Tuesday 15th January

After a lazy day in Christchurch going basically nowhere, other than a trip to the Britz (campervan company) depot to get the battery charger replaced and some shopping we stayed a second night with Jane, John and family.

After final goodbyes to the Forrest family
with the expectation we may see some, or all of them in Brisbane, Australia, in March. We left Christchurch via a trip to the Antarctic Centre to see Blue penguins. They are the cutest little fellows you ever did see. All the ones at the centre have been rescued from the wild and are damaged in some way (in the movie you’ll see one with only one foot swimming in circles) and unable to survive in the wild again.

And rode a Hägglund or Antarctic all-terrain vehicle.

There was also a nifty demonstration of the earth’s rotation and how it affects where the sunlight falls – see the video on the right hand side of the blog if such things interest you.

Wednesday 16th January

Our final destination that day was Hanmer Springs. famous for its thermal hot springs which we sampled the next day after a 3 hour walk/climb to YABW (yet another beautiful waterfall).

We eased our aching muscles in the 40degC sulphur springs and then, although quite late in the day for us, did a 200k trip to Lake Rotoroa (not to be confused with Rotorua in the North Island) via Murchison and a remote campsite on the shores of the lake.

Beautiful place but the sandflies are unbearable. There is a Maori legend that says that a goddess was afraid that New Zealand (especially the South Island) was too much like paradise and everyone would just sit around doing nothing, so she inflicted the sandfly (or blackfly) to make sure they didn’t. The other version is that the goddess of the underworld figured she wouldn't have any customers because it was so pleasant up here. Either way they are a royal pain.

Thursday 17th January

For those who’ve been following the plot so far you may remember us meeting a couple at Mount Cook (Brian and Rosie ) who invited us to park at their place when we were in Nelson. So, from Lake Rotarua we headed East and North to Nelson and had some beach time (really for the first time) at Tahunanui Beach where the seawater was actually warm.

We knew Brian and Rosie were only coming back that day, so we didn’t get to there place until around five but the house was still deserted. We parked on the verge opposite the house, got out the folding chairs, I cracked a beer open and right then they rolled up. We had supper altogether in their lovely place overlooking the bay
and made plans for the next day. They suggested we took a trip to the Abel Tasman National Park and as other people had recommended the same thing we decided to do that.

Friday 18th January

So the next day, later than we should have, we set out for Kaiteriteri to find a water taxi to take us up the coast as there is no road access into the park. We arranged to be taken up the coast to Awaroa Bay and then, after we had walked back via Tonga Bay, to be picked up four hours later at Bark Bay.

The ride up (and back down) was a blast.
We were dropped at Awaroa Bay and we walked up to the lodge there first before setting out on the trek. The lodge grows most of its own vegetables and herbs in a huge garden.

The walk was probably the best we’ve had, climbing high above the fantastic beaches and deep blue ocean through fern forests with the constant loud buzz of NZ cicadas.

We lunched in a camping area on Tonga Beach and just made it in time for the taxi back.

Sailboats everywhere, anchored out off sandy beaches and rocky islands and some high and dry when the tide is out. We met all sorts of people doing the trek from different points, some camping overnight.

Back in Monaco (a suburb of Nelson) where Brian and Rosie live, we had excellent fish and chips from somewhere local to end a perfect day and one of the highlights of our trip.

Saturday 19th January

The morning of the 19^th and we were booked on the 2:25 ferry from the South Island back to the North. Brian and Rosie (and Ned who's really Nadine)

recommended their local pub (checkout the name) for a good breakfast

and they were right. Then it was on the road again from Nelson to Picton, on probably the most winding road yet and it was goodbye South Island - we will miss you.

Right now we’re back in the Top Ten site in Lower Hutt on the North Island and have 24hrs of Internet for 10 bucks – woo hoo.


Current progress: