Coffee and picnic under the Weeping Elm

First coffee of day with café owner Mulan at the local...

...later reading the great Kiwi gastronomical quarterly 'Cuisine'

...where recipes like these mussels are perfectly described...

..written for the average cook, like me.

..and barista Blake serves a mean coffee!

The cruise ship to end all cruise ships...The World.

Smiling under the Elm at the back of Tom's gorgeous garden...

...alfresco lunch after visting the small but excellent farmers' market at Otane. 

This Hawke's Bay area at the top of the prestigious Wairarapa region has its inimitable charm of an unspoiled nature. Quintessential New Zealand personalities populate the various villages dotted over an exquisite landscape. Do they know how lucky they are?

The day was not finished until a very late visitor by the name of Maggie arrived, bottle Pinot Noir in hand, and well primed for a long chat. She was Tom's neighbour and a lovely woman about my age who has lifed a life on the edge. Born in Otaki she is now a paid-up member of the local Biker fraternity and likes a drink, to say the least. She recounted several stories amongst which was a recent road-trip   to Auckland in the middle of the night to see the recently bereaved daughter of her best friend. It made the Mad Max movie sound tame!

Also she is a stong supporter of keeping the local pub open which is about to close. She thinks the locals should band together to buy it. It is a good idea and could well be a successful one I think as the community here is strong and focussed. 

She left about ten pm and we tumbled into bed.