Way back in the middle of January ... Into the Nelson Tasman area then on our way home

This post is well overdue - lots has happened since this holiday ended, but that is for another post. This one is about the last few days of our time in the South Island.

After the sandflies at Murchison (lovely place though) and before we went on to Stoke, we headed for Tapawera and stayed at a Park Over Property (POP) for $10 ($5 pp). No services apart from water, but a nice peaceful spot. We thought about going for a bike ride but it was too hot - I do know I am a wimp, honest I do!

Only one other camper on site at Tapawera and not in this photo!

Instead we blobbed in the main and David had fun having a go at putting up the cheap ($50) gazebo purchased at Mitre 10 in Hokitika - purely as an experiment to see if a gazebo would be a suitable alternative to the awning at times of a bit of breeze. We are a bit phobic about having the awning out when there is any wind - when we were buying the motorhome and its features were being demonstrated, the young guy telling us about it all was most insistent that we not have the awning out in the wind, that we never leave it out overnight or when we are away from the motorhome. The reasoning was that a gust of wind can rip its struts out of the ground - it is a sail after all - and flip it over the roof. That would result in a ripped awning as well as damage to the roof from flying metal struts. Expensive problem. But a good sturdy gazebo which can be purchased for about $200 or less could happily be sacrificed. Well, not happily, but with far less angst than having to pay the approximate $1000 expense if the awning went tits up.

We did get the frame constructed. We did not get the cover on. David did sort all the poles into their 4 groups and rubber band like with like. I did mark the ends for insertion after David had accidentally used the wrong ends and dislodged the wire clips and pushed them down the pipe ...

Long-nosed pliers were too fat, there was no purchase available with my tweezers. So David tried a twig. Some success, with the finishing pull using my second pair of tweezers that have scissor grips.

Poles sorted

 

See that slot in the pole? It's meant to have a clip sticking out. Where has the clip gone? Why has the clip disappeared?

 

After a time of wonder the frame is ready to be tipped on its feet. Nothing really to hold the two parts of the legs together apart from gravity and weight - and there's none of that available for two legs during their traverse from horizontal to vertical ...

I called it quits at this point ... Two legs had had to be re-constructed already!

 

 

David was being excessively silly, so he needed the growly face to make him settle down. It didn't work though - it just made him laugh, dammit!

We wisely decided we would leave further experimentation for the pleasure and hilarity of Salvi and David when we arrived in Stoke.

After breakfast at the Bar/B&B/cafe in an old hotel just out of Tapawera, we headed for Stoke. We were keen to see Ann and Salvi although Ann is poorly. She has a really bad cough that has been with her since before Xmas. She regularly tests negative for Covid and the cough persists. At least 3 or 4 doctor's visits but nothing prescribed has been working - not antibiotics, not steroids, not an inhaler.

David got the box out and Salvi couldn't resist even though he tried ...

WIP

WIP ...

 

We have the roof struts connected...

Ooh, a dog whose tummy needs tickling ...

Half of the side poles - a gazebo for children or hobbits?

No, it was just so they could reach for putting the cover on.

Does it fit? Can it stretch?

 

What about if we fiddle with the middle?

OK, release the cover and check the fittings are all in tightly

 

These shenanigans went on for some time with Ann and I both watching, staying out of it, enjoying the comedy...

 

It had to be turned over to get the second section of the legs on - the two guys tried with it right way up, but the ones already done just fell off ... Ann to the rescue!

Now let's get this sorted! Ann is on the job!

Now where are those tent pegs?

David with his new rubber mallet - I still use the hammer because the mallet needs more heft behind it than I have for it to be effective.

We did realise a few things about the cheap gazebo:

• the cover is a wee bit too small for the frame
• the stitching would not last without the struts being shortened by a few millimetres
• it was an absolute fiddle to put up - at least half an hour. So no way would we bother with it apart from for entertainment value.
• it was destined for the opshop.
  

When visiting another Ann and Chris (mutual friends) they sent us back with a carton of pineapple juice. Apparently it has cough-removing properties.

We had two morning bike rides: good heavens, we are slack - it was the first time the bikes had been off the rack since arriving in the South Island ... 

• Our first ride was an hour and a half ride out to Richmond and back into Stoke passing the airport and making our way back on the Railway Reserve, with a stop at the supermarket - can't remember what for
• Our second ride was the following morning and we followed the previous day's track at first and then headed along the cycle path that was aimed at Rabbit Island. It was a lovely morning for a bike ride - and lots of other very fast and fit people thought so too. Narrow paths that other people take in their stride often freak me out - my imagination is too vivid, I think, and I can picture myself falling off and getting hurt. My overactive imagination is a big part of my wussy approach to adventurous activities - i.e. I largely give them a miss.
  

Chris and Ann were invited for lunch (they didn't know it until they popped in to see Ann** and Salvi. ** This Ann had been isolating because her cough was so suspicious but she was getting cabin fever.

This Ann and I made cheese tart and it was my first ever fail at cheese tart making in about 50 years, dammit - I was distracted and took it out of the oven too soon and, although the top was well cooked, the bottom pastry was not. Tasted fine, but it's not meant to be floppy when being served! And what's more, the dish it was cooked in broke when Salvi was transferring the leftovers - he assessed that it had already been cracked but even so - big cheese tart fail and a broken dish: not good!

We headed away that afternoon so we could stay overnight close to Picton for the ferry sailing on Monday. We always forget how long and steep up and down the trip is between Nelson and Koromiko - the Whangamoa Range is a biggie!

We stayed at a POP in Koromiko - a lovely place, peaceful, and only $5 a vehicle per night. We had planned on having a curry out of our freezer for dinner but I only felt like breakfast food (fresh nectarines, yoghurt and muesli). 

It was such a lovely place and the weather was so warm and pleasant the next morning without being baking, that I sat outside and read until we really had to make our way over to Picton to check in for the ferry. 

A calm sailing spent in the Queen Charlotte lounge - very nice but not all that well insulated from noise in the adjacent family lounge where a magic show took place - say no more ...

We got home in very quick time - the Transmission Gully is an absolute boon. And what's more, we unpacked the motorhome before we ran out of steam (although David did have a nap as I drove home) and I even put my clothing away and got all of the washing underway while David unpacked the contents of the fridge and pantry.

We both slept very well that night - holidays are tiring!