Nelson part 2

Morning view from our balcony.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our first post of Nelson focussed on our outdoor activities. Fran thought we should also show the more laid back part of our stay. We had a beautiful two bedroom condo shared with Charles and Linda. It overlooked the harbour and Tasman Bay beyond. We took full advantage of the large balcony that extended the full width of the apartment for morning coffee and supper in the evening.

Morning coffee overlooking the lighthouse.

Just livin'.

Supper

The view.

The harbour was busy with commerce as well as pleasure craft. This was a neat sight for a couple of land lubbers like Fran and Ken. It was old hat to Maritimers like Charles and Linda.

Our view of the sunset.

We were a fifteen minute walk to the centre of town via Anzac Park and we went daily. Since our apartment did not have internet, we frequented a café that did and got to know the staff quite well. Nelson is an attractive and typical New Zealand town with a population around 50 000. The main shopping streets are comprised of local independent stores and New Zealand chain stores. The only international chain represented is Starbucks. Market days are Wednesday and Saturday and we took full advantage. Fresh fruits and vegetables are abundant since we are entering fall.

Anzac Park, on our walking route to downtown.

Nelson, the top of the main street looking at the cathedral. Fran is leaving a coffee shop.

Nearly all of the main shopping streets in every town we have visitied are covered like this and usually decorated with flowers or public art.

Market day. It's all local and usually picked the same day.

Our coffee shop and connection to the world.

While here, we have been reflecting on things that we have observed about New Zealand. Here are some random observations:

The population of New Zealand is 4 million people; 3.2 million live on the North Island. Of the 800,000 who live on the South Island, 300,000 live in Christchurch. That leaves 500,000 people to spread over the entire South Island outside of Christchurch. No wonder there are no traffic jams!

Kiwis have their own fashion style. Most dress very well. Almost all women of all ages wear dresses and skirts. Men in the cities, like Auckland, wear suits.

Many Kiwis like to go barefoot when they are dressed casually. It is common for primary aged children to go barefoot to school.

Kiwis don’t swear much. We have rarely heard the F bomb.

Most kiwis are fit. It is rare to see fat kids or adults. When we were discussing this with a café owner, he expressed surprise saying that in surveys of obesity conducted in South Pacific countries, New Zealand ranks poorly. He himself is identified as obese in NZ terms. We judged him to be carrying about 20 extra pounds for his build.

Kiwis like their coffee. There is a café on every block even in the smallest towns. The favourite brew is called a flat white which is a latte with a very thin layer of foam on top in which they create a fern, the national symbol.

Almost as frequent as coffee shops are outdoor shops selling good quality outdoor clothing and gear.

Cars last forever here. It is not unusual to see 15 year old cars in great shape on the roads. The oldest seen so far - a 1965 Ford Anglia. Many of the old cars are imported used from Japan.

There are cicadas everywhere there are more than two trees. The sound is deafening at times!

 Finally, most Kiwis seem very happy with life. We have had various explanations why. Here is my  favourite.  “You had to pay to come to paradise. I get paid to live here.”




We are on the road again for the next week heading to Golden Bay first and then down the west coast.