winding down

Well, we are preparing to head back home today. It has been a wonderful trip and we have thoroughly enjoyed it. We were able to re-kindle some friendships and do and see many things. It has been an adventure.

But we really need to acknowledge our good friends John and Jane for taking us under their wings and treating us like royalty. They have taken us golfing and cycling, invited us for lunch(dinner)and dinner(tea), and acted as our chauffeurs to just about everywhere. They are truly ambassadors of good will for Nelson and are a big reason we continue to return here. So, we'll miss you John and Jane!

snow in the mountains

We woke up to 40 degree temps this morning and fall is definitely in the air. It has been an abnormal summer in NZ this year. It has been cool and as I've previously mentioned, wet. So the locals are feeling a bit denied of summer, but it hasn't been all that bad. The western ranges have snow at the peaks today. I've never seen that before here. It is beautiful, but a little early I think.

We had to shift out of our apartment as it was booked to someone else beginning today. We found another place a mile or so away and have a new view now and a different perspective on the city.

We were invited to a barbeque at our friends John and Jane's today. Some other of our golfing mates and their spouses joined and it was a lovely time.

green beer and Al Franken

We were heading into town the other day and noticed an Al Franken bumper sticker on a car. It didn't register at first since it was such a common sight at home. Then it hit me; hey, wait. That was an Al Franken bumper sticker. I couldn't believe it. So, I took a picture.

We do most of our grocery shopping via bicycle. It usually means buying small quantities on a daily basis. But when it comes to beer, a 12 pack is a 12 pack. So, onto the back of the bike it goes. That is what I call "green beer".

The weather seems to have taken a turn toward autumn. It is quite cool (highs in the 60's)and some color is starting to appear in the trees. The days are getting shorter and I think it must be time for us to start making our way back north. We'll be leaving next Wednesday, March 7th.

NZ's favorite son

On the outskirts of Nelson is the birthplace of what many call New Zealand's most famous person. He was Ernest Rutherford, the father of nuclear pyhsics. He discovered the concept of radioactive half life and won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1908 for his work on radioactivity. He was the first to split the atom in 1918 and discovered and named the proton.

There is a very well done memorial constructed at his birthplace in Brightwater, just outside Nelson. Rutherford spent his formative years schooling in Nelson and is a graduate of Nelson College (high school to us North Americans). After his university studies in New Zealand he traveled to Canada and eventually the UK to take prominent positions at prominent universities. It was interesting reading about him to find out he had been passed over for a few different scholarships during his youth in favor of others. How foolish that must have made some people look after he achieved what he did.

He is buried at Westminster Abbey in London near other scientific giants. It seems a shame he is not buried here in New Zealand.

punctures

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we bought 2nd hand bikes shortly after our arrival and we use them for most of our transportation around town. Yesterday, I repaired our 9th puncture since we arrived. To put this in perspective, in the past 15 years at home, I have experienced one flat tire. I don't understand what the problem is here, but cycling luck has not been on our side. Yesterday we went on a ride with our friends John and Jane and we ended up at a favorite coffee spot in a beautiful setting. Photos of Scott doing a little repair work and the 4 of us enjoying our coffee break. Video of the Nelson hills from Monaco peninsula.

beaches, bikes, and vineyards

We went for a bike ride on Sunday with our friends John and Jane. Our route included a ride on the forestry road on a nearby island called Rabbit Island. This is a popular public greenspace destination used for swimming, picnicking, cycling, etc. We rode 20 -25km on a variety of surfaces including this very bumpy forestry road. That part was challenging for us since our bikes do not have any shock absorbing capabilities. After our ride we found a vineyard cafe where we were able to take a break over a cup of coffee. These vineyard cafes are dotted among the vineyards around the Nelson region; very quaint. Our day was topped off by a meal at the home of our gracious friends.

the beach at Tahunanui or gotta bucket hat for my bucket list

Nelson has a beautiful beach on the Tasman Sea. The waves roll in gently and the beach is very gradual and seems to go on forever. We walked along it today when the tide was out and it seemed a massive place. Besides the incredible beauty of the place, another aspect is there are very few people who are there. There just aren't that many people here and places like beaches are not over-run the way we often see beaches in the USA or Europe.

By the way, it's not as windy as my camera makes is sound in the video.