Tramping...BBall with the Flatmates and Sushi Sunday

After settling into our new home, and having it to ourselves for the weekend...we decided it was time to set out on our first tramp (note kiwi converter to left of page...tramp = hike). One of the reasons we settled in Nelson was the close proximity of three national parks and a state park to the town. A quick 45 minute drive and we were at the Coastal Track start centre in Abel Tasman. Still working on our Kilometer to Mile conversion skills, we set out on a 28K trek into the park. Amazing, amazing, amazing. The path was nicely maintained and every corner presented something new to experience - first of many were rock messages left in the sand visible only when the tide is out. Just under 9 miles later we reached our destination, a little more than we had planned. We made good time going in, all the hikes offer K's to hours converters and are overestimated on hours. The hike was through a rain forest with a variety of growth: ferns, flowers, fungus, pine trees and many other undergrowth. Plenty of singing birds seemed to accompany us as we made our way.

Te Pukatea Bay is a beautiful little campground set directly behind a golden sandy beach. A campsite with an approx. 10 tent capacity, we were the only people to pitch a tent and stay the night. With an entire beach and campsite to ourselves, we set out exploring the shellfish, flowers, birds and seashells strewn about.

Always searching for critters...

I made it...my first backpacking trip!

love love love

Panorama shot of Te Pukatea Bay the morning before we headed out.

Dinner and a couple of cribbage games later, it was time to turn in, tomorrow was another 14K trek back to the Adventureship. John marked our visit on a picnic bench in the campsite, looking forward to finding it down the road :) After the long trip out...which we were both ready to be over by the end...we decided a much earned beer and burger were on the agenda. Where to go on the Queens Birthday?

We landed at an Irish pub, Motty Malones, for a brew and after conversing with the locals decided to head down the block to a local favorite The Happy Chippie. On the menu...anything you could dream of having battered, fried, charbroiled, whatever your poison. Regular cheese-burger for Shannon and a bacon-burger for John (fell short on the bacon, as of course it was a slice of ham) but other than that the food was incredible. The chips were as hot as hot can be - Mary Barz, your temperature sensitive taste buds would have loved them...mine did! Made it home, full, happy and clean after a much needed shower and fell asleep soon after. Time to hit the computers tomorrow and finalize this job situation.

Tuesday night is movie night in Nelson, which means cheaper fare... always good for the budget conscious. This seems to be date night for us in the weeks to come. Water for Elephants was the selection, with a nalgene of Pilsener and some snacks, followed by a couple of pizzas from Steffanos - great neopolitan pies.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were filled with talking to potential employers, making dinner, reading, watching movies and playing crib with the flatmates.

Saturday we found ourselves walking around the market, and enjoying our first taste of the famous New Zealand meat pies at a corner store. I must say, they were good, but definitely not good enough to be worth the calories...500 per pie. No thanks. Saturday night headed off to the local basketball game, The Nelson Giants, with Kat and Jeff. The Giants are a semi-pro team that is about the same talent as the MSU Bobcats-so a few inches short of a dunk or a triple double in turnovers, charges, and airballs. Lots of beer and lots of wine later the Giants were victorious and we marked that event off our to do list.

John - Shannon (yes Dad, same shirt) - Kat - Jeff

  

Trafalgar Centre

Sunday turned out to be a typical recovery/relaxing day after the crazy Saturday night we had. One good thing that came out of our otherwise uneventful day was a new tradition. Sushi Sundays! Kat and Jeff have an amazing machine - the sushezi - a great little tool and something we're looking forward to making together every week.

Sushi Sundays...our new tradition.

Job Updates:

Shannon landed a full time gig with Accents on the Park, a hostel located in Central Nelson. The position is primarily Reception driven with a large emphasis on hostel operation. Along with the position comes room and board in exchange for after hour supervisor shifts. We will sign a 4 month contract and call Accents our home for the next little while.

John is getting to know the craft market and talking with another brewery for a potential opportunity. Sales for Stoke begin next week and hopefully some new accounts and some more hours. Make sure to check out the brewery news and updates tab.

A special birthday shout out to Jenna Eberhardt, Shannon's niece, as she turns 15 today! She'll be out on the open road in Boise soon, so drivers beware ;) Love ya Jenna Bug!

Next up, The calm before the storm of the Accent's job and business time.