Leader: Lou Kolf

Heavy breakfast rain soon cleared to a warm sunny morning when the reduced number of 4 of us drove out to the end of Boulder Bank Drive. Here it was beautifully calm with moderatly breaking waves as we set off at 9:00am, but not before we were roped in by a Rotary Club official to join others in the Boulder Bank Challenge Nature Walk, which included some beach clean up en route to the lighthouse.

About half an hour along, a rancid smell of a beached whale joined us for quite some time. The first of the 6 (I think) remaining baches soon came into sight and we were welcomed in to view, as part of the day’s event. Pouring over many wall photos and other mariner memorabilia and listening to the owner’s interesting yarns, we eventually extricated ourselves, to finally arrive at the lighthouse at midday.

There was quite a reasonable turnout of people who were rewarded with a hot dog, explored the lighthouse and some of its history and then continued on, to be ferried back to shore. Impressive photographic shots can be taken from the top of the lighthouse along the length of the Bank. A couple of us were fortunate (or otherwise) to be photographed by the Mail photographer, with the paper photo caption saying we were Nelson Tramping Club “representatives” so a wee plug here for the Club!

As we ate our lunch a northerly wind picked up, so we were soon on our way and into a fairly brisk headwind, ahead of advancing threatening weather from the south, arriving a quicker 2 hours later at our car. Those present were Chrissie Millington, John Fabin, David Cooke and Lou Kolff.