Saturday - the loan of a car

Today we did a run out in the TRs to Pelorus Bridge for a picnic. Robert and Stella generously, possibly foolishly, lent us their TR5 and we had a wonderful day driving through the magnificent NZ scenery with the top down. We had been given the route and a quiz first thing in the morning, and we started with a drive through some of the many vineyards around Blenheim.

One stop in the morning was at a parts restoration shop, where a number of TRs were for sale or being restored. We then carried on to Havelock, using the inland route this time. Strange revisiting a place, we could actually recommend the best restaurant in town should anyone have wanted to know.

Lunch was a picnic eaten at the DOC campsite at Pelorus Bridge. TRs as far as the eyes could see.

The return route took us along the Queen Charlotte Drive. We had done this before, but it was so nice to do it in a TR rather than in a campervan with all the crockery and cutlery sliding from side to side at every bend.

Back at the hotel we prepared for the evenings meal to be held at the Vintners Hotel. The theme was espionage, and Stella, Morag and I had done some shopping at the $3 store the day before in preparation. We seemed to have ended up more like the Mafia than a bunch of spies, but we must have got something right as I won the best dressed lady award!

'Spy' is a tricky subject for fancy dress, after all the best spies are totally invisible. There were, however, many Renes and Michelle's from 'Ello, 'ello.

One table had surgical gloves with one gold finger on each!

I particularly liked these two, who had come from behind the Iron Curtain! One of them won the best dressed male.

During the meal the many concours cups were presented, and a few other certificates for less serious reasons. A very pleasant evening, with music provided by the Nelson Jazz Big Band (Dave, one of the TR group, was a saxophonist in the band), which finished with dancing!

Tomorrow is the last day of the main National Weekend, a drive somewhere for lunch, then we start on the tour!