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Published: June 26th 2010
Having not been away for a while we decided to make use of the Queen's Birthday weekend and head up to
Golden Bay in the
Tasman district, an area we hadn't visited since 2005. We booked three nights in a chalet (with a heat pump!) in
Riwaka, just north of
Motueka.
The drive up through the
Lewis Pass was spectacular as usual and we had a bright, clear winter's day. We opted for Thai take out in the evening and started to plan our next few days exploring.
On Sunday it rained...all day...except for an hour at lunchtime when we re-visited
Waikoropupu Springs on the other side of
Takaka Hill and then had lunch in
The Mussel Inn, one of the best pubs we've ever been to!
On Monday, the weather was the complete opposite. Early morning we drove up the
Riwaka Valley to the
Riwaka Resurgence. This is the source of the Riwaka river and is where the water emerges from a complex cave system, fed by sinkholes which start up above on
Takaka Hill. The water was incredible after the previous day's heavy rain and the 'Crystal Pool' was in a state aptly defined by the
sign (see photos). Next, we went back over
Takaka Hill and spent a sunny warm day exploring the beaches of
Golden Bay.
On Tuesday, we headed home after a quick stop at
Kaiteriteri and a longer stop on the beach at
Rabbit Island. Despite leaving
Richmond in bright winter sunshine, by the time we stopped for lunch in the
Nelson Lakes National Park it started snowing and we hit a lot of snow and ice in the Lewis pass.
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