Back home

We had a good, albeit long, flight home, starting with a 3 hour flight from Christchurch to Sydney, 7.5 hours from Sydney to Singapore and the final long 13.75 hours from Singapore to London. It came as a surprise to us to find that we were routed over Kabul, Turkenistan and other such remote and/or dangerous places!! We flew with Quantas in their big Airbus 380-800, and it is seriously big. It seems to amble down the runway and although from the inside you cannot believe it has the speed to take off, it glides gently upwards and stays there!. I was assured that it is the safest plane to fly in at the moment because, of course. I still recall, that morning (I think it was in September) when the news reported the emergency landing of one such plane operated by Quantas shortly after taking off from Singapore when an engine caught fire and the entire fleet was grounded for several weeks. Indeed I did not recall having heard that they had been cleared to fly, but clearly they had. With my new found confidence in flying (an interesting and welcome by-product of this trip), I took this in my stride.

We arrived back to a rather grey London and Sussex, freezing temperatures and a mountain of post! As you probably gathered, we loved every minute of our amazing trip but it was lovely to be home.

A big thank you to all our friends and family who shared our trip in some way, whether by keeping a regular eye on with the house and relations, meeting up with us in Australia or NZ, reading our blog and otherwise keeping in touch. We look forward to sharing our experiences with you in person suitably accompanied by some NZ wine, but will endeavour to prepare a suitably shortened version of our photos for you (the full suite exceeds 2,000!)

And finally ......................... do put NZ on your list of places to go to. You will love it and you will receive a very warm welcome.

Over Arthur's Pass

The overnight rain had cleared by the time we woke up and made a fairly early start on the last part of our campervan journey. The road across Arthurs Pass was steep and windy in places but not too difficult and the views were again quite stunning. We had thought we had seen the best of the South Island but at almost very turn of the road we were presented with another wonderful view. The area around Lake Pearson was particularly beautiful. The only difficult part of the journey was across the impressive but scary Otira viaduct where I was stuck behind a very large lorry with trailer that proceeded at about 10kph. I would have preferred to reach the other side a bit more quickly. I had my eyes glued to the road and when I asked the lovely lady wife to describe the views she admitted she was looking straight ahead as well.

We arrived at the Maui camper van base in good time and returning the van was like losing an old friend; it had become such an integral part of out life for the last two weeks.

Took the shuttle bus into Christchurch and checked in to the Canterbury Club; very English. A ride on the tram and a quick wander around the city before meeting Miles, Emma and Rurai for a quick gin & tonic or two and then dinner at the Curators House which was very good and we discovered yet another excellent Otago Pinot Noir, Explorers.

We finally tried west coast Whitebait which was excellent.

The next morning, Friday we awoke very much in going home mode and managed to repack everything into our cases - no mean feat. Off for a quick wander around the city, a punt on the river and another ride on the tram before waiting 25 mins for our taxi which did eventually arrive.

Now in the lounge at Christchurch airport waiting to board the flight to Sydney; the first leg of our journey home.

The Jacksons at Jacksons

We set off fairly early for the trip further up north and slightly east to Jacksons, our overnight stop on our way back to Christchurch. Yes, sadly, we are on our way home and have a flight to catch on Friday afternoon.
This is an unspoilt part of the country and largely untouched by human hand. We meet other campervan travellers (Maui, Britz, Backpacker and the garish mauve and green of Jucy rentals), but not much else.
We stopped at Ross for a cup of coffee and an excellent piece of oat slice. Not much goes on there, it would appear.
The countryside on this journey continued for some time to be the high walls of impenetrable vegetation on either side of the road; however, gradually, it gave way to lower, flatter farmland, with lots of bright orange montbretia lining the roads; this in turn gave way to more dense rain forest vegetation as we turned in land at Kumara Junction and headed towards Arthur’s Pass.
We arrived at Jacksons Retreat to find that it certainly lives up to its name. There would appear to be only two other sets of campers here, although I expect it will get a little busier later this afternoon.
It is very charming and has lovely views over the Taramakau river, valley and mountains, but is up for sale, probably because it is not possible to make a living here. There is a “historical” pub about half a kilometre away which must also struggle to survive, although we helped a bit by having lunch there.
Rain is forecast for this evening, which reminds us that we have not had rain while we have been in the campervan.
Tomorrow we head for our last night in NZ which will be at the Canterbury Club in Christchurch and we will be meeting Miles, Emma and Ruari for supper.

