Taking on the Takaka Hill & Meeting Jill

Thursday 8 January

Cousin Jill had messaged a few days ago to say she was just over the hill in Tākaka so we packed a picnic and tackled the wicked hill. Basically it goes up about 1000m in 10km of steep twisty roads then comes down the other side equally fast with a couple of hairpin bends for good measure. We would love to stay over in Golden Bay but getting Banjo over there would be a nightmare journey.

So we took a day trip - up, up, up and then down, down, down! It is almost entirely uphill, not even a small flat break, just a continual climb with so many twists and turns. At the top, by the Ngarua Caves, we stopped to admire the view and video call my sister, Caroline, as when we brought her here about 360 days ago we literally could not see a thing as we were up in the clouds and it never stopped raining! On the way down, we rounded a corner and came across this cool rainbow sign, just as "All you need is love" by the Beatles came on the stereo - so apt!

Finally arrived in Takaka, pulled into the info stop for a toilet stop and promptly bumped into Jill at the bins! We had a lovely coffee and catch up with her for an hour or more at the Good as Gold Cafe, on the main street. She’s been on the road for a year or two longer than us and we’ve almost crossed paths several times but somehow just missed! Discussion revolved around family, old age health issues and life on the road - it was lovely.

After saying farewell we thought about going out to Totaranui at the top of the Abel Tasman Coastal Track, but it was over an hour away so we headed off to Ligar Bay instead for lunch and a lazy afternoon on the beach. We swam, we snoozed, we chilled and at the end I miraculously managed to fold up our pop- up sun shelter and we trekked back over the hill. The beach there is lovely - a wide sweeping bay with golden sands and picture perfect azure seas. After lunch Louis set off for a big long swim from one side of the bay and back and I hid my head in the sun shelter and had a wee snooze - and woke up to see two wet horses on the beach! I had missed them having a dip, but went over to chat to their owner and give them a pat - along with a little girl called Wallis who was absolutely pony mad and so excited to see them (reminded me of myself as a child!)

With an hour and a bit drive back ahead of us, we reluctantly packed up around 4ish, and as i mentioned, managed to wrangle the pop-up shelter back into its bag (more luck than skill) then headed home... no penguins crossing sadly, but the arch through the rock is always cool!

Dinner at Banjo and an early night after all that sun ☀️