull in and stop as often as we liked to admire the views and soak them up. As the home of the green lipped mussel it would’ve been rude not to stop in Havelock for a bowl of said mussels, and The Hairy Mussel Company was the ideal spot for lunch.

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We considered riding the 70kms on through to Nelson, but with the Highway being the busiest we have been on yet, we decided to stop the night at Pelorus Bridge (DOC campsite NZ$36). We hoped an early morning start might mean a quieter road. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. After being chased from the DOC campsite by a bombardment of sandflies we were on the road early, but, so it seemed, was every other man/woman and his/her trailer/boat/caravan/camper van.

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Summer holiday traffic

The constant string of traffic plus the pounding rain, which started just as we started the climb up Rai Saddle, meant conditions were far from ideal. What a difference a day can make! The further long climb to Whangamoa Saddle was wet and miserable, with the ride down slick to say the least, but thankfully warmer, drier air was on the horizon as we approached Nelson.

Nelson for New Year

All was forgotten after a hot shower and a feisty welcome from Tipsy the cat at Matt & Gilly’s house (the bride and groom to be). Then an afternoon of sunshine in Mapua with the Keys clan, accompanied by tunes from “The Sauce”, Richard’s middle-aged rock covers band (his words not ours!).

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Today is the last day of what has been a difficult year with the loss of my Mum, but as ever we are grateful for all the memories and all that we have experienced in 2017, and hope that 2018 will be a happy and healthy one.

Wishing one and all a very Happy New Year from Nelson.

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