I love Saturday mornings in NZ as there is always a market to visit somewhere and Nelson was no different. They seem to be a little more difficult to find and of course they aren't half as big as they are at home but this will do for my fix. We tasted sheep's milk products (milk, cheeses and yoghurt) which was surprisingly creamy. As with any milk that is not cow, I found it a little "raw" but still quite enjoyed it enough to buy some of the stronger cheese to eat with our breakfasts for the next few days. In the next isle over we were persuaded (by the Dutchman and his wife) to buy a warm, freshly fried, not too sweet but perfectly spiced Dutch doughnut which did not disappoint as we sat for a moment to enjoy (it really was only a moment because we scarfed it down) and then made our way around the square being sure not to miss each table, stand and vendor before deciding what we wanted to try next. There were various sellers of clothing, vegetables, fruits, lots of exotic looking flowers (to us), wool slippers, hats and sweaters and yummy breads and meats galore. We happened upon "Don Rodrigo The Artisan Baker" (not himself but the bakery) where they sold doughy breads and meat pies but one stood out for us. The venison cross pie!
It looked so flaky and tasty we couldn't resist. Wow! I have to admit that I've been a little disappointed at some of the meat pies I've chosen (and if you've been reading, you know I have a knack for choosing the less awesome one) but this was to die for good! The pastry was light and flaky yet buttery and
chewy; the filling was tender, rich and meaty with just the right amount of gravy. I don't know why we didn't buy them all and eat 'em for breakfast lunch and dinner the next few days! lol
chewy; the filling was tender, rich and meaty with just the right amount of gravy. I don't know why we didn't buy them all and eat 'em for breakfast lunch and dinner the next few days! lol
We also spied a German meat shoppe and purchased a package each of cured beef pepperoni sticks and bratwurst sausages which we figured we'd eat for dinner that night, but we still needed to find a side accompaniment. As luck would have it there was a Viennese women around the corner selling her homemade veggie strudels filled with zucchini, eggplant, peppers, spinach, olives and cheese. A meal plan complete.
We still had most of the day (and our chilly bin); so looked up some touristy options to do and found Rabbit Island which was only about 40 minutes away. Off we go with German pepperoni meat snacks at the ready! As soon as we got on the highway it was at a standstill. Two lanes merging into one because of an accident, flipped car in the ditch. Yowza! We finally made it through and we were once again on our way. I was craving something fresh and fruity so Ryan promised we'd stop at the next fruit stand which ended up being in the back lane of a dusty gravel lot beside a huge farm. It was a shack about the size of Mary's upstairs bathroom and had mostly veg until I noticed the strawberries. They were so beautifully red and luscious looking. Then the lady expressed how lovely they were and SOLD!
Holy Crackers they were, no word of a lie, the best strawberries I've ever had. Room temperature, soft and ripe with the perfect amount of sweet and tart! We ate most of them on the road until we happened upon Seifrieds.
The light bulb in our minds shined bright when we both realized we were in wine country! How could we not stop in for a tasting? We tried a few red Pinot Noirs which were just ok but the whites (Reisling, Chardonnay and Sauv Blanc) we tried were fruitilicious and *citrusy good. So we bought two bottles making our 10 tastings each free! I love this country!
Holy Crackers they were, no word of a lie, the best strawberries I've ever had. Room temperature, soft and ripe with the perfect amount of sweet and tart! We ate most of them on the road until we happened upon Seifrieds.
The light bulb in our minds shined bright when we both realized we were in wine country! How could we not stop in for a tasting? We tried a few red Pinot Noirs which were just ok but the whites (Reisling, Chardonnay and Sauv Blanc) we tried were fruitilicious and *citrusy good. So we bought two bottles making our 10 tastings each free! I love this country!
We were at Seifrieds for a while chatting up the lady and when we told her where we were headed (Rabbit Island) she advised that we should drive a little further and check out another beach called Kaiteriteri that she thought was better. Said the sand is gold and the water is super blue; only about another 30 minutes away.
