Sheer Tenacity: On to Farewell Spit

23 Feb 2015

We stayed our first night in the Picton Top 10, which although clean and well located, we were only too happy to vacate! The sites were wa.a.a.y too small and close to one another… and although I would love to tell about our next door neighbours, (2 x 150kg plus, heavily tattooed women, whom we christened “Dick and Dyke” !), time, space and discretion preclude this as an option!

Start of the Queen Charlotte Drive, looking back on Picton

Secure anchorage right behind the pile of soft logs awaiting shipment

A touch of Scotland!

As the pictures show, the weather changes quickly.....one minute gloomy and the next, glorious

Approaching Havelock........where we bought fresh mussels from the 4 Square Supermarket as The Hairy Mussel at the harbour had shut down. Mary produced undoubtedly the "World's Best ever Green Mussel Chowder"!!!!, at a fraction of the price of the Worlds Best Ever local eatery.

Leaving Picton, we took the spectacular winding route along the edge of the Queen Charlotte Sound, to Havelock… (Green Mussel Capital of the World), through Nelson, and on to Motueka, which is the starting point for many of the Abel Tasman National Park hiking (tramping), kayaking and other adventures!
Along the way, we walked down a steep path to view the Split Apple rock near Kaiteriteri.

Other end of Split Apple Beach

We drove up and over the Takaka Hill, (a pretty big Pass actually!), and made our way down to the Golden Bay, where we pitched our tent at the Pohara beach Top 10.

Golden Bay

Fush and Chups as the Kiwis say

Limestone arch on the road to Pohara harbour

The day we decided to visit Farewell Spit (a must-do) started off well and deteriorated rapidly. We opted to do a short walk out on the Spit instead of doing the Red Bus ride to the end. It was wet, cold and disappointing, although would have been great in better weather