19TH MAY TO 10TH JUNE 2026
Day 17 Nelson
Our accommodation was just on the outer edge of the centre of town. We had not made any forward plan about the next day beyond looking around the CBD and we would take it as we found it. We awoke and decided that we would eat breakfast at a café. The CBD was close but not that close so we bundled into the car and parked where we could and started the exploration of Nelson but the shops were in most cases closed for the weekend. We were on the hunt for a cafe and noted the town centre was interconnected with arcades. The town’s designers must have had the notion that arcades were the retail design of the future. Travelling through just one arcade we came to what would have to be one of the smallest of coffee shops – takeaway only. That would not suit so across the road and down the end of another arcade we found our breakfast destination. Finishing breakfast, I noticed a neighbouring building – a two-story barber’s shop with a delivery hoist on the first floor. I thought that was unique but in a heritage sense maintaining a disused warehouse.
Photos tiny coffee shop, and barber’s shop.
We motored around Nelson then drove along Queen Elizabeth II Dve, toward Picton, and then back to Wakefield Quay and Rocks Rd. At some point we turned around to head back to the motel and in doing so we noticed the Boat Shed in Wakefield Quay. I don’t know how we missed it earlier particularly with a container ship tied up nearby. We pulled off the road to visit the café and faced a public warning notice on the handrail announcing that there had been a sewerage spill and that contact with the water was not advised. Well, we had no intention of swimming, but we would check where the café drew its water. On entering the café, we became aware this was a restaurant. They were happy to serve coffee so long as we finished by 5.30pm. Also, they assured us their water didn’t come from the harbour – what a relief. A picturesque site but the menu was a bit rich for us, so we moved on to obtain our dinner elsewhere.
Boat Shed Cafe inside the Shed and view to the strait container ship, and public notice, .
Day 18 Nelson to Kaikoura
We left Nelson and travelled into the Marlborough district and vineyards. There were a few things we wanted to do on the way to Kaikoura one being to visit the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre at Blenheim. Located in a hangar in Omaka aerodrome on the outskirts of Blenheim, Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre houses an astonishing collection of World War I and World War II fighter planes, along with artefacts and possessions from the battlefields of Europe. Inside, the story of the people who fought on both sides of the lines are brought to life through a series of stunning displays and dioramas. Covering everything from legendary heroes, like Eddie Rickenbacker and Manfred von Richthofen, to local New Zealanders who travelled back to Europe to defend the crown, the museum’s two exhibitions are fascinating and sobering.
Lord of the Rings director, Peter Jackson, brings his personal collection of war memorabilia to life in the stunning Knights of the Sky exhibition. The exhibition features several re-enactments of real-life WWI battles, with each scene being brought back to life with unerring realism through dioramas produced by Wingnut films, accompanied by unbelievably believable mannequins from award-winning special effects company Weta Workshops. There is a picture of Captain Clive Franklyn Collett MC (28 August 1886 – 23 December 1917) in the museum. He was a World War I flying ace from New Zealand credited with 11 aerial victories. He was the first British or Commonwealth military pilot to use a parachute, in a test. While serving as a test pilot, he crashed to his death in a captured German fighter. There is a diorama of the Australian soldiers having shot down the Red Baron’s Fokker Triplane stealing his boots and later the original fabric fuselage cross cut from the side of the Red Baron’s Fokker Triplane displayed in the museum.
The Museum, the DC3, the café, the planes, diorama of German plane in flight, life size German plane, more planes, de Havilland DH2 “Scout”, British plane and USA ambulance, Fokker E III Ein decker, French Breguet 14 A2, bomber, Curtiss MF Flying Boat, British fighter plane RAF R.E.8, planes, British Vickers Vimy, 2 x diorama “Over the trenches” RAF S.E.5a, diorama “Crashed in a tree”, German Siemens – Schuckert D.IV, French biplane Nieuport model 27 and Nieuport 24, diorama “Australians down the Red Baron”, Pfalz D III, British De Havilland DH4, Halberstadt D.IV, early machine gun carrier, Captain Clive Franklyn Collett MC (28 August 1886 – 23 December 1917) tries his parachute, original fabric fuselage cross, cut from the side of the Red Baron’s Fokker Triplane.
You can tell how impressive this museum is by the photos I have taken. History presented vividly. I have not included Pfalz D III, British De Havilland DH4, Halberstadt D.IV, early machine gun carrier, Captain Clive Franklyn Collett MC (28 August 1886 – 23 December 1917) tries his parachute. I don’t know why but those pictures when posted are viewed in landscape.
We then called in at Villa Maria Vineyard Cellar door where we did a wine tasting and picked up two bottles of Sauvignon Blanc for our card games, followed by Tekahu O Waipuna Library and Art Gallery.
After lunch in the café, we journeyed onto Kaikoura and our apartment at Waves Kaikoura Waterfront Apartment. Easier said than done. Finding how to access our apartment was not so easy. To gain access saw Kerry running around trying to interpret the means of gaining access. After an hour of stuffing around we finally had the formula to access the keys and codes to get in up 2 flights of stairs.
The apartment was quite acceptable for us to share. So we had a few hands of cards then off to bed so that we were up bright and early for the THE RETIREES VISIT THE SOUTH ISLAND ACROSS THE DITCH blog 495 Episode 8.
