We have another change of plans. Will starts work at TeKauwhata on Monday! We will be flying from Nelson to Aukland on Sunday, renting a car and driving to TeKauwhata. We are happy to be able to work in TeKauwhata for a month as the doctors were counting on us and we were looking forward to spending time in this little town of 1,200 people. Now we can save our vacation time for later and can have time to plan it out in more detail. After the month in TeKauwhata Will's cousin, Ron and his wife, Caroline, will join us for 2 weeks of traveling. Our initial plan was to work for 3 months and travel for one month.
The Wine Tasting Tour was great fun! We joined 14 others and were driven by bus to 5 different wineries. It was interesting to learn about the Marlborough area which produces 75% of New Zealand's wine. I remember seeing the name, Marlborough, on many of the NZ wines sold in the states. Monkey Bay is a NZ wine and we visited the winery where it is made. We learned that if you like a special wine and you don't know if you can find it in the states, you can go to the website, www.winesearcher.com and enter the name of the wine.
One of my personal favorites was a sweet after dinner wine called The Doctor's Riesling 2011. I got such a kick out of the wordy description. "NZ 'cult' wine. All citrus on the nose with a hint of granny smith apples. On the palate a touch of natural sweet fruit, then tart and tangy and the most delicate spice A must in your fridge this summer!" I know that when I get back to the states I will look for the NZ Marlborough wines. They are known for their sauvignon blanc which is also a personal favorite of mine.
Frost and birds are the two enemies of the grapes. To warm up the area, helicopters are hired at a cost of $2,000.00 per hour to move the air around to keep the temperature above freezing. Nets are often used to prevent bird attacks.
Tomorrow we plan to drive up the coast from Nelson and enjoy the beaches. We will be looking for the golden sand which they say is beautiful. It will be our first day driving on the left side of the road. Today we got front row seats on the bus and kept our eyes on the road so that we could get the feel for having the driver on the right hand side. The bus driver gave us tips and some "rules of the road".
Good news! And obviously you made full use of your unexpected break. We will have to lift a glass of wine in your honor. Let us know when you have an address.
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