Into the South to Abel Tasman

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Long before showing up in New Zealand, we were debating the issue "which island is best" with fellow travellers in Central and South America. There was no consensus. About half the people really preferred the North Island, and half the South Island. As it was, we spent most of our brief time on the North Island and less than a week on the South Island. But we loved our brief glimpse of the wild and sparsely inhabited South Island, and we really want to come back.

We caught the Interislander ferry from Wellington on New Zealand's North Island to Picton on the South Island on the morning of March 14, 2010. Even though the ferry was boringly named, the ride was pleasant with amenities including 1) fried bacon, 2) comfy chairs), 3) friendly New Zealanders, and 4) some nice scenery. We finalized our South Island plans during the ride.

We decided to check out the beautiful Abel Tasman park at the northern end of the island, and then head down the east coast to Christchurch. Our ferry docked in Picton sometime in the early afternoon. We had some pricey, frou frou seafood in Nelson, then headed on to Motueka, a town 18 km south of the national park, where we stayed at the Fernwood Holiday Park for the next two nights.

We were up early next day for our excursion into Abel Talsman. The park features a 51 km coastal trail that can take up to five days to complete, but we were just doing a day hike. The day started with a fun water taxi trip (arranged previously) to Torrent Bay, with a slight detour to check out Split Apple Rock for some pictures. From Torrent Bay, we hiked along the beach and overland trail back to Marahau where our car was waiting.

If the Tongariro Alpine Crossing was truly the best day tramp in New Zealand, then the Torrent Bay-Marahau stretch in Abel Talsman was definitely no slouch. The scenery was very beautiful, and the trail was relatively easy since it was fairly flat. Plus we had great weather, although sometimes rain and cloud can be a problem in that area. The hike was great, but we have no real stories (weather, misery, or animals), so I'll stop writing about it and you can enjoy the pictures.

The next day was our last long driving day in New Zealand, as we headed from Motueka on the northern tip to Kaikoura partway down the east coast. Along the way, we stopped at the Founder's brewery in Nelson for some quality tastes of microbrew, and then checked out a couple of wineries in Renwick. From Renwick to Kaikora, the highway ran right along the east coast, and was one of the most scenic drives I had ever driven. For lunch, we stopped en route at the Store at Kekerengu for salad and baked mussel pie with an ocean view.

Kaikoura is a popular tourist destination due to abundant sightings of whales and other marine life - from offshore boats or sometimes from onshore too if you're lucky. We weren't quite at the right season for whales and unfortunately didn't have time for much exploring, so we were limited to just a drive down to the beautiful park at the edge of the Kaikoura pennisula. Although Kaikoura was mostly a waylay spot before reaching Christchurch, it did afford us that quintessential South Island experience - the free camp. Lots of travelers we had met in the Americas said they camped for free throughout New Zealand, but so far we'd been paying up to $35 for setting a tent in holiday parks. We were delighted when a girl in the internet cafe in town told us about a beach just back up the road where people pitch their tents and set up camp. So that night, we grabbed our own bit of the beach and enjoyed a campfire, and like the best things in life, it was all free!

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Photos

Beach
where we stopped for lunch