We started the
day with a short perambulation about pretty Blenheim (dubbed by early settlers "The Beaver", "Beaver Town" or "Beaverton" because of frequent floods, now seat of the region Council, birthplace of Morag Godfrey-Grant!). The very fine 16.5m stone clocktower (which thankfully stopped tolling the quarter hour
after 9pm) dates from 1928, and was built as a memorial to the 419 Marlburians who died in WWI (the fountain, succeeding the bandstand) is a
memorial to WWII losses.
After yesterday's mammoth trip, we stayed a little closer
to home, but the usual quandary : so many wineries, so little time.
Luckily, the three we chose (smaller family-run outfits, Wither Hills
and Framingham, and Isabel in homage to Tom) were all very friendly and
with excellent offerings. And all were beautifully by the gently sloping hills
Duly weighed down, we headed north to Picton
(hadn't expected to be back here so soon!) to go along the Queen Charlotte
Sound
(named by Captain Cook for George III's wife), nice but I fear we've been spoiled by the views from the ferry!
We're overnighting in tiny Havelock (as seen from the Sound road)
(pop 450, says our
B&B lady, but with at least six cafes and several restaurants to service
the yachtie crowds who look like they drop in), apparently the
green-lipped mussel capital of the world...
Rest assured we'll be
looking into that claim this evening - more tmrw.
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