This morning, Marcia took the kids to pick up her husband Bob at the airport in Nelson. I stayed behind and enjoyed a delightful quiet morning on the deck of our little cottage at Abel Tasman Stables. A beautiful morning. I got a shot of an unusual looking quail that was dancing around the deck.
I had a lovely walk to the water taxi place where I was to meet Marcia Bob and the kids. Along the way I bought a bag of organic apples and a strawberry tart at a roadside stand. It was really just a cabinet with stuff in it and you put your coins in the box on the honor system. They ahve these a lot of places in this rural country. The apples were very tart and small, like crab apples but tastier. I didn't have the tart until next day on the bus. It wasn't bad.
At the water taxi, they have a boat on a trailer hooked up to a tractor. They load us onto the boat right there in the parking lot, and drive us down to the beach... and right into the water, tractor and all. A little bit crazy, these New Zealanders. The water is quite shallow by the shore, but still seems a bit unusual to drive a tractor into the sea. Then the tractor driver climbs into the boat and backs us off the boat trailer into the water. Just leaves the tractor and the boat trailer in the water for when we return.
The ride to our port, Anchorage, is hell on waves. The 'bumpy mile', as they call it, is well over a mile of four foot high and four foot wide waves coming one after another for at least ten minutes. I had to stand up it was so bouncy. My knees could take the impact, but not my back. Luckily, there was a place to hold onto. Bob described it as not so much a water taxi, but rather a large fishing boat with seats going at high speed. It went hard and fast like a speed boat does, not anything like the ferry boat I was imagining. At one point, I looked back to see if Mick was enjoying the ride. He'd fallen asleep! Maggie too!! Incredible!!!
We arrived to a stunning beach that looked as if it was right out of Pirates of the Caribbean. So green-blue and calm was the water, and cold as well. I was only able to get in up to my legs. The sand was rough, gave my feet quite a "sanding", if you will. My callouses are down by half now - a natural pedicure. Well done!
It was a nice day at the beach - a perfect one you will say from the photos. Mick and I played in the water a lot. We had sandwiches and fruit and later moved up onto the grass above the beach. There was no escaping the sandflies however. :-( It was hot, but the sun went behind clouds a lot so it was okay. Even Maggie was happy all day.
The aqua taxi ride home was simply a dream. Everything I expected on the way there, but didn't get. A calm ride with only a little wind and a shaded cab, looking out at the gorgeous waters of Abel Tasman Park. What a place! And we only saw a tiny bit of it. If only there was more time. I'm sure Marcia and Bob will be back.
We made our way back to Nelson that night for dinner and Marcia picked a nice place off the tourist track, the Smuggler's Pub. A pirate-themed restaurant filled with locals. It had a great ambience to it, the feel of a real pirate ship. A long wooden table like a ship would have and a large display above the bar of a pirate scene lit in blue light. I had a pumpkin risotto - creamy and nice. And a glass of Riesling from the area - very sweet, but nice, similar to a California Riesling.
All in all a great dinner and a great last day with the Kern family. I will miss them all, but of course, it will be easier to travel with out the kids in tow. I will miss all of Marcia's thorough planning and Mick's contrariness and even little Maggie, holding her when she's puffing away. Her crying will be ringing in my ears every time I'm on a twisty turning road - which is just about everywhere in New Zealand. Thanks for all the memories!!
