Artisan Booze

By Julia
Murchinson, New Zealand

This week is marked by the dichotomy of our living arrangement versus daily activities.  Since we will be heading back to the States in less than two weeks, all of a sudden our dwindling funds seem ever the more precious.  No longer in the care of generous WWOOFing hosts, we are relegated to camping every night to save our pennies for food and activities.  And that activity has overwhelmingly ending up being drinking local New Zealand beer and wine.

  I’m not blind to the irony of stepping out of a tent, using a baby wipe to freshen up, and then driving to the nearest vineyard to sample the region’s famous Sauvignon Blanc.  But I promise, we make it classy.

Marlborough Wine Region

After finishing the Heaphy Track, we spent the weekend in Nelson – a lovely town on the northern coast of the South Island.  Nelson boasts one of the best farmer’s markets in New Zealand and we were not disappointed: organic produce, jams, olive oil, nuts, sauces, cheese and even local cola were all on sample.  In addition, the market showcased artisans selling crafts as diverse as cupcake-shaped soap to stools made from vintage tractor seats.  It took us twice as long as we thought to get through the market because we ended up having a full conversation with every other vendor – typical Kiwi friendliness!  

Don't eat them - it's soap!

To complete the local Nelson experience, Tom and I attended almost an entire rubgy match.  Tom entertained himself by guessing out loud the rules of the game (much to the annoyance of Kiwis nearby).  I enjoyed watching the players pummel each other but spent most of the game rating the outrageousness of fans’ outfits.  Tom and I left the game early to go test out some more beers at Sprig and Fern brew pub.

Our favorite ale house in Nelson by far was Freehouse, a pub housed in an old church that serves only New Zealand artisan beers.  While Tom sat outside enjoying his beer, I walked in to order a pint myself and stumbled back out after the bartender insisted I try a healthy sampling of every beer on tap: 14 in all.

Tom outside the Freehouse Pub in Nelson

In our fully functioning rental car, Tom and I spent two days winding through the Marlborough Sounds, camping in small coves overlooking the beautiful blue water and forested islands.  Then we zipped down to Blenheim, the gateway town to the famous Marlborough wine region.  There we spent an afternoon hopping from vineyard to vineyard tasting delicious wines and spouting pretentious statements such as, “I’m detecting a hint of vanilla on the nose of this wine, am I right?”

"Just a flutter of blueberries in here..."

 From spent legs to spent livers, we push on in our “trusty” 1991 Nissan Pulsar, savoring our last days on the South Island.

I found this picture at a hostel in Nelson.  It was taken in a NZ settlement in the 1800's