I won’t lie – today we all woke up with a ripper hangover. Thank you very much Nelson and your delicious wine. After a shaky and slow start we left Mimi in the New World car park for a little longer while we searched for coffee to kick this hangover. S and B got distracted by some op-shops so K and I searched on until we found Paula’s Plate just off the main street in Nelson.
This adorable little cafe was kitschy and cute and had the best tiled entrance I’ve seen in New Zealand. Paula’s Plate uses local produce from around the Nelson region to create delicious and fresh food. K and I were still a little too shady to order anything edible – though the menu sounded so so good – so we settled for a takeaway coffee until the remnants of our hangover disappeared. I later discovered (thanks Google) that Paula was runner-up in the TV show Masterchef in 2013!
We caught up with S and B and had a wander through some of Nelson’s shops before the sweet scent of cinnamon wafted under our noses. Eager to investigate, we walked down a little arcade to discover a little artisan bakery tucked away in the back corner. L’Artisan Bakery smelled even better inside the shop, I closed my eyes and let my senses take over. The baker announced she had freshly baked cinnamon buns cooling off, ready to be devoured so not ones to stray from the offer of food, we chowed down the deliciously gooey, sweet treats. We had a sample of some of the other goodies but nothing compared to the sticky cinnamon buns.
Wandering slow back to Mimi, we perused through all sorts of shops and art galleries. It was such a pleasant way to work out the hangover. Deciding it was time to move on, we had one quick final grocery shop at our campsite – the New World supermarket – before driving out of Nelson towards Blenheim.
It wasn’t until we were about 5km that we realised we had forgotten to go to the main thing we wanted to see in Nelson – the World of Wearable Art museum. Chucking a slightly illegal u-turn, we navigated back to the museum all of us pretending that blonde moment never occurred.
The World of Wearable Art and Classic Cars Museum is where many award winning creations of wearable art garments come to live after they are showcased in the annual World of Wearable Art performances held in Wellington. Designed by people all over the world, these dramatic and intricate pieces of wearable art are inspired by local flora, fauna and culture.
The showcase was slightly eery, mainly because I have a slight phobia of mannequins and that they were all in a dark room illuminated by small lights. But there was no denying the hours of work that has gone into these pieces and it shows, it truly was a unique way to display art.
The Classic Cars part of the museum was equally as enthralling, with the cars presented to the highest standard. The exhibition showcased the evolution of the motor vehicle and how the styles and designs have changed over time. I’m no car enthusiast – I’ve been driving the same car since high school – but these metal beasts sure were eye-catching!
By the time we had looked through both exhibitions, our stomachs were growling something chronic so the Speight’s Ale House just across the road was looking mighty welcoming. These ale houses pop up all over New Zealand and really are just a fancy pub, but the meals are absolutely delicious. As usual, our eyes were bigger than our stomachs and we ordered enough to feed a small nation.
Struggling to walk back to Mimi because we were so full, it was late afternoon by the time we were on the road to Blenheim. We decided to free camp tonight again before splurging on a powered site in Blenheim because tomorrow we intended on doing a winery tour and wanted to look pretty – therefore electricity, showers and mirrors were a necessity! Our free camping spot was outside of Blenheim near a picnic area. It was absolutely freezing so we huddled in Mimi with our heater blaring. We were pretty knackered after a long day of adventure and driving and wanted to be fresh for our wine tour tomorrow so we called it a night early – not even attempting a game of cards!
Tomorrow we sample the best of the Marlborough region!
J. x
A Blonde and Her Passport 