Peaking and Paddling

Wednesday 4 February

Finally! It may have been a chilly morning, but the sun was out, the skies were blue and the day promised greatness!

Took a cheeky stroll up to Pembroke Patisserie for a late breakfast, breaking both my low-carb & intermittent fasting rules 😳 - but boy was it worth it?! Delicious pastries all round, and Nickie struck up a conversation with the girl behind the counter all about open water swimming - based on her sweatshirt! We posed by the Albie Tavern in honour of Albi the golden doodle who is our "dog niece" then we wandered back and pottered while Russ worked. Nickie & I went op shopping in search of some new bedding for the Fernandivan - and came back with a silver kina (sea urchin) pendant & a Turkish towel for me and a Fat Face top for her… oops! I quite liked the book, and wondered if I should buy this for the Banjo loo library… but we’re not really retired, just practicing!

After work & lunch, Nickie & Russ set out to hike up to Roy’s Peak, a six hour walk pretty much straight up & straight down. The views from the top were epic, and apart from the heat, it was a perfect day for it.

Meanwhile we drove over to Glendhu Bay, past Roy’s Peak, and had a lovely hour or two out on Lake Wānaka in our kayak, trying to spot the other two up on the hillside! We rescued two bees that were drowning in the lake - scooped them up and let them dry out on the front of the kayak. It was such a beautiful warm day, we both jumped into the lake for a dip while the kayak dried out.

Lovely drive back into town, RUSSF was still in the carpark so Nickie and Russ were still on their way down.

Met up after their epic hike at the Recreation Centre for a spa then joined the queue at Kai Kikokiko just in time to get the last few servings of fabulous slow roasted meats - the single handed production line was amazing - slow cooked meats served with fresh salads and chips, gravy, sauces and dressings. We had brisket & pork belly - both delicious 😍 which we ate by the lakeside as the waters took on the metallic sheen of twilight - glorious!