Picton

April 14^th

We leave Motueka heading to Picton. In the town of Tasman I see a sign “Jester House Cafe, Tame Eels.” I always wonder what they really mean. There is sometimes a problem translating Kiwi English to American English. Any Kiwi will tell you it it just the other way around.

Lots of bike riders are out this sunny Sunday, young guys in kits and old guys in sweaters.

No Parking

More safety messages

We see lots of honor stalls. Some with fruits and vegetables and a box for money. Lots more with bags of manure and an honor box. Horse poo $2 a bag.

In Nelson, William takes a picture of the Nelson Cathedral and a little red car.

3 wheel car with the name of 1-SETA

Nelson Cathedral

We stop for lunch at Havelock, the green-lipped mussel capital of the world. We head to the Mussel Pot and order the sampler platter for two.

The Mussel Pot

Someone has to like light beer

All this and chowder too. Delicious.

We see cows walking under the road through an underpass for cows. Two cows lead the parade. I was too startled to get a picture.

We take the high winding road to Picton, so we can look back at Havelock.

Clear cuts are very visible from the road. But they are quickly cleaned up and replanted. The rows are so straight they look like machine planting, but some of the hillsides are quite steep. The new trees look to grow so quickly that they over top any brush that comes in. The Kiwis are used to this type of forestry. It is just like any other crop. Just with a slightly longer regrowth time. A clear cut is just like a plowed field or an orchard cut down for replanting.

multiple age fields with bush over to the right

Recent clearcut

We look down at the ferry terminal. Time to get organized again. We drop GRL off at the terminal and pick up another car when we dock at the North Island.