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Published: December 7th 2006
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Abel Tasman beaches
Still nice despite the weather Nelson & Abel Tasman Nelson is supposed to be the sunniest place in NZ, so we had high hopes for an improvement in the weather. It’s a nice place and maybe the most lively of the towns we’d seen so far. We had a relaxing day and even managed to get to the cinema on a $20 Film-Drink-and-Pizza Tuesday night deal. Bargain. Unfortunately, ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ made me even more impatient for a long-overdue shopping trip!
After a night in Nelson we drove the hour or so out to Marahau, the small town at the southern end of the Abel Tasman National Park and the Abel Tasman Coastal Track Great Walk. Marahau’s beaches looked just like the stunning guidebook photos that we’d seen of Abel Tasman. The coastal colours were vivid in the bright sunshine (at last!)… lush, green forest and almost-orange sand lapped by turquoise sea.
The next morning we began our walk along the Abel Tasman Coastal Track….and for the first hour or so we even had sunshine, but then the rain started. We shouldn’t complain about it too much: it was as forecast. Of course, by mid-afternoon on day 1 when we were soaked
to the bone and the rain was getting heavier I was complaining like a trooper. We’d booked to spend the night at one of the DOC huts - us and about 20 other drenched souls trying to dry walking clothes and shoes in front of a poor excuse for a fire. The sleeping arrangements were pretty ‘interesting’ too: giant bunk beds that take 7 people per deck… cosy (like battery hens)!
On day 2 we had another hour or so of walking before the rain began again….and extreme humidity… and sand flies. After a few hours we reached paradise. Actually, it was an eco-lodge, restaurant and café…but it had comfy leather sofas around a roaring open fire, strong coffee and scrummy chocolate brownies, so it really was paradise. Just as we finally dried out it was time to get back out in the rain. We had two more low-tide crossings to make (after one the previous day)… although 'low tide' doesn’t mean dry. By this point our shoes were sodden so we decided to leave them on and walk through the puddles in the estuary… but walking soon became wading!
We met our pre-booked water taxi shortly after
Abel Tasman walk
One of many coves 3pm and began a journey back to Marahau that made our Fijian boat trips seem serene!
We covered about 37km of the total 51km of track in two short days. The total walk is supposed to be a 3 to 5 day trip, although that would mean a pretty leisurely pace. It took a few days to get everything dry but we can laugh about it now and though we didn’t see Abel Tasman at its brightest, it was pretty anyway.
Our Marahau campsite was water-logged when we got back so we scrapped our night there and returned to Nelson for some warm, dry relaxation. Unfortunately, the GB Lions’ crushing defeat at the hands of the bloody Aussies wasn’t particularly conducive to relaxation.
Very Merry Malborough Nelson is just a few hours west of the Marlborough wine region and we thought that had to be worth at least a few nights. First of all we headed to Renwick, a small town in the heart of Marlborough and then we had a night in nearby Blenheim. Marlborough has over 50 wineries, all within a relatively small area.
The area’s famed for its whites in general and
Low tide crossing
Sand and mud flats - with lots of nice sharp clam shells - ouch! its Sauvignon Blanc in particular, although its reds are also growing in reputation. Since we’re red drinkers, Marlborough was a bit of an education and although we’re still not sold on Sauvignon Blanc we tasted lots of good Pinot Gris, Riesling, Guwurtztraminer, Chardonnay and dessert wines. Thankfully, our favourite Marlborough winery exports to the UK so we can keep enjoying it when we get home (Villa Maria, in case you fancy a tipple: it has a big range of lovely, great value wines).
We got around 11 wineries in a couple of days and walked about 10 miles in the process (in warm sunshine and a nice breeze, thankfully)… lots of people hire bikes instead to get around the wineries, but there was some pretty wobbly bike riding going on.
Marathon wine-tasting is about the nicest way to while away a day or two, especially in NZ where tasting is a very laid-back, friendly affair… very different from the Napa Valley (and even some of the wineries in Oz), where it can all be a bit stuffy. Plenty more wineries to come on the North Island too...
Rod gave his liver a rest by having a few
Swing bridge
Bouncy bouncy hours mountain biking close to Blenheim and we got to the cinema again on another ‘cheap Tuesday’ deal.
Picton & Marlborough Sounds After a short drive from Blenheim we arrived in Picton, on the North West coast of South Island. It’s only about 150 kilometres from Kaikoura (which we visited in our first week in NZ), so we’d finally completed our convoluted loop of the South Island.
Picton is the best place from which to explore the labyrinth of coves and bays that is the Marlborough Sounds (a real ‘Sound’ this time - they make up a big chunk of the South Island’s total coastline), and it’s also the place where you catch a ferry to the North Island.
We took the short, steep ‘Hilltop Lookout’ walk for great views over Picton and the Sounds beyond, but we struggled to get moving on our last day in Picton and so didn’t do our planned walk on the hills around the Sounds. Instead, we went to a real local’s pub and watched part of the depressing first Ashes test. On a positive note, the pub was fantastic: they gave everyone who ordered a drink free deep fried
stodge and chips!!! (for the Ramsbottom contingent: it was almost like a Kiwi version of ‘The Footballers’).
Bikers’ corner I had to give Nelson’s trails a miss due to the inclement weather (i.e. pouring buckets - not a good combo with clay-based trails) so, coupled with various walks, I ended up with a fair break from the biking.
Eventually I did get out in sunny Blenheim. A stiff farm track climb took me into the Wither Hills that overlook the wineries, with nice views from Mount Vernon over to the coast. A variety of farm tracks, exposed singletrack traverses and then some twisting singletrack made for a nice afternoon out in the sun.
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