Craig with Mum and Dad in NZ

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January 8, 2012

by Craig

I will never come back to the South Island of NZ again.......because we have just enjoyed two weeks of it in absolute sunny splendor, and I seriously doubt that luck would favour that again. While the South island basked in sunshine, the North was miserable and rainy the whole time that we were here. We did not go to the North island, thankfully, but apparently the place is drenched and most places had to cancel NYE events (hopefully will be sunny for you in Feb-March, Thomas, which is the best time to travel in North island).


The last part of the trip involved travel from Nelson in the North around to Kaikoura back on the East coast and so down to Christchurch - where we started. While in Nelson, we drove one hour East to the stunning Abel Tasman National Park. We joined a cruise, which went along the glorious coastline. It was very enjoyable, apart from some dubious commentary from the captain. He pointed out various landmarks and a lazy seal colony, and something called "split rock" - a huge spherical boulder split in two and sitting on the water. Like a giant apple spliced in half. He said:

"There are two explanations as to how this split rock has formed; the Maori myth and the scientific myth."

Scientific myth ? I frowned at the workings of my profession being described as a myth, unless he had some recent data that refuted the current scientific explanation - which I did not hear in the end due to some people causing a ruckus as a seal swam by !

Anyway, mum and dad stayed on the crusie, which went North and eventually back to its starting piont at Kaiteri beach . I alighted the cruise at Bark Bay and did the 2 hour coastal walk to Torrent Bay, where I could pick up another boat back. The walk was excellent, thru glades of huge ferns, coastal forest and with splendid views of the water. ( I heard several kingfishers calling, but could not work out where they were.) Down on the south part of this island, the ocean and rivers are a lovely aquamarine coluor, and the beaches are light greyish with lots of drift wood (glacial origin). Up here in the north, at least at Abel Tasman, the water is a rich emerald green and the beaches golden. So, I did the walk in good time and finished at Torrent Bay, where I ate the lunch I had packed, then laid on the sand listening to my iPod until the boat arrived. A steady stream of assorted trampers and backpackers accummulated on the beach (there are various bushcampsites nearby) . The boat arrived to shuttle us back to Kaiteri, where I found Mum and Dad in the first place that I looked - the Shoreline Bar, overlooking the water. If you come to NZ and are in the Nelson region, Abel Tasman NP is definitely a must-do.

After Nelson, we drove around to Kaikoura, where we watched an amusing colony of NZ fur seals with pups (which were aparently born around november). The pups were small and boisterous and still suckling. Our accommiodation at Kaikoura was a bit scrappy - old run down place, and unusual for me to have made mistake with accomm. The two old folks that ran it reminded us of Lizzy Birdsworth and Bruce Ruxton (the late Ruxton I believe), while the roof leaked with some overnight rain and bugs had a dance party in the kitchen. Kaikoura is nice, with a vista of snow-capped mountains on one side and the sea on the other. Dad still has an obsession with trying pau (abalone I think).

So today is our last day. Time for mum to stock up on souvenirs for the family then 2 hour drive south to Chistchurch, to leave tonight. They have had more quakes since we left CHCH on boxing day, so who knows what to expect. (Back to work tomorrow - Tuesday Jan 10).

We have had another great trip and mum and dad have done well with the pace, despite their age (I did give them some down time every so often !) . As they say here, it was sweet as.... eh, bro....


Until next time

bye

love to all

Craig

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