Friday, 31 October 2025
After a lazy morning catching up on the travelblog, we headed over to Māpua with Robin and Sandra. We have been over to Māpua before but it’s a quick drive over and a pretty spot to visit sitting just across the channel from Rabbit Island. We wandered through the gift shops near the wharf, then enjoyed gurnard (fish) and chips from the Smokehouse Café. You cannot beat fish ‘n’ chips by the sea!
After a bit more wandering through the artist’s studios, we somehow managed to make room for ice-creams from Hamish’s. Really, really did not need ice-cream, but we have zero willpower and cannot resist an ice-cream shop … and only had single scoops so, hardly any ice-cream at all, ha, ha.
One more shopping stop at an eclectic little store with hand-made and up-cycled goodies. I got to chatting with the owner about my current obsession making tote bags from old denim jeans, while she showed me her wares made from old-fashioned checked woollen blankets. She makes a couple of different styled jacket/coats from the blankets that no-one wants now that everyone has a doona. They were lovely but not quite my ‘thing’. I did however buy a lovely knitted/felted hat. It’s quite like one that I bought from The Big Merino in Goulburn years ago and I have always fancied the idea of another like it in a different colour way. Last time we passed through Goulburn we stopped in a The Big Merino but, unfortunately, the lady who made the hats had retired due to advancing arthritis in her hands.
On our way back to Nelson we drove over onto Moturoa/Rabbit Island via the bridges that cross the end of Rough Island, which sits between the mainland and Rabbit Island. Although we’ve been this way before we thought the only was onto the island was via the ferry beside Māpua Wharf Boat Ramp. Robin and Sandra introduced us to the Rabbit Island Beach which stretches for miles … and miles … and miles. It is lovely hard-packed sand that is good for walking on and where they exercised quite often during the lockdown/social distancing years. We managed to reach our 30 minute exercise goal taking a brisk walk along the beach in a bracing wind.
Back at home we took it easy, until it was time to drive down to Club Waimea for dinner – as if we needed dinner! But Robin and Sandra have a regular Friday night get together with the members of their fishing club, so off to the club for dinner it was. With the club’s annual fishing trip to Kaikōura approaching, there were lots of administrative details to discuss and fees to collect. Although not really hungry, we ordered a small pizza to share. I was pleased when Bernie collected it and brought it back to the table that it had a very, very thin crust. Not too filling, thank goodness!
We had to rush home from the club to get into the card playing. With Robin and Sandra winning the first game of Bolivia, things were looking very grim indeed. The Aussies managed to win the second game of Bolivia, so now the score is eight games to four with four games to go if we continue to play two games per night. Oh, dear, if Bernie and I go on a winning streak (ha, ha) we could end up on Sunday night with a draw … after eight evenings of slogging it out over the card table.
I’m not sure what the plan is if that happens?? I guess with the cricket they have to win outright to win The Ashes and if it is a draw, the team that holds them, retains them. I guess if that good enough for the Australian and English cricket teams it would be good enough for us.
There has already been discussion about the next tournament. I have said that it has to be on Australian soil, as we have played in NZ twice in a row. Perhaps on the Sunshine Coast, as we had a great time contesting the trophy there just before COVID struck in February 2020. The pandemic led to us holding the trophy for almost three years (32 months) before we played again in December 2022. We have also joked about using a brand new Bolivia pack, so that neither team can claim that the cards have been cursed by the other, ha, ha.
Steps: 8,886 (5.85kms)
