The 2008 Nelson Arts Festival!

The 2008 Nelson Arts Festival was a real goody this year.
Eleven days (and nights) of innovative theatre, music, dance, cabaret and writers do their thing at the Historic Founders Park and the wonderful Suter Gallery.

We attended a number of events throughout the festival this year. Simon was on stage on the opening night, delivering his Pecha Kucha talk (see his show notes here). He was also (dragged) onstage on the final night of the Festival by Ronan Ronan!

Simon is pictured above on the lawn at Founders on the final day of the Arts Festival, quietly enjoying a cold ale from the on-site brewery.


The iconic windmill at the entrance to Founders Heritage Park.

The Wild West

We took a trip to explore the West Coast of the South Island last week. It was a real Road Trip - we just pointed the car in the general direction and drove!

It was a great trip. The West Cost of the South Island is a wild and unpredictable part of New Zealand. The pace of life is slow, and the local 'Coasters' are very friendly.


We bought a pub along the way...


I don't think we're in Kansas anymore Toto.


We explored about 4 kms of a vast underground cave network just south of Westport. It took 3.5 hours with an experienced guide, including a trip on 'Cecil' the train to the cave entrance shown above.


This is a shot of the 'back door' of the cave. Beautiful!


We made it as far south to the Franz Joseph Glacier.



The trip home was half the fun - especially when we discovered
the rustic charm of Blackball. Read about out stay there in the next post...

The Blackball Hilton

On our way back to Nelson from the West Coast, we stayed at The Blackball Hilton.
Formerly The Blackball Hilton - an original, old West Coast Pub off the beaten track' in historic Blackball (16 minutes up the valley from Greymouth).
The cosy pub was once the focal point of a bustling and notorious mining village. Nowadays it is again an important part of Blackball's social life. It's a relaxing and easily affordable place to stay.

Read more about this interesting town here.


An abandoned mine.


Kay outside the 'Blackball Hilton'.


The TV3 program 'Spookers' concluded that this old homestead in Blackball is the most haunted house in New Zealand! What is that in the top window?



A local Coaster told us where to pan for gold. After crashing through gorse and climbing down a rocky cliff face we found 'the spot'. We found a couple of gold flecks!

The Salmons drop in!

What a treat to spend a sunny afternoon with the Salmon family last weekend. Davey, Rose, Ben, Mosey and Florence are dear friends of ours from Hinemoa Street, Auckland.
The Salmons were adventuring it up big-time down this way while exploring Mount Arthur and the Karamea. These guys sure know how to have some serious fun!

Spring has sprung

Hurray - Spring is here!
It was the coldest and wettest Winter in Nelson - so the locals say. We're actually very pleased to hear that because it means that next year will not be so bad!


The colours are starting to change and blossoms are everywhere.

However, there is still snow to be seen on the Tarkaka ranges.