Trolley Cart Derby in Collingwood St March 15

The street was closed to traffic and the barriers were set up early in the morning for the Annual Trolley Cart Derby. Some were serious, whilst others were there for the fun and thrill of rolling down the hill.

There were a couple of spills but injuries were limited to spokes of wheels and injured pride. It was fun to enjoy this community event and it reinforced how much we love visiting Nelson.

Queen Charlotte Track Adventure March 14

Up early for breakfast(muesli and yoghurt) in our room so that we could catch a 7.30am water taxi across Kenepuru Sound to resume our walk. Pete drove us up to the saddle and we began to walk up into the clouds again. This was definitely the steepest part of the whole track and really stretched our calves. We met up with groups we'd seen on the track beforehand as they must have had a rest day in Portage.

The sun came out from behind the clouds eventually so that we could enjoy some views at morning tea and lunchtime.

The signpost at Ship Cove began at 71km.

It was exciting to finally see the 1km post near the end.

We were well ahead of schedule and delighted to see our water taxi turn up an hour early to take us back to Picton. Completing this epic walk felt like quite an achievement - especially for poor David who ended up with blisters on his big toe and allergic reaction around his ankles. We collected the car and drove home to Nelson where some happy dogs greeted us.

Queen Charlotte Track Adventure March 13

Every holiday needs a day of rest and this was ours. A sleep in was followed by an amazing breakfast. The chef at Raetihi Lodge is brilliant and the staff were attentive to all our needs. I'd never had bananas in a spring roll beside my french toast before. It was all topped with maple syrup and had us craving 2 breakfasts! Our clever tour guide (David Jones) had booked ahead to ensure we each got a one hour massage. Juli poked, pummelled and crawled over our aching muscles and left us with a happy glow.

Dinner was another delight to the tastebuds. We then retired to the lounge area for more games of "Take 2" and "Up and Down the River"

Queen Charlotte Track Adventure March 12

We knew we had a massive walk ahead of us (24.5km) with a big climb to begin with so we set off early.

Unfortunately there was drizzly rain and low cloud so there were no views at the top of the Kenepuru Saddle today. Cathy wandered along under her umbrella thanks to advice from Jane. The weather cleared so we did find our 10/10 view lunch spot with a table in the middle of the track!

A few cyclists passed us and the boys began to plan how they might ride the best parts of the track in 1-2 days. The final 5km down to Portage through beech forest and fern glades was one of the most beautiful parts of the track. A beer and G&T whilst awaiting our Kenepuru taxi was a fitting reward at the end of the walk. Little did we know how lovely Raetihi Lodge was going to be when we crossed the sound.

Queen Charlotte Track Adventure March 11

The morning was clear and calm with glassy waters reflecting the scenery. Cathy enjoyed taking lots of photos.

We knew it was a fairly flat and easy walk today so we took our time and chatted along the way. We found a stony beach to sit on and eat our packed lunch just a short walk before arriving at Punga Cove Resort. Cathy was desperate to finish reading her book and find out how it ended so she sat on the deck in the sun whilst the boys tried the outdoor spa.

Our units all had magnificent views over Punga Cove - or is it a bay? - or an inlet?!!

Queen Charlotte Track Adventure March 10

We prepared for our walk with crumpets and honey for breakfast - yummy! Some last minute shopping was completed before boarding our water taxi to Ship Cove.

Captain James Cook visited here several times and must have carved out the start of the track - uphill. We wondered how the mountain bikers got up here until we caught them at the first lookout and they confessed to pushing the bikes uphill. Magnificent views.

 

We made good time and found our 10/10 view lunchspot to enjoy roast vegetable and chicken frittata with zucchini cake.

From there is was mostly downhill or flat to Cnoc Na Lear where Colleen and Derek looked after us well. They served us dinner on the outdoor deck area. Later we tried to work out "Cranium" as none of us had remembered to bring a deck of cards.

Queen Charlotte Track Adventure March 9

After leaving the dogs with Caroline in Nelson, we headed off toward Picton. We "Slipped-In" to Havelock for afternoon tea and waited for an argument on the boat ramp but all the sailors casually got their boats onto their trailers today.

"High Street Living" was the first motel we stayed at, and set the standard that we would not slip below. Pete cooked up a treat at "Le Cafe". DJ and Cathy enjoyed the best mussels ever followed by home made ice cream.

To NZ and Beyond

We jumped on QF171 to Wellington early Saturday morning. The flight path took us directly over Nelson for a great view. The arrow indicates David and Trina's house. It would take us a another 3 hours to get there!!!

 

On the way from Wellington back to Nelson the cloud had cleared giving us a great view of Annie and Simon who were already walking the Queen Charlotte track. We suspect that small cloud is a "Chardonnay Cloud" hanging around Annie. We will be following them soon.

Sunday March 2nd - Monash Children's Walk @ Jells Park

It was a mild Sunday morning making it perfect for our 2nd Annual Monash Children's Walk at Jells Park.

Fancy dress was encouraged so Cathy borrowed David's "Mr Grumpy" T-shirt and doctored it a bit.

Jenny, Brianna and Joel joined Cathy for the 5km walk.

So did one of Cathy's fellow paediatricians Sarah with her 3 sons.

Along the way Cathy met one of her little patients, Wil, completing the course with his family.

I think that Brianna and Joel enjoyed playing on the playground most of all.