We took her advice and ventured out further. Glad we did because even though we thought we were *lost or going the wrong way a few times we stumbled upon some pretty amazing scenery.
Arriving at Kaiteriteri Beach we found the gold sand was like the color of light brown sugar and when you stepped in bare feet it had the texture of dark brown sugar squishing on the bottom of your feet and between your toes. The water was crystal blue, but only warm enough to put your feet in, however there were some people swimming. (Crazy people!)
Even though we went to Kaiteriteri we still wanted to go to Rabbit Island. It's a 13km long beach and wasn't sure if we'd have a chance to come back. Since it was dinner time and we had all our camping gear and food with us we thought it would be fun to BBQ at the beach. We drove around looking for a vacant spot and saw many families had the same idea. But they were using the beach BBQ's that are neither coal or propane; and not a grill but a flat top. Basically it looks like you fill the main compartment with wood pieces and light it on fire. It heats the flat top which you can use tin foil on to cook. So odd but it seems the norm here. Here is a pic I found on the web, no idea who the guy is but that is definitely the BBQ. Such a beautiful day and once we got home we saw that a fairly large group of bikers (Harley type motorcycles) had set up camp not far from us. They were quite loud and boisterous in their group and when they left in the morning (around 6:00am) they made no effort to be quiet, shouting and laughing about. Their bikes were so loud we thought they may have driven right through our tent site. When we got up that morning we realized our Sunscreen was missing. I can't be sure but... who knows... :(
Ryan went mountain biking not far from our campsite so while I drove out to go shopping, he held on to the side of the van for a ride. Only in NZ. Bless his heart! lol
We met back at the camp ground but it was soooo buggy. And when I say buggy I mean those blasted *SAND FLIES!!! GROSS!
To avoid them we went for
a drink at a craft beer pub called The Vic where they had a wide selection
of Mac's beers and a cider. Decent! Again we couldn't resist the beach so headed there for a walk and to watch the kite surfers! They're pretty cool and there was a kid about Jacob's size practicing on the beach. The wind nearly took him away a few times but his dad was there. Too cute! The Tahunanui Beach is ridiculously beautiful!! Makes you want to stay longer but we knew the rain was coming and decided to take advantage of the sunshine and went to The Warehouse to buy a $10 badminton set and frisbee. After dinner at The Vic (yes we went back) of calamari with lemon aioli, chicken
wings with mint yogurt and spiced wedges with cheese, bacon sweet chili
sauce and sour creme, we went back to the camp ground to play game badminton. We spent most of the time laughing at how bad we are. Hilariously fun and I highly recommend it. Plus it's fun to say 'shuttlecock'. We had some more time to kill before bed and headed into the lounge to play cards and watch some of NZ's version of Got Talent. That night when we went to bed the birds were so crazy loud and vocal. So much so that they made you stop whatever you were doing to pay attention. We actually had to raise our voices when we were talking. It was like they were all having a conversation around us that was very important and not very hush hush. We couldn't see them but
pretty sure they were Tuis because of the distinctly loud clicking, clucking and
whistling...and then it just stopped. Like they had said all they had to say, and that was that!Shuttlecock! :-p
*The dictionary on this blog is trying to tell me that "citrusy" is not a word. But I know that it is having used it many times in my 37 years most of which was probably used in the last 5. But I Googled it to prove myself right and found the definition "having the flavor or smell of lemons, limes, or oranges; tangy, tart, etc." as per Webster's New World College Dictionary. Just in case anyone was curious... I aim to please.
*Ryan will no doubt have me clarify the "lost" or "going the wrong way" comment. He'd probably want me to say something like. "Ryan wasn't at all lost and knew exactly where he was going the whole time. But me, I'm so terrible at directions and constantly have no idea where I am or where I have to go." Sadly all true...most of the time.
*SAND FLIES: like little vampires, they can smell you a mile away...and they wait patiently for you to expose an ankle or a foot...then they leech on to you..biting, sucking your blood. Oh it only hurts initially for a moment. But two days later you are reminded again of that little blood sucker...you are reminded for a good 2 weeks with constant itching and scratching. F**ckers!!!
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