Karaka Point

Luckily, the mild weather continued. Thus, on my morning walk at Karaka Point the sandy beach was so inviting that I just HAD to get my feet wet, in the Queen Charlotte Sound. There was lots of bird song as well. Ocean surf and bird song – a most wonderful combination to fill the senses!

Wine Tour in Marlborough

I decided I couldn’t go through wine country without tasting some of that fermented grape juice. So I booked a tour with a driver (!). Accompanied by three young women from Ireland and one from Italy, Andy chauffeured us to four different vineries: Forrest, Framingham, Nº1, and Whitehaven. We tasted Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Noir, a couple of rosés, and some of the best Chardonnay bubbly one can get outside of Champagne, France. I liked the Cuvée Méthode Traditionelle and the Whitehaven wines the best. Next to the Whitehaven cellar door is the Roots Gin Shack. Andy told us about the Roots gin that, in 2023, won the World’s Best London Dry Gin Award. Thus we happily closed this merry afternoon with a sprightly gin aperitive.