Mt Cook From Tasman Downs Station

This is the magnificent view enjoyed daily from the dining room at Tasman Downs Station, owned by Bruce & Linda Hayman a pioneering family. They have a pretty hard life & supplement their income by running a charming B&B in their rambling farmhouse. We shared three bathrooms with two English ladies travelling together. One bathroom had only a toilet; one was a full bath with a tub; and the farthest bathroom (down the hall and around a corner) had a shower. Meals with the Haymans & the other guests were extremely entertaining, as they were all fiercely conservative, loathed Tony Blair and are devoted to the late Princess Diana. Their antipathy to Tony Blair mirrored ours for Bush, which quite surprised us because in our view, Blair is a towering intellect compared to Bush. Our conversations were lively indeed. It was enormous fun. The Haymans are very gracious hosts who made us feel like genuine (as opposed to paying) guests.