Exploring around Blenheim

First:  A bragging point - I managed to drive Delaney and I around all day on the opposite (correct) side of the road!  I even managed to signal without turning on the windshield wipers, which was quite a feat since the turn signal and wipers are reversed along with the steering wheel!

Delaney and I had a Mom and Daughter day today.  Most of the group went up to a wildlife reserve near Picton, but Delaney and I decided to check out several things in the area.

We started with a geocache in the vineyard area.  This was my favorite so far!  A singing Santa hidden inside a nutcracker container.

Next we went to a local "chocolate factory" - it was similar to Coco Dulce at home.  Specialty chocolate made while you watch.  Very tasty.

Then we headed to the local cherry orchards where you can Pick Your Own.  We got 1.5 kilos of beautifully, perfectly ripe cherries!  They had 15 different varieties, but we picked just two kinds (
Stellas and Lapins).

They had smallish step ladders to reach up high, but they had clearly pruned the trees so that they were shorter and easier to reach.

The entire orchard was under a net, presumably to keep birds away.

So many clusters of cherries it looked like bunches of grapes!

 Then we headed downtown to the river walk with our end goal being a geocache on a bridge along the walk.

Small kiddie train full of riders who were waving at  us.

Lots of large rocks in the park with poems dedicated to the creek that ran through the park.  These were apparently written by local school kids.  Each one we saw was from a different school, so perhaps there was one winner from each local school?

City square with fountain (and local presbyterian church)

Found these knitted "tree sweaters" on main street.  Trees win the ugly sweater competition ; )

They even included knit "Christmas lights" between the trees