Picton to Nelson via St Arnaud

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The weather was good on the coast but as soon as we headed on a scenic drive along the ...... valley the clouds moved in and the rain came down. After a rather dreary 100km along very straight roads through moderate landscape we stopped for coffee in St.Arnaud - happening upon a sodden Ducatti motorbike get -together. We headed back to the coast and the town of Nelson and booked into the Paradise backpackers. We had a room in a separate building sharing the kitchen and lounge with some young Germans, who were mostly absent so we had the place to ourselves. In the evening we had a couple of pints of Speights at a local bar and then enjoyed the luxury of an evening by ourselves slumped in front of the limited offerings on NZ TV.

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