The West Coast

Fortified (though I say so myself) by some excellent bacon and scrambled eggs, we left the sand flies and Haast behind to head up the west coast to the Fox and Franz Joseph glaciers. The road was borded on either side by high walls of ferns, tree ferns and shrubs and trees of all heights, so that it was impossible to see the surrounding countryside. The weather had turned somewhat dull, but it did not spoil the striking nature of the landscape. We had a brief stop on the coast at Knights Point and then at Lake Paringa.
The driving was not too difficult as the roads tended to be reasonably straight and quiet, although from time to time we had to stop for road works and this tends to mean single file traffic or even a complete stop while a part of the road is resurfaced – then on you go.
We arrived at Fox Glacier (the town) and had a short coffee/tomato stop before we headed for a walk up to the glacier. The walk takes you along a dry river bed and gradually up via stepping stones over streams coming down from the mountains and past some very scary looking rock falls.
The glacier is (I think) somewhat underwhelming, particularly because it looks a bit grubby, but it was interesting to see that large pieces of ice still in the river below. We presumed these had broken off the glacier in the last few days and it justified all the danger warnings.
There were quite a number of other tourists undertaking the same walk, including some lady who had a hat and jumper in a bright mauve and managed to drop both of them at different times without noticing.
We then headed on to Franz Joseph glacier, only about 14 miles away. Franz Joseph town is considerable bigger and lively than Fox Glacier town and we checked into our excellent Top 10 campervan site and had the usual cup of tea before walking up to a viewing point for the Franz Joseph glacier through a pleasant hilly glade.

At both Fox and Franz Joseph there were plenty of scenic flight opportunities, but we decided that the low cloud would not make for a great trip and decided to stay on the ground on this occasion.
We selected a Lonely Plant recommendation for dinner (I had been given the night off as had the butler). Alice May Restaurant and we ate well (perhaps too well) on a calamari, clam and muscle dish (himself to start), Blue Cod in beer batter with chips (both for main) and we shared a chocolate and orange pudding.

The leaving of Wanaka

Monday morning dawned bright, sunny and warm and we set off toward the west coast firstly via Lake Hawei (which I have christened the Geordie lake as in Haway the Lads). The drive up the western side of the lake was wonderful with so many viewpoints and photo opportunies that our progress was slow. At the northern end of the lake we spotted a side road which looked promising and headed down an unsurfaced track for about 11km to Bushy Point which is a DoC (Department of Conservation) recreation and camping area. Fantastic views down the lake and a very unspoilt area, the tranquillity only being broken by the deafening sound of cicadas again.
The road then headed back to Lake Wanaka and we found a beautiful spot for lunch at Boundary Creek on the north western shore with simply wonderful views. The queen of the campervan produced a veritable feast!
On westwards to Makarora and the blue pools which we thought were great and yes they are blue but somehow that really does not do them justice.
On to the Haast pass and a fairly scary bridge at the Gates of Haast before proceeding downhill and along the Haast river until we arrived at the metropolis of Haast town (pop 300). Checked in to our camping site and headed out on the town before deciding that the best eating option was the barbeque again. Very pleasant evening and the sandflies were relatively benign (they got their revenge the next morning)

In inebriation of NZ wines

Before coming to NZ I thought I knew a fair amount about NZ wines and I probably did. However, three things have surprised me in particular. Firstly the sheer size of the vineyards in Marlborourgh and the Wairau valley; some stretch for miles. Secondly the variety of grapes grown. We are all familiar with NZ Sauvignon blanc, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay but I have been surprised by the outstanding quality of the Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Both Riesling ad Gewürztraminer have come in dry and sweet late picked varieties and both have been good but some of the sweet wines have been stunning.

Finally the wines of central Otago which, particularly the Pinot Noir, have become increasing popular in the UK in recent years. The vineyards are much smaller and I guess many struggle to get wide distribution in the UK but if you get a chance to try any of the wines from Peregrine (a wine with altitude!), Mount Difficulty or Lowburn Ferry then you will not be disappointed. All central Otago wines have been very good and some outstanding. Not just the Pinot Noirs either, the whites are also terrific. We had a lovely lunch at Mount Difficulty where they have a terrace restaurant overlooking the vineyards, valley and mountains;as good an experience as any in France.

Oh what a perfect day!

