A few weeks have passed since we began our stint at Dean's Nursery, and started exploring this wonderful part of New Zealand properly (i.e. we can now afford the petrol to spend our weekends exploring the entire Nelson area). Firstly, the news from Dean's Nursery. We have reached something like 50,000 vines so are certainly over halfway to our target for this year. Dad, you sent a recent email asking how long each graft took to complete - it takes literally seconds, the time it takes to find a piece of bud wood and rootstock that are roughly the same size and kick your foot a couple of times, which is made easier by the fact Su and I grade the bud wood and rootstock into piles of small, medium & large so when we sit to graft you can find a match quickly.

We have also been doing a few new bits. I've been doing a little packing as and when required and last week we began the task of getting the vines ready to plant out (I've added some more pics for this). Once grafted they sit in the hothouse for about 3 weeks, then are moved into a normal greenhouse to harden off. After a few days we bring the boxes into the shed and pull the vines out of their comfortable little home, rip their roots off, trim the new shoots growing out of the top, check that the graft has taken properly, and dip them into molten wax to protect the graft when planting out. They are then packed into a large box and put into the cold store in preparation for planting out, which looks like being early next week for the first batch. We're both looking forward to this - apparently we have to start stretching our thigh muscles now, as it is a killer! Thankfully we only do it for part of a day, as it gets so painful!

The other news from Dean's is the wildflower paddock that is still growing ever more beautiful with each day - now there is a smattering of blue cornflowers and red poppies amongst the oranges, pinks, purples and yellows. It really is stunning, and Susie is working hard to ensure it stays that way by taking out some wild dandelions as they are starting to take over the other flowers.

And we are using our weekends to get out in dear ole Shadowfax and explore the area. Last weekend we had a gorgeous walk along the Maitai River in Nelson on Saturday. We've done part of this walk when staying at Almond House, and this time we continued further into the valley, strolling along the water's edge (avoiding the sandflies which are starting to appear in force now), enjoying the peace and quiet, the pink and red blossom against the new fresh green, snowdrops, and little ducklings which are now paddling furiously along the river with their mummies. It was a delightful walk, very calming.

Then on Sunday we drove down to the Nelson Lakes National Park and spent the day at Lake Rotoiti and Mount Robert. When we arrived at St Arnaud, our first impression was one of shear beauty and scale (once we'd stopped cooing over a gorgeous 10 week old German Pointer puppy who was flopping around the visitor centre cuddling his warm little body up against our legs and wagging his bum furiously). We first saw the lake from Kerr Bay and were faced with a picture-postcard scene - a large calm lake, reflecting the blue sky and wispy clouds, surrounded by mountains on all sides, some capped with snow, and the impressive bulk of Mount Robert peering down in front of us. It was breathtaking. But for some reason we didn't really love the place. Its geology was fascinating, a large glacial lake at the top of the Southern Alps, one of two born out of earth movements along the alpine fault and glacial action which has transformed the entire area, and I'm glad I've seen it but there was also something quite cold about the place (no, not the snow!). The top of Mount Robert had been devastated by fire several decades ago and was unnaturally barren on top, and we did a couple of walks in the surrounding bush, one around the peninsula between Kerr and West Bays, and the other a nature walk off Kerr Bay, but the bush was covered in a dark black fungus, supposed to be good for the birds, but aside from a few bellbirds on the first walk, we saw few birds, and recent winds and heavy snow had knocked several trees over, making it seem kind of dead and void of life (with the exception of biting sandflies) and made us feel a little sad. And we were also surprised that people are able to take jet boats onto this calm peaceful lake and speed around on them noisily (yes, I know we sound like old farts, but it does rather spoil the tranquillity).

In the afternoon we drove to the Mount Robert car park, or rather Su bravely drove to the car park, up a steep winding gravel track and over a small wooden bridge, a drive that was a little nervy in parts and required a large slab of chocolate once at the top to calm her nerves (any excuse!) We were rewarded with a spectacular view down over Lake Rotoiti and across the mountain ranges surrounding it, sadly not brilliant in pictures as it had become rather dark and cloudy which added to the moody atmosphere but didn't lend itself to good photos. Again, I was really pleased to have seen it, but found that I wanted to love this area more than I actually did, or perhaps I should say I loved looking at it, but didn't enjoying being there as much.

