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Thursday, 6 March 2014

The Mussel Pot

This morning the boys made bacon and eggs and we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. We then set off for picturesque Picton, nestled between the sea and the hills, a short half hour drive from Blenheim. Set in the upper reaches of Queen Charlotte Sound, Picton is the south island terminus for the ferries that cross Cook Strait.


Mum and I wandered around a craft market while dad and Andrew
 watched a ferry load and leave, then walked out along the marina.


We regrouped and explored the wide streets and historic buildings along the waterfront including a couple of jewellery stores that have NZ blue pearls…there were some lovely pieces but none of us were tempted to make a purchase. We did however buy some small items in other shops along the street!


We then drove along Queen Charlotte Drive toward Havelock, it’s one of Marlborough’s most scenic roads and has countless breathtaking views of the surrounding Marlborough Sounds…a labyrinth of sheltered bays dwarfed by unspoilt native forest…the turquoise water secluded bays and twists and turns of the stunning coastlines are amazing.


There are plenty of places to pull over and check out the views…


We arrived in Havelock, know as the Greenlip Mussel capital of the world and because Dad had seen an article about a restaurant called ‘The Mussel Pot’, we decided we should give it a go…it lived up to the hype…the food was sensational and the weather so balmy that we took the ‘Al Fresco’ dining option…


 Don't you love the mussel pot on the roof!


We decided to share the platter on offer that included smoked, marinated, steamed, grilled, battered mussels and a small serve of mussel chowder with delicious home baked bread…YUM!



From there we drove down to the road which overlooks the beautiful Havelock Marina before heading back to Blenheim where mum and I hit the shops again, we both made purchases. Mum a lovely velvet top and I bought two merino jumpers…I couldn’t decide between two of the colours on offer so I thought I should have both of them!

We dropped mum and dad back at the Villa and then Andrew and I went off to buy some tasty morsels to have for dinner tonight. When we returned it was lovely to find mum asleep on one of the recliners in the lounge room and dad outside in our courtyard enjoying a beer and reading the paper…




It’s been another wonderful day and we’re all a bit sad that we only have a few days left before we return home…

I'll leave you with a photo of Andrew…can you tell he was disappointed that the Creme Brûlée Magnum ice cream was only a mini size! I don't think we will ever buy mini ice creams again! When he took it out of the packet he declared in a somewhat plaintive voice "what happened to the rest of it!"


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