November 19, 2012

  • Thursday 15th November

     

     

     

     

     

    We were up and gone soon after 7am.

    Tim took Ellie & Shoshannah and did some mussel drop offs.

    I took Mahalia & Azzan and dropped off mussels too and then picked up Jesse.

    We all met up at Kaiteriteri at 9am.

    We were amazed at how many people were there queuing up for the boat trips.

    We had tickets so just had to check in.

    We filed on board before 9:30am and got our seats up on top before the crowds boarded.

    There were around 80 people on board - it can take 140.

    This is Split Apple Rock.

    And the crowds taking multitudinous photos of it!

    The first two off were 2 German physicians at Apple Tree Bay - really nice couple I had been chatting too.

    They had a nifty gangplank which winched in and out to let folk off at the beaches.

    The rest of the photos are in random order.

    Scenery was lovely.

    We stopped to let people off at various places.

    Some walked for a couple of hours and others kayaked and others walked the rest of the Able Tasman track.

    It took the captain and crew quite a bit to keep track of everyone and make sure each was where they weremeant to be.

    And this was not a busy day!!!

    Lots of golden sandy beaches

    This bay was quarried and the stone was taken to build many things, including the Cathedral steps in Nelson.

    We saw seals, but no dolphins.

    At one point we were the only two on the top deck.

    The breeze was cool so the kids migrated back and forth between the inside lower deck and the upper deck.

    Feeding time at the zoo

    Another catamaran in the Wilson's fleet dropping off walkers.

    Our guide Simon took this photo of us all.

    Jesse, Tim, Azzan, Raewyn, Shoshannah, Ellie & Mahalia

    Loved the clouds.

    Snow on the hills to the south

    Breaker Bay - where Seb & Phoebe were married 25 November 2011.

    Tim took this

    while lying flat on his back on the deck

    Tim being gormless

    Jesse watching everything as we arrived back into Kaiteriteri

    Tim went to chat with our captain Al.

    He was still chatting after we had all offloaded.

    The guide couldn't load the next cruise until the last passenger was off.

    And that was - Timmy!!

     

    It was really hot when we got back.

    The boys had a run around in the playground.

    Then I took them in the Terrano and Tim drove the girls to Nelson.

    I dropped Jesse off at a birthday party and then whizzed Azzan out to spend a night with Asher.

    I then met up with Tim at Ross's and we spent the following hour talking business.

    Then I zoomed into Nelson to pick up the girls while Tim went to pick up a freezer.

    It was very large and heavy to we had arranged to have Michael, Dave and Seb to come help lift it.

    Alan came too so it was loaded up quite quickly.

    I met up with Tim at the WoW carpark and we reloaded bags etc.

    He took Shoshannah & Mahalia and headed off home.

    Ellie and I went back to Ross & Andrea's for a wee while, then picked up some groceries and headed over the hill to Pat & Phillipa's.

    We arrived there literally seconds before Bri & Abby.

    They had driven up from Christchurch after work.

    Good timing!!

    Phillipa had a very delicious dinner ready and we were all starving hungry so were very happy to socialise over the food.

    The evening disappeared very quickly.

    Phillipa Pat and I talked until far too late - or too early