Sunday dawned bright and sunny and we had high hopes about our flight when we called Kylie shortly after 8am and yes we were told that conditions were perfect for the flight to Milford Sound. Off we set for Wanaka airport and the lovely lady wife was slightly disconcerted when she saw our plane, a 6 seater Cessna 416; very small and fragile looking. After a quick coffee and discovering that the only other passenger on our flight was Jordan who just happens to be Dave Dixon’s tenant, we took off for Milford Sound with Tom our pilot who looked as though he should still be at school! The lovely lady wife had previously said she was worried about what would happen if the pilot had a heart attack during the flight and I pointed out that having such a young pilot minimised this risk.
We flew close to Mount Aspiring which was truly awesome and as far as I could see very, very close to just about every other mountain in the region. Just a wonderful flight and remarkably turbulence free.
We arrived at Milford Sound in brilliant sunshine and as the bus was delayed we walked around the head of the sound to the landing stage. Deafening sound of cicadas and it was lovely to see the sub tropical vegetation again.
We were lucky to have a fairly small boat for the cruise and no more than 30 passengers so no crowding and a comfortable seat with a view throughout. Just fabulous and we could not have had a better day to see Milford. We have seen numerous photos and videos previously but nothing prepares you for the sheer magnitude of the mountains and the way that they rise vertically from the sea.
The flight back to Wanaka was equally memorable this time flying over Glenorchy and Queenstown before completing a very soft landing.
On the way back to our campsite we had a lovely swim in the lake before yet another barbeque and a celebratory glass or two of NZ bubbly rose. Now exhausted!

Back to Wanaka (or lessons in NZ friendship)

We decided to head back to Wanaka so as to be close for the expected flight tomorrow. Ray had looked at the map and suggested that we go via a promontory of the Queenstown lake, known as Kelvin Heights. This involved travelling over a rather rickety bridge, but then took us into a smart (but not grand) residential area where we round up progressively to an area which had wonderful views of the lake.
We decided to stop to take some photos (the parking by him indoors initially being somewhat suspect – i.e. on the grass!!) when a lady resident suggested we might like to come up onto her terrace to get a better photo.
She had been to England on a number of occasions and had lived in her house for some 40 odd years. She showed us the view from all angles, her sitting room having views over the lake from both sides. She was a keen gardener and we spent about 20 very pleasant minutes in her company.
Just up the road was the Kelvin Heights golf course which advertised coffee and all welcome so in we went. Stupendous views across the lake towards Queenstown and friendly people.
We then took the “low” road to Wanaka, which goes via the vineyards of Central Otago and Cromwell – surely not I hear you say!!
We called in to the picturesque Peregrine Vineyard where we sampled and bought (some is being sent to England, so readers may well sample it!). The young chap in the tasting area had been to England, as had a NZ couple who were also tasting so we entered into lively conversation. It is rare that people don’t ask where we are from and whether we are enjoying our holiday.
Our next stop was at Roaring Meg, a very fast flowing river, which apparently was named after a stroppy woman and a contrast to another river which we have not seen, Gentle Annie. Near Roaring Meg is Mount Difficulty, which is a fairly arid area but suitable for growing vines and we just happened to call into to the vineyard of that name where they have a charming restaurant. We sampled the meat and cheese platters and a glass of wine (rose for me and pinot noir for him indoors). The lady there was extremely interested in our trip and insisted that we went away with samples pens!
It was all such a pleasant experience and we felt very privileged to be in such a friendly country.
We then headed to Wanaka, picking up a basket of fresh fruit (plums, cherries, apricots, peaches and nectarines) from a local grower and arrived at our site. Following a short trip out for a swim in Glendhu Bay , it was barbeque time again. NZ lamb and a glass or two to wash it down.

Still in Queenstown!

Up bright and early ready for our flight to Milford Sound but sadly the weather intervened again and we are now booked for Sunday!
Probably no bad thing as the previous evening the ever vigilant lady wife noticed that one of the tyres of the campervan was looking a bit flat. We checked it in the morning and clearly it was well down. Fully inflated we set off for Glenorchy with stupendous views all along Lake Wakatipu. Having arrived at Glenorchy we decided to check said tyre again and oh dear, there was obviously a slow puncture and the thought of jacking up a campervan and changing the wheel myself did not really appeal. No mobile phone signal but a very friendly lady at the information office allowed us to use her phone to contact Maui and they directed us to their very efficient repair specialists in Queenstown. A few minutes later we were on our way again and headed into Arrowtown for a well deserved late lunch. We declined the opportunity to pan for gold and wandered around the beautifully restored old town.
Inspite of the tyre drama we have had another wonderful day in NZ. I really am running out of superlatives and awesome may have to return soon.

