Day 8.
Not a good night’s sleep, but I continue the scenic drive towards Nelson. It’s still rainy and cloudy so not much to park for and take pictures. There are many shops in the city center and a church on a hill overlooking the city center – it seems rather nice and popular here in Nelson. I can’t recall where, but I read recently that the rings used in LOTR where manufactured by a local jewelry ‘Jens Hansen’ in Nelson – who has a Danish background. It’s now handed over to the eldest son, and he is only stopping by occasionally (Supriya, the kind store manager tells me). I get another LOTR souvenir – my very own ‘The One Ring’. I can of course not wear it since…through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine – so…I’ll keep it hidden, I’ll keep it safe (😉). From the workshop, Supriya, goes and finds the largest ring manufactured for LOTR – 8 inch in diameter which I get to ‘wear’. A total of 40 different rings were made for these movies, suited for all different persons and locations.
I get a cup of coffee on a café and write on the blog. I leave Nelson and drive to Takaka where I stay at a freedom camp site just north of the town close to a river. I get some ideas from a fellow camper, who has already visited Abel Tasman, so I actually need to drive south to get on a water taxi. Instead, I choose to drive further towards north the next day and can then do the Abel Tasman trip on my way back.
