We had to be out of the hotel in Christchurch by 10:00 AM. This is typical checkout time in NZ so it gets us on the road earlier than might be the case if we were left to our own devices. That probably isn’t a bad thing. But we had time for lattes from the Truffle Cafe and for breakfast in our room.

It was overcast this morning, something that we haven’t seen often on this trip. But it’s good for driving. The changing landscape in New Zealand never ceases to amaze me. We went from flat farmland near Christchurch, to river valleys with hills on either side, to mountain roads, to driving along the ocean – all within the span of two hours. No pictures of this journey because, once again, eyes glued to the road!

We stopped for lunch at the Slam Club in Kaikoura. It was a bit of a hole-in-the-wall, but the reviews were very good so we took a chance, and were glad we did. We had a braised venison sandwich (venison is very big here) and it was delicious. I’d definitely recommend it the next time you are driving through. Then it was onward to Blenheim where we checked into another of Jan’s fabulous finds.

Blenheim is the gateway to Marlborough, and Marlborough is one of New Zealand’s major wine producing areas. I’m sure you can see where this is going. One of the NZ wineries we can get at home actually has a tasting room right in town, and it’s within walking distance. I went to check it out. Turns out we were too late for the tastings today, but I could buy a bottle of their wine to take back to the Tin Hut. (You know exactly what happened next, don’t you!) The walk back was pleasant, along the small stream.

I couldn’t help taking pictures of the wildlife on the walk. This picture is unusual – it almost looks like this seagull is playing fetch with the stick. Or maybe he was emulating politicians and claiming it was his, all his, just because he could. We will never know.

And here is another cormorant.

A little bridge across the stream leads to home.

You will be shocked to learn that along the way I couldn’t resist taking pictures of flowers. These flowers were mostly dry, but still very pretty. If anyone knows what they are, please let me now – Siri lookup wasn’t helpful.

The Tin Hut comes with a lovely covered deck, and since we’d had a full lunch and I had a cold bottle of local rose wine, we decided that today would be perfect day to dine in.

Here is the rose wine I bought at Astrolabe. Not available at home.

As I write this, Jan is researching options for wine tastings tomorrow. Stay tuned.