Back in Sunny Nelson

We are back in sunny Nelson again -   known as the “Sunshine Capital of New Zealand”.  Staying once more at the Richmond Motorhome and Caravan Park.  In fact, the camp hosts remembered us from our earlier visit before we went over the ill fated Takaka Hill a week or so earlier, so we must have made a good impression on them.  As the end date of our holiday is fast approaching, we are backtracking as we make our way to the ferry next week.

Staying at Richmond again

Remember the huge gum tree just down the road that we mentioned in an earlier post?  Well, just to show how huge it really is, we stopped and took another photo.  It must have been a monstrous tree before it was chopped down, and reduced to a stump.  The first  photo shows me on this trip, and the second, (another blast from the past) Robin on our last trip here six years ago.

That’s a whoppa tree stump!

Although we had been to Rabbit island back in the dim distant past, I couldn’t really remember what it was like, so we took a drive out there today.  Heavily planted with pine trees, there is still plenty of room for the public to enjoy.  There are picnic areas everywhere, as well as miles of sandy beach.

The beach had lots of people enjoying the warm sunny day, lounging on the sand, or playing in the water.  There was quite a bit of debris on the beach, left over from the storm, no doubt.

At the beach on Rabbit Island

With the pine tree plantation, fire must be an ever present danger – hence the sign we saw. No overnight camping is allowed on Rabbit Island.

We drove along various tracks on the island, and came to an estuary, lovely and peaceful indeed, and spotted a pair of Variable Oystercatchers resting in the sand.  Usually we have seen these birds busily walking along the beach as they probe for food in the wet sand. 

Oystercatchers on the estuary

Then we came across this amusing advertising feature for “Frank’s Trees”, trading at the entry of Rabbit Island – using an old Triumph Herald to showcase his wares.

Trees for sale - this way

Our day out concluded with a visit to a Berry Farm for some fresh strawberries, and a “real fruit” ice-cream – so delicious!

Mmmm, ice-cream!