We love Paul and Kristina, they have been our longest Kiwi friends and they are also the best friends you could wish for. When Daniel first met them they were living in yurts right by the Able Tasman National Park. Since then they have moved a few times, and are now living on their yacht in the Marlborough Sounds, where Kristina grows a garden and helps with the animals at Lochmara Lodge.
Lochmara Lodge is a magnificent place, nestled in a bay about 20 minutes from Picton (20 minutes by speed boat, about an hour sailing). Besides the gourmet restaurant / café, luxury accomodation and art gallery, Lochmara Lodge has many other virtues and offers a range of pursuits. The bush around the lodge is dense, and years ago Sean (the owner) felt inspired to carve faces (much like the easter island sculptures) into the trunks of the punga trees. The effect is trippy, and just a little bit mystical. There are many hammock spots with million-dollar views - perfect for a sunny snooze, or you can go swimming, kayaking, fishing, hiking or feeding the animals. One in particular, Charlie, who looks like a wild European Boar, has achieved local stardom. I don't know any other pig with a Facebook profile! We had great fun with him, he is a very entertaining beast. Much more accommodating than the mean alpacas and the fierce morepork.
Anyway, Kristina had hooked us up with a gig (actually a weekend with gigs) so we arrived on the Picton wharf on a Friday afternoon. We have amounted a fair pile of equipment over the years and as we were standing on the end of the pier, waiting for the boat to ferry us across, we were fantasizing about future times when we might load our stuff into an airplane or helicopter. For now the boat was exhilarating. Marlborough Sounds, gotta visit if you haven't yet. Michael had also just joined us and this was his first week with Skelm, so good timing for good times on his part.
The rest of of the story is quickly told. We had a bloody awesome few days, playing various times on different parts of the premises. In the restaurant at night and on the garden green during the day. We jammed with Paul and Kristina, went swimming amongst the mullet, which formed a circle around everyone that went in the water, and drank lots of cappuccino's in the sun...