Just Now, Our Blood Dances to Other Music

At last, all the suitcases have been emptied and put away, and all that is left is three new bags of yarn, one bag of sock yarn which I took with me, and these fat quarters. I bought them in Devonport, in Cushla's Village Fabrics. They are from an extensive range of New Zealand batik, which features motifs from New Zealand culture and nature. I think they are just gorgeous. The silver fern ones are probably my favourites.

The helpful lady in Cushla's told me that she will ship overseas and that fat quarters, if there are not too many of them, will often go in one envelope, so do not require too much postage.

I have an idea that I might take some of my photos and print them onto fabric, then create a cushion with the image at the centre and use some of these fabrics as a border. I think I might be able to make a set of three or four. What do you think? I have so many photos from this trip that the difficulty will be choosing.

This photo is from the balcony of our hotel in Nelson, which was on the banks of the Maitai river. In the publicity photo for the hotel it showed the river like it is here, flowing past the hotel and with a canoe on it. When we woke up on the first morning I thought at first they must be in the throes of some dreadful drought, the river was more or less a trickle along the far bank. Of course, it is a tidal river and the tide was out. Duh!

I really liked Nelson, which I had not visited before. We explored the town on the first day and went to an excellent market full of local art and crafts, then to the Bead Gallery as recommended by Catbert's guidebook. What a fabulous shop! It is stuffed full of beads and jewellery of all different types and colours. I spent an hour in there, or so I thought, and came out to find that DSoK was a middle aged man and Mr Knitbert had aged twenty years. No, not really, but they did look a bit bored. I bought the necklaces and earrings on the left at the Bead Gallery, and the necklace and earrings on the right at a handmade jewellery stall at the market. This necklace is made of carnelian beads painted with copper.



The next day, Catbert and DSoK went sea kayaking in a little place called Marahau, about one hour's drive along the coast and opposite the Abel Tasman Park. Mr Knitbert and I spent the afternoon on this deserted beach while we waited for them.


While we waited, we visited the local cafe and indulged in a coffee and a snack called a Seriously Yummy Cookie. And it was, dear reader, it really was. I think chocolate was involved, and some nuts, but apart from that I cannot now remember. It was also a Seriously Large Cookie, and if I had made a habit of eating them I should have become a Seriously Large Knitbert.

For our last day here we had booked a water taxi to take us from Marahau across to the Abel Tasman Park, where we walked along the coastal track to another bay, where we were picked up at the end of the afternoon. The water taxis were cool!

The boats are on a trailer, which is towed along by a tractor to the water's edge, with all the passengers in it. At high tide there is a ramp down to the sea, but at low tide the tractors drive right onto the sand and out into the water. Then the boats are floated off the trailer and zoom off at high speed towards the park.

I will not bore you with too many photos, but the park is beautiful, and we enjoyed our walk. Here are just a few pictures of our day. We were exhausted when we got back, and I sank gratefully into a hot spa bath at the hotel.




`In due time, we shall be home-sick once more for quiet water-lilies swaying on the surface of an English stream. But to-day all that seems pale and thin and very far away. Just now our blood dances to other music.'

Wind In the Willows, Kenneth Grahame