We had an unexpected bonus this weekend (in a funny kind of way!) as Su pulled her shoulder muscle lifting the heavy boxes last week and as we were also speeding along at work Jamie gave us Monday off for Su to recover and for them to try and clear the decks a little so we had enough space to continue grafting this week. I know we lost out on a day's pay, but we really appreciated the long weekend, and were even more pleased to learn that next Monday is a bank holiday for Labour Day, so we get another 4-day week, but this time get paid for the day off! We had a relatively chilled Saturday, doing a few bits in Nelson, and coming home to bake cookies and sip peach wine.

Then on Sunday we went over the Takaka Hill to Golden Bay and spent the day exploring the area around Takaka, which was divine despite the unscheduled rain that actually added to the atmosphere of the walks we chose, making them fresh, green and alive, a total contrast to Nelson Lakes. Firstly we went to Waikoropupu Springs, known as Pupu Springs, which are amongst the largest freshwater springs in the world and the clearest springs in New Zealand. The water was stunning, unbelievably clear after spending at least 3 years under the ancient marble of the surrounding countryside, with areas of 'dancing sands' where sand is pushed to the surface and appears to dance around, and they are set amongst gorgeous luscious bush, with fresh green ferns unfurling everywhere and tall well-established trees draped with secondary bush, and as soon as we got out of the car we could hear birds everywhere - the area felt alive and sacred, very special. We attempted to follow this with a walk along the Pupu Hydro Walkway, but after following a rough unsealed track for some time into the middle of nowhere (a.k.a. the wop-wops) we met a ford which had water gushing over it and we didn't want to risk poor Shadowfax in water that we couldn't tell the depth of, so we abandoned ship and drove to The Grove where we sat in the car park munching our lunch, watched by some lovely but rather smelly cows who I eventually got to eat from my hand by picking fresh grass from my side of the fence. It was rather a struggle as they were very wary of me, but one little fella got quite brave and once he caught on was sticking his nose over the fence to try and hurry up my grass picking - I am Dr Dolittle you know!

Anyway The Grove, what can I say - it was staggering, amazing, so beautiful, so magical, like a little fantasyland of craggy limestone rocks, shaped like animals and dinosaurs, with trees growing over the rocks, roots dangling over the side looking for something to hold onto, and all draped with and surrounded by vivid green, new ferns unfurling everywhere. We absolutely loved it, certainly one of our favourite little spots so far, and if we are near that way again, which we hope to be, I think we'll go back again. We could have stayed there all day, it was pure Tolkien crossed with Jurassic Park, you almost can't believe it has grown that way naturally. The little walk led you through a narrow limestone cliff to a viewpoint looking over the Takaka area, and beyond to Golden Bay and Farewell Spit. It was perfect. We eventually tore ourselves away for the drive home, and found another lovely viewpoint, Hawkes Lookout, on the 'home' side of Takaka Hill, which looked down into the valley we had driven through to the Riwaka Resurgence, over the hills to Motueka, the sandspit, Kina Peninsula, Mapua, Rabbit Island, and over the Tasman Bay to Nelson, Richmond and the mountains beyond. We had a fabulous day, and it was a little triumph for me as Su's sore shoulder meant she needed a break from driving for the weekend so I did all the driving - as you may know it's been a little while since I've been behind the wheel so I've been gradually gaining confidence again here, but the Takaka Hill was a test for me, a very long, extremely winding road, which climbs and falls steeply - luckily there are numerous passing places so I could take it at my own pace and pull over so I didn't hold up the boy racers!

And as for our day off, well I got stabbed in the morning - my final Hep B for Asia, but the nurse was brilliant, no pain! And then we took ourselves to a lovely sheltered spot on Rabbit Island and just chilled for the rest of the day, munching our lunch, reading our books, having a little snooze and watching the tide slowly recede. And we both felt so relaxed and rejuvenated, just what we needed. And now we're back at work, Su's shoulder pain has gone and she's chucking boxes about again, tomorrow night we're off to a meditation course which is running for 4 weeks in Richmond, and then we're planning for Labour Weekend and the arrival of Ross, Helen & Stevie in a few weeks to spend a weekend with us here, checking out the vineyards of Nelson. So all is good.

And last, but by no means least, Felicity, happy birthday for last week - hope you had a fabulous day and sorry I didn't get the blog on beforehand…. I can't believe you're going to be in Sydney in November, so near and yet so far…..

Lots of love, Jo & Su, xxx