This summer, Wellington woman Sharleen Grounds is on a road trip with a difference.
While seeing the sights, she's visiting some of New Zealand's 100-odd bridge clubs to meet the locals and play a few hands.
Sharleen Grounds Photo: Sharleen Grounds
Bridge is a centuries-old four-player card game that Sharleen describes as "a more complicated version of 500".
Although her parents play bridge, Sharleen didnt take up the game herself until a few years ago.
"One cold Wellington winter I just decided I would learn to play, and I've just been playing ever since, really".
At her local bridge club - in the Wellington suburb Karori - members range in age from 10 to 90-something.
Sharleen's bridge-club touring began a couple of years ago when she drove several times between Wellington and Auckland - where she's originally from - to help her parents downsize.
Then last summer, taking advantage of the closed border, she bought a car camper and took a bridge-playing road trip in the south island, visiting about half of the 40 bridge clubs there.
Photo: Pexels
Bridge clubs are always welcoming to visitors and although Sharleen usually stays in her camper, new bridge-playing friends often offer her a place to park up.
Generally, people organise their bridge partners in advance but bridge clubs are always welcoming to visitors, Sharleen says.
Usually, the local club can rustle up a partner for her - even when she contacts a local club on the day.
"It's a really good way to meet local people and find out the things to do."
A bridge club evening usually takes the same format, she says, with groups of two playing around 24 games over around 3 hours with a half-time break for supper - often a cup of tea and biscuits.
It's "a very friendly scene" but often very competitive, too, Sharleen says.
You can find a list of all the bridge clubs around Aotearoa on the NZ Bridge website.
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