Day 88 - Havelock to Motueka via Nelson : exploring ... part III

Quick update on the green-lipped mussels.... Yum! With white wine, parsley and garlic for me and coriander, chilli and coconut for D.  Incidentally, apparently these days they're trademarked "greenshell"...

After a peaceful evening (there looks to be no other kind in Havelock - you could've lain down in the middle of the high street at 8pm, coincidentally when the only-open restaurant closed for the night) in pleasant Havelock (named for another Victorian Lord who distinguished himself in India but more interestingly the stomping ground of Ernest Rutherford, whose commemoration is on the high street)

(and talking of distinguishing yourself), this morning we headed west towards Nelson (main thoroughfare of course Trafalgar Street).  Second settlement in NZ (1841), it's now a busy place, administrative capital, with a nice cathedral on the hill, presently hosting a best Christmas tree competition,

and NZ's oldest fully preserved cottages dating from 1863, originally built as homes for local tradesmen.

After picnicking there, we pressed on towards Motueka, stopping at a PYO fruit farm for dessert in the form of a boysenberry ice-cream (made before our eyes by combining the fruit with the ice cream but you can judge what the end product looks like...! Apparently though, it tasted fab)

The last stop before Motueka was cute, artsy-shops-on-the-beachfront little Mapua, a sort of St Ives in NZ

And overnight at Vineyards Cabins in Motueka - very nice but no WiFi...