Abel Tasman view 2

Picton to Queenstown & Northland loop

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March 2nd 2013
Drove old, battered hire car west from Picton, route studded with scenic bays to Abel Tasman national park, stopping briefly en route at Nelson for hike to centre of NZ hilltop and a tasty pizza. Walked along the coastal track, with sandy bays, wobbly cable bridges and dense green forest; swam and kayaked in the (chilly) turquoise sea; and cruised to Tonga island marine reserve to visit basking se ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Queenstown

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The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year... ... read more