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| Set up at Pohara Motor Camp |
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| Starla, Juno and Bill enjoying cuddles 😂 |
It's been three years since the Fab 5 last caught up on the road. It was time to make a plan. Summer in the South Island would be a change for the 3 North Islanders. As G&C don't have a motor home, we decided to book into Pohara Motor Camp. Wendy in her Motor Home, us in our Bus and G&C in a Cabin at the Camp Ground. Worked out splendidly.
We all meet up at 177 in Nelson (Wendy's first visit to our home, last time she came down we were up in Tosswill Rd) the night before heading over to Golden Bay, the predicted weather look great.
Wendy had to leave Nelson early that morning with her little dogs to be dropped off at a Kennel in Takaka for the few days we were parking up at Pohara, as we planned a few walks on DOC land. After dropping off her dogs, she continued onto the nearby Salmon Farm - Anatoki. And caught a couple of beautiful salmon and had them smoked for our dinner. Delicious Wendy.
We took our time heading over the hill, calling into Connings for fresh fruit and veg and a coffee on our way. Except someone didn't listen (not me!), so it was coffee at Grape Escape 😏.
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| Getting Drone ready on Pohara Beach |
Then onto the Riuwaka Resurgence, a beautiful bushwalk up the side of the Riuwaka river to where crystal clear water pops out of the Takaka Hill. As appealing as it looked, none of us had a swim even though the waters supposedly have healing properties.
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| Waiting for dinner to come in at Wainui Bay |
Up and over the Takaka Hill and onto the Camp. We were set up early enough to put Graeme's Fishing Drone out. Pohara beach can be very shallow on low tide, so not great for a swim, though Wendy did give it ago, before the line was brought back in. Success 👏 - one good sized snapper and ....... one good sized snapper head! Something had eaten the rest of it.😬
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| Dinner 👏 |
We woke to a perfect day and headed over to Wainui Bay at the start of the Able Tasman Walkway. Bill and I had only discovered recently this beautiful beach, so long as the tide is over halfway in or out. We carried the Drone and gear over the short track from the carpark and set up. It was perfect for swimming while we waited on the fishing line to bring the fish back in. And it did. Three Snapper and a Trevally. Very successful fishing. Lovely fish wraps for dinner.
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| Wharariki Beach |
The next morning we headed over the other side of Golden Bay to Wharariki Beach, a favourite beach of ours. The coffee shop wasn't open on arrival, so we headed over the hill and down onto the West Coast Beach, stunning, and even better when there is no wind. Sadly there was strong southerly blowing up the coast, we didn't stay long.😢
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| What's in here then? |
Coincidentally, G&C had been there on that same day 16 years ago! How amazing😯 is that? We did stay long enough on the beach that on our arrival back to the carpark, the Café was open. It was meant to be.
A bit more Tiki Touring on the way back and lunch at Mussel Inn - mussels for the mussel lovers. The tide was just right at Tata Beach on our return, so we had a lovely swim in the deep clear waters.
Saturday morning saw us heading into the Takaka Market. I don't think anything had changed in the 30 odd years we had been going over there except these adults on the stalls must now be the children of the earlier stall holders.😂
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| Lunch at Mussel Inn |
In the afternoon, Bill, Wendy and I headed up the Wainui Falls. Not for a swim but photos. It is a lovely scenic walk and cool in the bush. We got back in time to join G&C with Claire's French Rosé(that was more expensive than my French bottle in France 😉) and another bottle or two, not too mention, fish wraps again for dinner. Can never have too many fish wraps. Delicious 😘.
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| B&S, Graeme & Wendy |
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| S&B, Claire & Wendy |
It was time for Bill & I to return to Nelson, organising our trip to Australia at the end of the week, so we had a farewell breakfast over the road at Nikau Café before a little more tiki touring the area. A final swim at Tata Beach before we headed back over the hill, leaving G,C&W to do the Farewell Spit the next day.
Another fabulous trip Guys.
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| Synchronised Swimming (Sort of 😂) |
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| Wendy capturing Wainui Falls |
