Beer for breakfast

I've just enjoyed catching up with all the whanau Christmas blogs and feel inspired do my own reporting now. I had an excellent Christmas and New Year. After Shirl and I swapped gifty things I headed to Anne's for breakfast with friends, then Sam and Rachel picked me up and took me out to have lunch with Rachel's family at their gorgeous place overlooking the sea above Ruby Bay. Later we headed back into town for dinner with Peter and Anna and Shirl, Philip, Heather and Emma. I didn't have to drive so managed plenty of bubbly and took no photos. On the 27th Ol and Rosie came up to Nelson for a couple of days and enticed me out to Stingray at 11pm to see a band made up of people Ol used to flat with. They were good and it was worth the effort. Ol came round for breakfast the next day, then I left for Kaiteri to get the water taxi to Awaroa to stay at Rachel's family's holiday house (go Rachel!) for three days.

Kaiteriteri

It's on the edge of Abel Tasman National Park and stunning. You have to get a boat, or fly, or walk in so is very peaceful. I got dropped off on the main beach, high summer season and not a soul in sight. Alcohol is heavy so I was pleased to see Sam and Rachel appear (no watch, what sort of excuse is that). 

The boat disappears - but someone's sure to jump out of the dunes to help??? 

Made it! View from the front lawn

There's a canoe and small motor boat to putter about in and I canoed over to a gorgeous tropical beach with clear, sparkly blue water, fringed with huge pungas and other native trees where I even felt compelled to leap in and have a quick swim. A quick and nervous swim, as I'd been chasing a rather large stingray over. Top spot. In fact one of the world's top spots. It's a really relaxing place where time doesn't much matter, so beer with breakfast felt just fine. Then a long read, more food, more beer, a wee nap, maybe a walk or a paddle.....

There was just Sam and Rachel and me for two nights, then it was full house for New Year with lots of friends arriving. I happily moved out to a tent with a mattress, mod cons, fab view and silence for another night.Sam and Rachel braved the cold water and stingrays to swim across the inlet. Fortunately they survived.

I sadly left on New Year's Eve, and luckily for me the taxi came right into the inlet to drop someone off, so I was saved a boat ride and walk along the beach. And I got the bonus of a trip up to Totaranui and 15 minutes there.

I was happy to be able to spend some time with Meg - it was her birthday - on the way back into Nelson and that night got to see the Phoenix Foundation live on the Church Steps in Nelson. They were fantastic. A good end to the year. I look forward to lots more of the same in 2009.....Singapore, Dubai, England, New Zealand.....

Nostalgic pubs-at-the-top-end-of-Trafalgar-St-in-summer pic for those overseas