Queenstown

Settled into our camping site and off we set to explore Queenstown. Very windy and certainly not swimming weather but perfectly OK for a glass of sauvignon blanc by the lake.
Just stunning scenery and whilst Queenstown is busier that many places we have been to on the south island, it is fabulous and we love it.
Wandered back to the campsite via the Mediterranean Market where we purchased a few essentials including a couple of very nice steaks for the barbeque.
Thursday started cloudy and fairly chilly but the clouds started lifting and we headed off to the Skyline Gondola on Bob’s hill. Very steep ascent and vertiginous at the top but just beautiful views over Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu.
Wandered back down to the lake and off on the TSS Earnshaw coal fired steamboat for a leisurely cruise on the lake. Very old fashioned but actually it was great, we loved it and the views of the lake and surrounding mountains were just wonderful.
On our return we walked around the opposite side of Queenstown Bay where the botanic gardens are situated. Lovely walk along the lakeside and then back via the gardens which were a revelation. Gorgeous huge trees, water lilies, roses, fountains and even a bowling green.
Back via the art gallery belonging to Rosemary’s cousin Tim Wilson who is NZs best known landscape artist. Magical scenes of NZ countryside.
Later we were picked up by Tim and taken to his beautiful apartment for a very pleasant dinner with Tim and friends. He then headed back to the gallery where he was due to do some reality painting for the clients!
Back to the campsite for a relatively early night in preparation (hopefully!) for our Milford Sound flight

From Wanaka to Queenstown

The weather was great in Wanaka but sadly not in Milford Sound so our flying visit has been postponed to Friday at the earliest. So we said a sad farewell to Dave & Jess and Wanaka and headed off for Queenstown via the top road ominously known as Roaring Meg.
Fabulous scenery past the skiing resort of Cardrona and not without some fairly hairy bends but not to be missed and a stunning approach to Queenstown.

Wanaka

We arrived in Wanaka mid morning on Monday 17th after a lovely drive up Lake Dunstan and fairly quickly found Dave & Jess’s house at 112 Totara Terrace. Great to see them both and lots to talk about over a coffee.
Then off for a drive around the lake, Kayak on the roofrack, and stopped for a picnic lunch at the Minaret Burn track on the west side of Lake Wanaka. As David had told us it was obvious that the lake had been very high recently (lots of driftwood on the shore) and it was still high and very windy in the area.
After lunch we headed back around the lake towards Wanaka and stopped at Glendhu Bay where we unloaded the kayak. Rosemary and I were sent out first and I’m sure you will agree from the attached photo that our paddle synchronisation was well nigh perfect! Fabulous sunny afternoon and the views of the lake and Mount Aspiring were genuinely awesome!
Time for a swim and for David and Jess to demonstrate how kayaking should really be done before we headed back for a beer or two in Wanaka town and then a lovely dinner of prawns and asparagus, followed by pork and crème brulee washed down with some superb NZ wines including a sensational sweet Cloudy Bay Riesling. Congratulations to the chefs.
Fantastic hospitality from David & Jess and much appreciated.
Tuesday 18th started cloudy and stayed cloudy. However, very little rain and we enjoyed a walk down into the town via the lake shore and when it did rain we were happily downing cafe lattes in a pleasant cafe close to the lake.
Walked back via lots of shops but the lovely lady wife must be ill since nothing of note was purchased.
Had a fairly lazy afternoon catching up on some reading whilst David & Jess went out mountain biking and walking; they never stop!
Off to dinner this evening to The Landing in the centre of town and if the weather is good tomorrow we are flying to Milford Sound!

In appreciation of NZ motels

I don’t think we have motels to any great extent in England. I suspect they get a slightly bad name in our household from the American versions, although why I don’t know as I have not been to the US for over 30 years!
NZ motels are amazing. They are everywhere and are in fact more common than hotels. In Kaikoura, for example, there is no hotel, only motels. They are about £75 per night for two and the facilities and the friendliness of those running them (usually we find a husband and wife couple) are very good.
The rooms are not just clean, but spotless. There will be good quality towels (and many of them), plus shampoo, shower gel, etc. They also include a kettle with coffee and tea (sometimes a few biscuits) and often a microwave and sometimes a slow cooker. There will always be a fridge and they will provide a complimentary bottle of milk. In fact one of their first questions will be do you want skinny or full fat.
The bath in at least half has been a whirlpool bath and in one also included a foot massager!
The bed will invariably be king size or bigger with an array of pillows and cushions and a throw just below the foot. These are clearly the latest bedroom fashion item in NZ.
There will also be a flat screen television and fortunately for us the normal stations have been showing cricket.
Whilst we are very happy to be in our camper van, the motels were a real find when we had the car.
Many thanks to the owners of all those we stayed in.

