‘A book is finished when nothing rattles’. (Advice to writers: unknown origin)

Frankfurt Book Fair (10-14 October)

Kim Hill will be broadcasting on Radio NZ National from the Frankfurt Book Fair this Saturday morning from 8am (Friday evening, Frankfurt time). 
   Maggie Tarver, CEO, NZ Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc), has taken a synopsis of my book, Captain Cook in Ship Cove, so hopefully a publishing company will want to follow this up.  I'm especially keen on it becoming an e-book because the digital referencing will make it easier for the reader rather than endless footnotes or endnotes.  Recently I met someone from the Sounds and they asked me if I knew the story about Cook’s ‘hidden treasure’ in the Sounds – tantalizing.

Cruise Ships

The first cruise ship of the season arrived in Picton yesterday (9 Oct), Radiance of the Sea, carrying 2,500 passengers (plus crew).  It is so large in tonnage it had to berth at Waimahara Wharf in Shakespeare Bay, the deep water port. Passengers are transported by bus round to Picton and beyond to experience the Marlborough region.  Many will have booked to go on visits to wineries to sample sauvignon blanc wine which the region is well known for internationally. Some will visit gardens and go on tours, others will enjoy the small seaport atmosphere, stroll along the Foreshore, sample Marlborough food and wine in the local cafés and browse the shops. History lovers will visit Edwin Fox and the Picton Museum. A booklet has just been published by the Picton Historical Society covering heritage aspects on the Foreshore, the development at the Eastern end and items of interest over the Coathanger bridge, including the Echo (booklet available at Picton Museum, $7.00). I love the way Picton has two historic ships on opposite sides of the harbour.
   A further 19 ships are expected over the summer season with several smaller eco-cruise boats just visiting Ship Cove and the Marlborough Sounds. See schedule: www.portmarlborough.co.nz
   In Picton cruise ship passengers are welcomed by a 'Meet and Greet' team of volunteers and i-Site representatives and given posies to wear. These posies are especially made for each ship by a team of women volunteers and are greatly appreciated by visitors.  Yesterday some posies contained roses from my garden, an old-fashioned rose, Cecile Brunner (Bush 1881, Climber 1904), also known as the ‘Sweetheart Rose’,  a tiny porcelain-pink rose used by our great-grandmothers to make a posy.  I planted it years ago and it now straddles a high wall in the vegetable garden. My neighbour, one of the volunteers, had to climb a ladder to reach the top flowers. She thought it was worth it.

Salmon Farm update:

The hearing continues and is receiving excellent coverage in the Marlborough Express.  There are some question marks now about the forecast number of jobs and the economic benefits to the region of the nine new salmon farms proposed by NZ King Salmon.  Issues raised were concern over environmental pollution of the water, threats to bird life like King Shags, and the potential especially in Tory Channel of the farms being navigation hazards. Also in a region which prides itself on natural beauty, and with the Marlborough Sounds so unspoiled, there is concern about how tourists will respond to a modified landscape. Look out for a documentary: Against the Current.

Entertainment

And yesterday we finally got TV One reception again.  It's been a blue screen since last Sunday!  Never mind I got to see Homeland on TV 3 on Monday night, the first programme of the second series.