After Wellington we headed north to more wineries. Along the way we stopped at a wonderful little cafe in, I think, Tarawera, that had a sign out for Devonshire teas. It was time for second breakfast, so we stopped. Didn't get clotted cream (Devonshire teas in NZ apparently don't include Devonshire clotted cream), but we met a wonderful cat named Tarquin and a woman named Maria.

Here's Tarquin with BD. Took a couple of tries to get him to sit this still, but he finally just gave up and let his picture be taken. BD loves cats, so she was happy.






Here's Maria with Nancy and Terry. We had tea and the most wonderful date scones! Plus what they called crumbed mussels, which were absolutely fabulous. Wonderful light breading, lightly salted, on fresh mussels, deep fried. Yum!

Terry and I bought bone carvings done by a local artist named, appropriately, Bones. Beautiful pieces, they are.

All in all a wonderful stop.





This rock was outside the cafe and has buckets of fossils in it! BD was in heaven because she really likes fossils.

Map

Here's the route we have planned at present. Subject to change, of course! The "must-do's" on our list are a LOTR Edoras tour, a little southwest of Christchurch, and Milford Sound. And of course we have to spend time in the wine and arts area around Nelson/Blenheim.

From Auckland, we'll fly to Sydney, Australia for a couple of days, then home.

I'm hoping I can use this "on the road" in NZ to upload pictures and such from cell phone and computer.