After throwing our soaking wet selves and packs into Stella, we decided to drive west to the quaint town of Havelock in an effort to outrun the stormy weather. We ended up spending the night in relative luxury in a hostel which was formerly the town school house (early 1900's). We had been sleeping in either a tent or the car for so long that we felt pretty fancy for staying in a real double bed. The hostel had a herb garden, and we cooked ourselves a splendid hot meal and had a restful sleep. Not that our room was much bigger than the car, but it was a relief to escape the confines of Stella in the continuing downpour.
Little did we know when we pulled into Havelock that it was the "Mussel Capital" of New Zealand. Of course we had to patronize the "world famous" restaurant Mussel Boys where you can get 'em any way you want 'em--fried, grilled, steamed, etc. Great lunch! Havelock is also a popular place with sea kayakers since it has easy access to the Marlborough Sounds. This would have been a fun option if it wasn't so stormy.
