The Ambling Rambler: A Morning in Geraldine

We arrived in Geraldine as it was getting dark, so we didn't see much of it in the way in. We stayed with Mary and Tom.They used to live in Marlborough but moved away about a year after I arrived. They are sorely missed. Mary has a great smile (as you can see) and is very photogenic!

We spent a few hours in Geraldine. Mary took me and showed me a few places of interest, then we all met up in town at Barkers. This is what I found on my brief tour...

An old church, looking very much like ones that could be found in England. Beautiful stonework and gorgeous lawn in front. Compared to Marlborough, Geraldine is very lush and green. I take it they get a tad more rain!

I found a row of interesting letterboxes...

And an old bus called 'Special' ...

The local library with a WWII memorial... Gorgeous gardens everywhere with vibrant flowers. Geraldine is a really pretty place.

Geraldine was discovered in the 1840s, but it wasn't until 1854 that Samual Hewlings built the first bark hut in Talbot Street. He married a Maori woman Nga Hei, and the totara tree which he planted to mark the birth of his daughter still stands on the site today in Talbot Street, opposite the police station .

Sheep were quickly established in the area, together with the pit saw milling of the native bush. When the bush has been cleared, wheat crops were grown across the plains. Geraldine was originally called Talbot Forest, but was renamed 'Fitzgerald' in 1857 after the first superintendent of Canterbury, an Irishman, Edward Fitzgerald. The name was finally changed to Geraldine which was Fitzgerald's family name in Ireland.

Geraldine became a Town Board in 1884 and a Borough in 1905. It has a reputation as a home to artists and artisans, as well as well known cheesemakers, chocolatiers and the international recognised Barkers fruit products. All these have outlets in the town.

Mary took me for a short walk through the shops in Geraldine. They are really nice, with beautiful gift and clothing shops that are all individualistic with great quality merchandise. I was really impressed and even bought a necklace.. .

I've worn it every day since which is unusual for me but I absolutely adore it. I wonder why?

After buying a few gifts in Barkers - jams, chutneys, drink and something for my daughter which I know she'll be excited about, we headed over to this amazing cafe - Verde. The food and coffee was superb but the setting was exquisite...