New Zealand week 3 (Nelson)

After two weeks in Nelson we have settled into somewhat of a routine - I get up early and do any work that has to get done, then after breakfast we get out for a walk before the day gets too hot, meet for a coffee in town around lunchtime, then hibernate in the apartment to avoid the afternoon heat, before venturing out again in the evening.  Some days we all walk together, but most days Marlene and I walk a little further, a little faster.

One of our walks we refer to as "the ridge walk", as it runs along a ridge with great views of the city (see the previous post).  We climb from the flat coastal plain, through the trees, via a series of 17 switchbacks to the top of the ridge (left side of the photo below).  The trail then runs along the ridge (just below the bush line in the photo below), to the Centre of New Zealand, from where we can descend directly into the city, or descend on the other side of the ridge into the Maitai River valley, making a longer walk to town.  Either way we get 700 feet of elevation gain and at least an hour and a half walk.

The Ridge (photo taken near the mouth of the Maitai River at low tide)

Walking along the tidal portion of the Maitai River is also very interesting, as the height of the water varies 14 feet between low tide and high tide.  At low tide the river (in a dry summer) is not much more than a small stream, but at high tide it is bank to bank and teaming with small fish.  We stand on the bridges and watch the Pied Shags (Cormorants) diving for fish, which they are very successful at doing, frequently surfacing with a fish wiggling in their beak.  They will work in pairs or small groups, with some chasing the fish towards the waiting mouths of the others.  They are lightning fast under the water.

Upstream of the tidal portion of the river, we see brook trout in the clear water, and people swimming at Black Hole and Dennes Hole on the hot afternoons.  On one river walk this week we saw a bucket of plums sitting at the back gate of a house, with plastic bags and a sign scrawled on cardboard, telling people to help themselves.  While Marlene was filling a bag, the homeowner appeared with a large bowl full of plums to refill the bucket, which he obligingly poured directly into Marlene's bag.  So we have been enjoying the plums with our breakfast, along with the Nashe pears, nectarines, and other fruit that we pick up at the Saturday Farmer's market.

On Thursday we had our first dinner out, at the Sprig & Fern pub on Milton Street.  The Sprig & Fern is close to where we stayed during out 2013 visit to Nelson, and is a good place to people watch while enjoying your preferred libation.  The pub does not serve food, but has a symbiotic relationship with the take-out restaurant next door, which will deliver your order to your table at the Sprig & Fern - increased business for both enterprises without competing. 

Dinner at the Sprig & Fern

Marlene thinks that New Zealanders (with the possible exception of her husband) are more appreciative of art than Canadians are, and we see lots of art work for sale or in public places - at Mapua we saw a horse made from horse shoes, at the Farmer's Market one person was selling art pieces made from recycled metal (including one made entirely of old wrenches and bolts), and along the river we saw the lonely looking lady pictured below, stroking a Pukeko.  

Lonely Lady Stroking a Pukeko

I can't mention the Pukeko (Purple Swamphen) without sharing this recipe for cooking a Pukeko, which has been passed down in New Zealand families for generations - place a Pukeko in a large old boot, and boil it for a week with herbs and spices of your choice.  After a week, throw away the Pukeko and eat the boot.  I guess they can be a little tough to chew.

We all hear about the healing properties of New Zealand's Manuka Honey, and I have often wondered when it flowers.  On a walk around the marina on Friday night, we came across a Manuka shrub in flower, but there were no bees feasting on the pollen.  Apparently the Manuka flowers through Spring and Summer, giving the bees a long period in which to make their honey.

Manuka in flower

Sunday brought our first rainy day, but this did not prevent a walk - Marlene and I walked 10.5 Km in the rain, along the coastal path to Atawhai and back.  It was very warm and humid, so the rain did not feel so bad.

Today we had planned to take a road trip to Nelson Lakes National Park, but the weather is not looking so good in the mountains so we will postpone until later in the week.  I guess we will find something to do here in paradise instead.