Campervan

We handed back the hire car and arrived at the campervan site raring to go but it was not quite as easy as that! Firstly we needed to view the DVD describing all of the features and then the customer advisor ran through most of them again. Actually it was time very well spent since there are a bewildering array of features including TV, DVD player, microwave and gas barbecue! Amazing!
So off we set with some trepidation since it turned out to be quite large at 7.2 metres long but very soon we were happily travelling at a reasonably speed along very good and mainly flat roads. We headed south from Christchurch through Geraldine and Fairlie and on to Lake Tekapo where we checked in to a good campsite on the edge of the lake.
By now it was time to crack open the Cloudy Bay and get going with the prawns on the gas barbeque, to be added to the salad, new potatoes and avo number 5.
We woke up to an amazing rainbow which was very odd because we couldn’t see any clouds or rain at that stage! The lovely lady wife became a gourmet campervan chef by serving up the most excellent scrambled eggs for breakfast. Lovely walk around the lake in the morning before we left with stunning scenery all round, made even more impressive by the clouds coming and going on the mountains..
Tekapo is a glacial lake and is the most beautiful blue/grey colour which is apparently caused by tiny granite particles suspended in the water
Headed off to Lake Pukaki which is even larger than Tekapo and a similar colour. The views from the Mount Cook viewpoint were spectacular but Mount Cook was mainly shrouded in cloud.
Coffee in Twizel before heading over the Lindis pass towards Tarras and Cromwell. Stopped for lunch by Lake Dunstan near Bendigo where we enjoyed watching the wildfowl and just soaking up the scenery. We are now very much in Lord of the Rings territory and our newly acquired detailed map of the southern alps features most of the filming locations.
Very high winds today and we noticed this driving since the section between Tekapo and Pukaki in particular was a large, flat and open plateau and the campervan is hardly aerodynamic.
At the southern end of Lake Dunstan is a small town called Cromwell and we have checked into the campsite here for the night. The lovely lady wife is already an accomplished HGV driver and has just reversed our 7.2M vehicle perfectly into our space at the camping site!! I have been demoted to navigator second class.
A long walk around the town including the old gold mining area, a quick shower and now it’s time to get the gas barbeque going again. Steak tonight!

Christchurch

Left Kaikoura this morning in brilliant sunshine which continued all day. Travelled down the east coast with the usual stunning scenery; getting quite blase about it now.

We arrived fairly early in Christchurch and drove through to Lyttleton the port of Christchurch where we had a very pleasant light lunch before heading into Christchurch for a wander around. Lots of evidence of the recent earthquake and several roads closed off.

Then headed north to see Miles, Emma and Ruari at their new home where we spent a lovely couple of hours with them sitting in the sunshine and putting the world to right.

Tomorrow we pick up the campervan and head south!

Whales!

We had a pleasant drive down the coast from Renwick and Blenheim to Kaikoura with the weather worsening as we travelled. Journey highlighted by numerous close views of New Zealand fur seals which are apparently not seals but sea lions. After a pleasant afternoon wandering around the Kaikoura peninsular we booked our whale watching trip and checked into our motel (another very large, well equipped and comfortable room - even has a foot massager as part of the shower!) before dining on crayfish (NZ lobsters) at the Green Dolphin close to the waterfront. The weather really closed in now and during dinner there was a torrential downpour which lasted most of the night and resulted in snow on the nearby mountains. We had been warned about potentially heavy seas for the whale watching so it was with great relief that we woke up to a bright, sunny and relatively warm morning.

We arrived at the whaleway station (sic) to find the forecast still saying heavy seas, 25 knot winds and high risk of seasickness. However, being stiff upper lipped Brits we refused the offer of seasickness tablets and boarded the catamaran for the trip. The visibility was great, really sunny and clear but to say it was choppy is a massive understatement. The lovely lady wife was holding on to the arms of her seat and the backrest of the one in front; no mean feat with only two hands. Inspite of the discomfort and numerous other passengers being very ill, we were fine. The sea level off Kaikoura starts fairly shallow and then quite suddenly drops to a depth of ~1000 metres and this apparently makes it ideal for sperm whales.

We eventually encountered one of the said species and whilst I hate the everyday NZ use of the word awesome it was truly merited in this situation. To see this 20metre, 50 ton mammal only ~50 yards away was fantastic. After swimming along parallel to the boat for ~15 mins it then decided it needed another snack of giant squid and dived to the depths so we saw the full fluted tail in the air - memorable.

