When your cruise ship docks almost anywhere in New Zealand you realize that NZ exports a heck of a lot of timber. As I mentioned in a previous post (July 2013) it is their 3rd most important industry. The log pile shown here is at Picton on the South Island. Picton is the port for the Marlborough region, where some of the best wines in the world are grown. Marlborough wines are becoming an important export item for NZ. The Oldies say that they have never met a bad Marlborough white, so naturally they had to visit a few wineries and try the samples. At one point in the tour they were within walking distance of around 20 different wineries, including their absolute favourite brands. The cellar door in the image is the Forrest winery. The Oldies hadn't met that brand before, but after this visit I expect to see it appear in the fridge at home. They are talking about going back to the Marlborough region for an extended stay, so I had better go with them to make sure they get home OK. The vineyard in the picture is actually on the North Island, near Napier. It appears that anything from the Hawkes Bay region is pretty good as well. Not that I would know, because the only way I can get to drink any wine is to move in quick while the Oldies' are looking the other way. The group photo was taken at Mission winery near Napier, another brand that obviously met with approval from this group of reprobates. Most of the passengers who visited wineries during the days at Picton and Napier found that the gangway back onto the ship seemed much steeper and wobblier than when they disembarked.
Labels: boats, cruising, New Zealand
# posted by Bart Bear @ 10:58 am
