As we left Hanmer Springs the views were spectacular and the weather forecast was for clouds to lift and the sun to dominate. Before we left the town refuelling was needed as today we drive many miles where there are no diesel or petrol stations. One thing we have noticed since our last trip to NZ is the predominance of self service diesel/petrol stations which are open 24x7 and have no staff in attendance. NZ is way ahead of the UK in this respect and I think we shall see a lot more self service outlets in future.
We travelled down the short road to join route 7 and once again crossed the precipitous bridge which does feel quite fragile. However, seeing some of the huge lorries and trailers, that are commonplace in NZ, cross the bridge proves otherwise.
We drove west along the Waiau Uwha river valley and soon climbed the Lewis pass turning northwards. Driving was not quick and whilst the Motor Home is easy to drive, negotiating steep inclines and descents with multiple u-bends requires caution and concentration. The scenery was spectacular throughout the drive and we stopped for the regulation coffee and cakes at Murchison which is over half way along our route. As ever the coffee shop was packed, excellent but expensive. There were lots of families and couples having breakfast there which seems to be the norm in NZ. The LLW was horrified to see the price of eggs on toast was $15 which is about £8. Probably not expensive for hotels but for an isolated small town in rural NZ it seems a lot. After 18 days now in NZ, we have concluded that food here is now more expensive than in the UK. Not only that but they are experiencing the same shortages of staff as we are in Europe.
On we went after Murchison with the LLW taking over as driver for this section. We had planned to head to Richmond but Ray suggested that we might think about going to Motueka instead. The debate was fierce and required parking the Motor Home before proceeding. The weather ahead was looking good so a unanimous decision was taken to head to Motueka and the coast near Abel Tasman.
It proved to be a great decision as the sun came out and the temperature rose. We checked that the camp site in Motueka had plenty vacancies and headed further along the coast to Kaiteriteri which is the most beautiful seaside resort. It was busy which was to be expected on a Saturday in mid summer and in the school holiday. Parking an 8 metre Motor Home was Impossible. However, we had a cunning plan! A short distance from Kaiteriteri is Little Kaiteriteri which is problem even more beautiful, is surrounded by expensive houses and has not hotels or camp sites.
The result is that there is usually somewhere to park a Motor Home and so it proved. We parked a few yards from the beach and Ray decided immediately that a swim was in order. The LLW was unconvinced but after a little while agreed to join Ray with a dip in the Tasman Sea. It was wonderful, a perfect temperature, crystal clear water and views to die for across the bay. We resolved that we would visit again before we leave Motueka.
We travelled back the few miles to Motueka town located our campsite and in true English fashion had a cup of tea. The LLW was delighted to discover that our pitch was beneath a Silk Tree.
We have decided to eat out tonight, we reviewed the list of local restaurants and chose a Thai restaurant named Chokdee Motueka which was 0.5 km walk from our site. It proved to be excellent and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal.
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