Wednesday 25th December, 2013. Christmas Day in Golden Bay, South Island, New Zealand We loaded the car and set off for the drive to Golden Bay. This bay is located north of the Abel Tasman National Park and its name reflects the riches of the area. Plentiful seafood and forest resources for the first Maori inhabitants, then later the coal, timber, gold and minerals sought by the European settlers. Now it is a mix of farming and alternate lifestyles. To get to the main town, Takaka, we had to drive on highway 60 over Takaka Hill which is a very long wiggly climb in both directions. We arrived at the YH in Takaka where we would be spending Christmas Day. This is the main town in Golden Bay. The YH is a very tranquil place with
... read more