Author: Jane Whitaker

Early start for a very easy drive to Kaikoura on the East coast. Millions of vines and no traffic. Took approx 2 hours and these were the views that greeted us –

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Who put this up a very tall tree –

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A whale bone archway –

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Then off on our albatross excursion for the afternoon –

Pulled into the sea by a tractor –

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They stop every so often and feed the birds with fish liver to attract them in –

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And it sometimes gets a little violent –

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Wandering albatross coming into land –

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Here’s a Giant Petrel –

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And a Cape Pigeon –

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Here comes my favourite Salvin’s Mollymawk –

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What a beauty –

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This scree on the mountainside depicts a very true resemblance to an owl –

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A lovely Cape Pigeon –

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This fur seal in-the Bay –

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And this one feels as sick as I did on the water hence not a lot of photos –

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Not often you see a gannet on the water –

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The aim of the day was to see the albatrosses and we had a good time –

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Not too stressful a day today. Off to the –

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Which tells you all about the involvement of New Zealand in the world wars with an interesting exhibition but difficult to photograph as it’s all in a dark hanger but here goes – This is to represent a pilot who was shot down and parachuted to safety into a garden party!!!!! –

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A couple of the planes –

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How old the instrument panels look –

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A lovey rural place for the pilots to rest awaiting a call up –

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Believe this? –

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I think this may be staged !!!!! –

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Outdoor USA hanger –

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Then out to see the wineries. Miles upon miles of vines –

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Then into –

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For a few HOT olives –

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And a fabulous clam chowder –

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The babbling waterway through the dining area –

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Outside for a spot of chess –

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A novel way to grow rainbow chard –

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And some very good advice –

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Then a view of mountains with snow and were standing in28*C temperatures –

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Then a little reminder of home –

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Early start today to catch the Interislander ferry from Wellington to Picton on South Island. 3.5 hours of a very calm and sunny crossing unlike the forecast which was for a rather choppy journey –

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Last views of downtown Wellington –

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Some of the more remote areas of North Island –

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But these guys are always on the lookout for trouble –

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The last view of North Island –

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And the first view of beautiful South Island where the waters are so clear. These are reflections in the water out at sea –

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A view down the inlet showing all the wooded mountainsides –

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Then turn a corner and it can be quite barren –

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Even little outcrops have trees growing on them –

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Group of canoeists getting ready to take to the water –

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A view of our destination – Picton –

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We then travelled a short distance to Blenheim and a very good motel with a super room set in small but lovely garden with pool. Even had our own vineyard on the private patio –

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Sculptures in the grounds –

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Pretty little very clear stream going through the property –

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Lovely flower boarder –

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Gordon getting into a chilly pool but it was very refreshing in the heat – about 28*C and too hot to walk on the tarmac barefoot –

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These are apples – interesting colour –

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Don’t sunflowers against a blue sky just radiate heat –

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BBQ lamb was great. No pictures. Eaten it!!!!!

Walk down to the harbour and here’s this boat decorated in penguins –

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And a close up of part of the hull –

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Further along was –

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Which had a lot of locally made goods –

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Further art/graffiti –

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Then the shuttle bus to –

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This used to be Wellington’s reservoir until it was relocated and the areas was turn into a sanctuary to reintroduce many of New Zealand’s endangered species. A vermin proof fence extending over 9km was erected –

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The old water pump station –

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Lovely views of the forest –

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From one of the bridges –

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Here’s a cheeky Tuatara outside his hole –

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Uncommon Kaka having a preen –

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North Island Robin –

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And the rare Kakariki –

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Scaup –

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Then took the cable car back down to the town –

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To see a different green person –

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And an old post office and letter box –

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First full day in Wellington. A little overcast and much cooler than yesterday’s 29*C at the golf. Started off with a walk down by the harbour. We are staying right in the downtown area which is really convenient. No car needed. Very beautiful marina below very expensive houses –

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Then turn left and see the dock land –

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This climbing wall for kids looked great –

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A couple of older buildings nestled amongst the skyscrapers –

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Someone to make Gordon feel at home busking on the front –

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Then a random piano that played Greensleeves by itself –

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The current trend seems to be these pop up markets. The last one we saw was in Somerset –

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Then we went off on the bus tour which took us up to Mount Victoria Lookout for views over the Bay –

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A plane coming into land at the airport which has a very short runway and if you over run then you’re in the sea –

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Here’s where the All Black’s play –

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The onto the Wellington Botanical Gardens which are dominated by –

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With a cheeky sparrow on one of the roses –

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This was one the table at lunch. Ingredients peppers and sultanas – not my style –

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This beautiful succulent flower in a hot house –

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Then the contrast of the cobbled path in the herb garden leading up to the water feature –

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Here’s a Tui enjoying a lovely bath –

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Now a couple of unusual pieces of art –

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Then stopped off to look at the railway station which is a replica of Central Station in New York so we are told –

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Now this is the go light on the pedestrian crossing which shows Kate Sheppard who lead women to win the vote on 19th September 1893 in the first self governing country in the world.

