View from our bedroom window at Linkwater. On Friday we checked out of our Tata beach home, and drove back over Takaka hill (actually an 800 meter mountain pass) on route to Linkwater, our next home. On the way we had lunch at a nice restaurant in Motueka that Mike had found- one with a Michelin rated chef! The food was rich but good, and we ordered a variety of small plates so got to to sample many items. We then walked around Motueka before stopping for groceries.
Our beautiful Linkwater home has a fireplace and is comfortable and with none of the musty smell of our previous house. It has 2 bedrooms, very clean with a living room full of windows and two outside decks. The view out of our bedroom window is superb. Mike makes us a delicious lamb roast with side dishes for dinner. Mmm mm.
I met Jag the Warthog at our Linkwater home as well as several sheep. (The homeowner had stopped by to say hello, and told us about the farm animals and “Jags the pig!”) I stepped into the pen to feed Jags the pig before I noticed he wasn’t just a “pig” but a wild warthog! He was very friendly, especially when I fed him from the “right” side of the fence.
Picton Harbour
We drove to Picton about 40 min away to see the town, and walk Bob’s Bay track along the peninsula to see the Harbor. In town I ran across a second year saxophonist, a young boy who was playing his first busking job. We watched and listened, then smiled at how delighted he was by the money people dropped in his case. Michael picked up more green lipped mussels for dinner and made them in a white cream sauce, fresh parsley and white wine with baby Bella mushrooms over penne pasta. We’re living high on the hog and so is “Jags the pig”!
Mailboat from Havelock
Monday, May 20th we drove to Havelock to catch the mail ferry. This is a privately run mail service that has been running for a hundred years or so, subsidized by the government. They will also deliver groceries, building supplies and travelers along the route. Over the years, they found that people were interested in riding along just for the fun of it, so they also turned it into a pleasure cruise.
Sue finds a friendly cat while waiting outside for mail boat.
We rode along with about 15 others while the mail was delivered to the various Baches (pronounced Batches), usually a summer home, around the bay. Most had docks for the mailboat to pull up to, and people would often meet us with their dogs. We would deliver the mail and a doggie biscuit for each dog who showed up. Other times the mail was thrown onto the beach while the owner threw their mail back into the boat.
Cormorant or “shag” bird
We got to stop in a couple of locations, for lunch or just sightseeing. We also made some small detours to see wildlife, such as the cormorants and seal shown in the photos.
The sounds are filled with mussel farms. Long ropes are seeded with baby green mussels, then draped underneath support floats. The orange end floats are anchored to the sea floor, with the black barrels between them supporting loops of mussels. After 18 months, the mussels are ready to harvest- around 750 kg per float!
Mussel Farming
Our last day we head off hiking on the Queen Charlotte track. The trail winds across the ridges of the long peninsula, giving views of the blue water of the sounds. The water isn’t the vivid blue that we remember from our last time here in the spring, but is still a wonderful sight.
We loved our time together with Mike and Sue and we found it difficult to say goodbye. But the next morning, they headed off towards Christchurch, while we got ready for our next week’s adventure on a remote house in the sound.
