Picton and Blenheim wine tour

8.03

Since it’s been raining all day yesterday and I hadn’t been doing much, I started my day with a run, needed to move…

And for the afternoon, wine tasting!!!!

This time it was in Marlborough area, biggest wine producer in the country and well known for the Sauvignon Blanc.

We went to 5 wineries, and I have to admit that at the last one it was hard for me to really say if I liked or not what I was tasting…

We started at Cloudy Bay. We had a private tasting with a lot of information about the wine and the winery, which I like and they have some really good wine.

Next stop was at Brancott Estate, they were the first one to plant and create Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Their tasting room is on top of a hill, giving you a really nice view and by clear weather you can even see the North Island. I didn’t really like their wine, it’s not bad but not my taste.

And I just realized I didn't even took a picture of the place...

Can you see the North Island??

Third one, and my favorite one, Villa Maria. The one thing that is different from all of the winery, they make you taste their best wine. They have 3 “grades” of wine easily recognizable by the color of the label, starting with a white one, next gold and last black. 

Here too we had a lot of explanation during the tasting which I think make me appreciate it more.

Then it was Eradus. Good wines, but I started to have enough of it so hard to tell much about it.

And last Hunters. The wine was good, I think, my tastebuds were a little numb at that point...

And on the way home we stopped at Makana Chocolate Factory, nice end to a great day :)

Nelson-Picton

7.03

My plan for today was to get up early and go for a hike in Mt Richmond Forest park, but the rain was back :(
Not much to do so slept in and hang out at the hostel for a while. Quick stop at the beach before heading toward Picton. The sun made a small apparition a little bit before I got there so I though I could go for a run, but by the time I arrived at the hostel it was pouring rain again... So I stayed in and had a nice quiet evening. Hopping the sun will be back tomorrow!!

Nelson Beach

Karaka Point, with a little sun

Finally been able to get a picture of those littles guys, California Quail

Nelson

6.03

The reason why I wanted to come back this way and stop here is that Nelson is the craft brew capital of New Zealand. I really wanted to try more of the local beer and I'm happy I did it :)

It was raining like crazy when I woke up, almost all of the people that were camping at my hostel got flooded, fun time. But it was a good excuse to go drinking, not much else to do.
I wanted to go on a beer tour, but it was fully booked :(. So I decided that I could go visit one brewery around Nelson, come back to park the car and walk to the brewery pub in Nelson (trying to be smart and not driving drunk...)

I went to McCashin, there brand are Stoke and Rochdale, the second being cider. They brew for other small breweries, a good way to keep there employees working 5 days a week.
They do tour and tasting for 10NZ$, good deal. I liked the tour better the the other one I did because for the first time I could clearly understand what the tour guide was explaining.
We had a really good explanation about how you should taste the beer and the difference from a cask beer and a normal one.
For those who don't know, a cask beer is a beer server a room temperature, with only natural fermentation, unfiltered and unpasteurised.
We tried an Amber ale made in both form, and I have to say the cask one was tastier than the other one.

My next stop (after I dropped off the car) was Sprig and Fern. Good beer and food, and it stopped raining, sunny and warm afternoon.
After this I went for a walk around the city and ended up at the Free House Tavern, nice place and good craft beer.

McCashin

regular and cask beer

Sprig and Fern

Kaikoura-Picton-Nelson

5.03

This morning I'm leaving Kaikoura with the bus, going to Picton where I'm jumping off, grab a car and will head toward Nelson.

Aujourd'hui c'est départ de Kaikoura avec le bus jusqu'a Picton, puis voiture jusqu'à Nelson.

Une partie de la route direction Picton suit la côte et si on observe un peu, y a moyen de voir de dauphins. Ca rend la voyage bien plus intéressant :)
On s'est arrête pour 5 min pour voir des phoques, et un groupe de dauphins se promenait dans le coin, trop bien.

Ohau point

Fur seal!! they're everywhere :)

Après ça, pas grand chose jusqu'à Picton.
Remplit la paperasse, et me voilà de nouveau sur la route, en voiture :)
J'ai suivit la route touristique le long de la côte jusqu'à Nelson. Arrêt à Cullen Point, pour profiter de la vue et petite marche pour me dégourdir les jambes.
Une fois à Nelson, j'ai besoin de bouger donc je décide d'aller courir un bout. Direction The Center Of New Zealand, un peu ambitieux, ça monte raide, pas pu courir jusqu'en haut... Mais une belle vue sur Nelson et Abel Tasman National Park une fois au sommet :)

Picton

Cullen Point

Vue depuis the center of New Zealand

Kaikoura

2-4.03

Today was the fisrt day in 2 months that I absolutely did nothing... And it was awesome :)

Early start to get on the bus from Christchurch to Kaikoura and getting there early enough so people could go whale or dolphin watching. Kaikoura is one of the best place for those activities, but since I already done both of them, I wasn't feeling like spending my money to do it again. I decided I would just go for a walk or maybe a run.
One thing I haven't mention is that the more I ride on the bus the more I'm getting motion sickness, add to that the ac wasn't working and it was a warm and sunny day... When we arrived I was not feeling good at all :(
Since it was only noon, I decided to stay at the hostel for a bit a go out do something later. At 4pm finally move my ass from the coach (on which I took a nice nap) to go to the beach and walk around a little. After 5min of walking I had enough of it so I sat down to read and ended up sleeping again. Back to the hostel for diner and in bed by 9:30pm...
It felt a little weird and I kept telling myself I should do something, but at the same time I think I really needed that and might do it again tomorrow :)

Goodnight ;)

Waking up the next morning, well, really feel like doing nothing. Kaikoura is a nice quiet town by the water and feel like the perfect place do to so...
There is a swimming pool, so I planned on going for a swim, so at least I can say I've done something of my day.
I arrived at the swimming pool (it was already 12:00pm by the time I got there) to see that it was exceptionally closed :(
Well, let's go for plan B and walk up to the seal colony. It's an hour walk, flat, but not sure fli-flop were the best shoes for that. Mostly when with my luck one of them broke when I got there... Now I know why I carry a first aid kit with me all the time!! And all that to see only 2 seals :(

This is what I should have done ;)

I had three choices: walk barefoot for 1 hour, hitchhike or be creative ;) 

Crayfish fritter, pretty good

After 2 days of doing nothing, I need to start to move and do stuff, otherwise it might become a bad habit...
So this morning, I went for a walk around Kaikoura Peninsula. It's an easy trail on the edge of the peninsula with nice view and lot's of wildlife.
After my walk, I stopped by the pool (which was open this time) and done a few laps. I think I've done a mile, but not feeling too much like doing math and it make it harder to count with a 33metres long pool, not used to that length.

Crazy but i almost didn't see him walking by...

Mt Fyffe lost in the cloud

I had a good relaxing time in Kaikoura, ready to be back on the road, exploring :)

Summer

1.03

Today is race day, soooooo excited!!!!!!
Finally at the right place at the right time to participate to a race!! It's in Summer, suburb of Christchurch.

It was very different from the US races...
There were a 2.5k for the kids, a 5k and a 10k. Everybody started at the same time, but no trouble making you way in the crowd since we were max 50 persons for all categories, really small race!!
The course was nice, along the beach, 2,5k loops. Yeah, that's right, I've run loops. Since I ran the 10k, I had to do 4 of them, and I have to say it's not my favorite kind of course... But at the same time I PR so no complain :)

After the race I spend some time relaxing on the beach, before heading back to Christchurch. Time for me to return the car, and go back on the bus tomorrow, direction Kaikoura.