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Cool

Very short post today as we drove the 167 miles from Napier to Wellington on a non dual carriageway so not fast but stopped off for a game of golf at Masterton.

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Honesty box for the green fees -.

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I had to use the facilities in the men’s locker room as the ladies was just a sign going nowhere –

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The course was very pleasant –

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Somebody went in the only square meter of bog on the course and needed a shoe wash –

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Nice views of the mountains-

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And the clubhouse up the 18th –

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Now we’ve arrived in Wellington. Room compact, parking poor but at least we had the wine to hand.

Happy birthday to me and Andrew. We’ve shared 61 birthdays!!!

Most of the day was like this –

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2 inches of rain fell but we managed to get out to Havelock for a spot of lunch –

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Then a little stroll around to view the fountain –

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Havelock’s answer to trainers from a lamp post –

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Rather cool bicycle stands –

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Not quite sure about these –

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Later in the day we walked into Napier past a possible Banksy –

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To –

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For a meal. Olives for starters –

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Followed by a lovely seafood platter –

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Not sure what this depicts but it looks good –

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Now to park your bike on the first floor –

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Then Kevin’s backpackers lodge –

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And the economy fire escape –

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Off to Napier over the mountain ranges. Didn’t see a thing. Rain bouncing off the road for a lot of the way. I’m sure the mountains are very spectacular on a good day!!!!

Napier is a town that was destroyed by an earthquake in 1931 and was rebuilt in the Art Deco style and is now a thriving tourist resort and also has many wineries.

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Here’s a thunderstorm just passing along the south end of the Bay as we arrived -.

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Then the sun came out and it was warm and sunny. The beach is thick in dark pebbles which is hard to walk on but the sea is a fabulous clear blue –

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Where we met Cuba out for her afternoon walk –

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This was on the promenade to represent whale bones –

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And they’re all very dedicated to their WW11 history –

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This lady has a barrier to stop the traffic. Bit like being back at school –

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Ok. Let’s get some Art Deco now –

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This is a wine rack I’d like to have –

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This is a blueberry muffin Gordon enjoyed –

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And this is the youngest busker I’ve ever seen and he was good –

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Some lovely parks –

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A rather garish fountain –

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A pair of suspended trainers –

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The remains of some Christmas decoration I presume –

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A very tranquil water wheel –

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More of this ☔️ 🌧 forecast for tomorrow.

OK. No need for this today –

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Not sure if the anti-ageing properties are having much effect!

Today may have rather more photos as tomorrow is a travelling day.

Off to one of the best gardens in the world –

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Down by the Waikato River which runs along the gardens –

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Each garden is secluded and has its own little biosphere. Gordon manoeuvring the umbrella to enter the Japanese garden –

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Bamboo and a view through a window Japanese styal –

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A dragon turtle –

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A very simplistic east coast California garden with Marilyn Monroe –

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This was planted out to replicate some of the early gardens in India –

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Can’t remember what this was but it’s very beautiful –

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A lovely Welcome Swallow on top of one of the statues –

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Two views of the New Zealand garden –

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Then this majestic male California Quail –

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Oh I just loved this flower dripping after the rain –

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A person hand clipping the box hedge bit by bit in the Tudor Garden –

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Magnificent sun flowers –

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Into the kitchen garden –

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With its very structural globe artichokes –

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Not sure of the significance of this Odyssey –

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But this afternoon tea with musical accompaniment was laid out on the tennis court for the Garden Party –

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Then we went along to the Rose Garden where the perfume was amazing –

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Beautiful –

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The remnants of the rain –

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On into the Victorian glass house –

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With a stark warning –

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Pretty –

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Then onto the –

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Which housed some photographs you’re not allowed to take pictures of. Then a view of a Maori canoe –

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And some intricate carvings –

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There was also an area dedicated to all who had fallen in WW1 and there were many. This stained glass window shows some of the conflict –

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Then spotted this in the car park –

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Walk to the supermarket and then it’s one of those days –

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Nice course (played it 6 years ago) –

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Nice houses on the fringe –

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Then this happened for 10 minutes –

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But cleared to show the lovely Christmas tree as they call it –

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A beautiful hydrangea –

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Better than the bunkers –

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Nice clubhouse –

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Back to the motel to see this swallow chick waiting for tea –

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Guess what happened just before I went to BBQ our tea – Rain delay –

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It stopped and the BBQ steak was good.