Beez Neez now Chy Whella

To Picton

Big Bear and Pepe Millard

Thu 18 Sep 2014 22:37

To Picton

After ablutions and breakfast it was straight out to replace Mabel's spare tyre. All done in ten minutes.

I had been mid-blog-send when we pulled out of camp, wondered why it hadn’t gone through at the tyre place...........I’ll say nothing, no you better not after levelling with me in backgammon and taking me for many dollars........ So. I asked Bear to drive back to the gates of the camp so I was not leaving a blog mid ether. We pulled up behind this little love bus. The sticker on the back window caught Bears eye - “Go Braless Pull The Wrinkles From Your Face.”

Richmond, through Nelson and out on the dull, wet but virtually empty road round to Picton.

Almost sad to say after ten weeks on South Island we crossed our last road bridge.

Bear liked the way the cloud sat in the crater at the top of this mountain and the bald bits where the trees had been felled. Fancy living in that isolated house dwarfed by its surroundings. Not for us.

We pulled off the main road to see the happiest little church we have yet seen. The tiny Canvastown, once home to a massive gold rush that now boasts the church, a Rural Fire Service, a bits and bobs shop, the Trout Hotel and some information boards about its history before the gold dried up.

Next was the massive marina of Havelock.

This was on Bears Bucket List, to pull into the greenshell mussel capital of the world. He chose the Mussel Pot of the eateries on offer. Whilst he did something I would rather chew my own foot off before I chewed through what looks like a ball of elastic bands..... So pleased there were loads of informative things to look at while he slavered.

Happy boy. Fun named Hairy Mussel Co. and the lovely mural on the public toilets.

Havelock left behind as it begun to pour. The wiggly short cut to Picton was open, so up we climbed and looked back on the town.

We had to drive around Pelorus Sound.

The Wicked Witch did her best but got so confused between left and right especially when she actually faced back the way she had just come, that.........

........despite having lots more blind hair-pins she straightened out her road and said “continue on”. Bear punched the air in some sort of victory stance and I wonder why their relationship is so fragile............Mmmm.

We stopped at the top of the hill and looked down over Shakespeare Harbour, a real thrill to watch Western Albertito being helped in by two trusty working ladies to the wood loading wharf.

Next stop to look down on our final town on South Island, Picton.

The plan to see the 9th oldest ship in the world closed at three, so that’s on for the morrow before we get on the ferry. We drove past the WWI War Memorial some rather nice shops and buildings, a quick stop at the supermarket and on to the campsite in the pouring rain. I had a disaster at backgammon, now one behind for the year. Marvellous.

Have you ever seen anyone yield a cucumber with such painful consequences.

Bear has.

Get Busy Bear, Get Busy.