When we arrived back the lady wife decided she needed a swift glass of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc to restore her land legs and we enjoyed this at the Pier Hotel overlooking the bay before heading of for a fairly steep walk along the cliffs at the headland. Wonderful views and fascinating geology.

Now getting rather tired we returned to out motel room having collected an excellent spit roasted chicken from the supermarket.

Tomorrow we head for Christchurch and will be meeting with our friends Miles, Emma and Ruari who moved out here from West Sussex eigthteen months ago.

We collect our campervan from Christchurch airport on Saturday 15th and whilst we will try to keep up with our blog, internet access may be more difficult so the blog might be more intermittent.

Cloudy Bay

We woke up without too many aches and after a leisurely breakfast outside, we left the bright sunshine of Abel Tasman with some considerable sadness and drove via Waiketeriteri Beach (a lovely beach but much more crowded than Marahau) and the “low” road to the wine country of Marlborough. The drive was relatively easy with wonderful views on all sides. Much of the road was straight and there was very little traffic. The countryside was initially lowland farming countryside surrounded on both sides by mountain ranges. Gradually the farming country gave way to vineyards as far as the eye could see. We did not really stop until we reached Renwick, having bought $10 of the best ever fresh cherries directly from a grower in Motueka, a busy little town, which kept us going.
We found a very nice chalet to stay in Renwick (the Vintners Retreat) and then headed off to find Mahi wines. We first came across Mahi Wines when we went to a food and wine evening run by Gus Evans, a business contact, who owns the Butcher’s Hook in Fulham. He runs monthly evenings when he invites vintners to present their wines and “Jacky”, their very talented French chef, creates recipes to go with the wines.
The first event involved Brian Bicknell of Mahi wines and so it was nice to visit their vineyard and to catch up with him - and to stock up. We then bought some food at the supermarket for supper as we have all cooking facilities here and headed for that mecca of New Zealand wine, the vineyard of Cloudy Bay. Needless to say we participated in the wine tasting there and bought a few bottles including a very interesting sweet Gewurztraminer.
The location of Cloudy Bay is, unsurprisingly, as shown on the label, and by this time, the weather had joined with the wine and indeed become cloudy.
Another interesting day.

Hooked on Marahau

It is not difficult to be. We had a lovely meal at the restaurant of the above name last night and slept well ahead of our trip!! I say this with feeling. We arrived at the Kayak station at 8.30 for our briefing where we were kitted out with various equipment and most importantly our spray skirts. Somehow I don’t see this as a fashion which will take on in London, although perhaps Vivienne Westwood may be the type of designer to draw inspiration from this querky costume. However, they do have a purpose. Needless to say their aim is to keep you dry, although as our instructor said, this is water sports.
We were then driven on a tractor in our water taxi which was then released into the sea, complete with us on it, and it headed at break neck speed for Onetahuti Beach at Tonga where our kayaks awaited us.
We had some more instruction and then kayaked to Tonga Island, which is home to a fur seal population (actually they are sea lions not seals) and went gently around the island watching the activity. The island was also very popular with cormorants and spotted shags.
We then headed back to the mainland through the most beautiful blue water and after about an hour and a half we reached Medlands Beach where we stopped for lunch.
Kayaking does not appear to need a lot of skill, but it certainly does use some muscles which we had clearly not used for some time. Tomorrow morning will be interesting.
After lunch we started our 2 hour walk on a track fairly high through the national park with lovely views of the sea at various stages, particularly over Frenchman’s Bay and otherwise lovely trees and shrubs all around, including a firm favourite, the tree fern. We also had to negotiate a 57 metre suspension bridge which was interesting. We were lucky that much of the route was undercover but it was quite exhausting nonetheless; we arrived at Torrent Bay in time for a swim before the water taxi picked us up for our speedy ride back to Marahau.
It was a fantastic day and we loved every minute of it; the coastal scenery and the sea colours were stunning. We are now exhausted – in fact Ray is in bed staying he is incapable of moving. I (also apparently known as the lovely lady wife), have sorted out the washing and drying so we are back on track with clean clothes. We managed a take away fish and chips sitting outside our chalet listening to the wonderful birdsong which is all over the area. Many thanks to our Harrogate friends, John and Sarah who recommended Abel Tasman; it’s wonderful.
Tomorrow we hope to have the energy to drive to the Marlborough wine country, but we are definitely hooked on Marahau.