Farewell Spit to Pannekoeks!

24 Feb 2015

Pancake Rocks

The cold and wet weather at the spit was not the only disappointment of the day! When we returned to Pohara beach, we decided to watch the RSA vs India ICC match at the local pub,  "Blue Penguin". We were given a good hiding, and can only hope that it might help in the quarter finals!
One point I forgot to mention in the "Spit" blog, was how far north it is in relation to Wellington on the North Island...... it is more in line with New Plymouth, and in fact we could see Mt Taranaki on the horizen, 100km away, from the Spit restuarant.

Hops. apples and pears everywhere......

We were amazed to see (not in this orchard but most of the others) tons of fruit lying rotting under the trees and not a fruit stall in sight

 The following day it was back over the Takaka Hills, and this time we were not up in the clouds, and could admire the view, back to Motueka. From there we turned inland, following the Motueka river , to join up with the R6, which led us up the Murchison and into the Buller River Gorge, which we followed down to Westport on the West Coast.

Takaka Hill 

Rivers around every corner....

The trip down the West coast to Greymouth was gorgeous, and we spent some time at the Punakaika rocks and blowholes en rout. ( The name does actually translate  as pan cakes!)

Then onward to Fox Glacier

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

Black and Pied Oystercatchers

Amazed to see hundreds of indigenous wild Black Swans in the sea

On our way back through Collingwood, the weather improved

Quaint little village of Collingwood

Ferry trip from Wellington , via the Marlborough Sound to Picton.

19.2.2015

Picton......gateway to the South Island

Our South Island adventures really began with the 3 hour, 50 mile Interislander ferry trip over the Cook Straits, where we were lucky enough to have fine weather.

The 22,000 ton, 20.5 knot Kaitaki ferry 

.......carrying 1650 passengers, 600 cars, 1780 metres of trucks and trailers

........loaded on 3 decks, restaurants, lounges, costing the 2 of us and our car NZ$220  one way

Leaving Wellington

 The natural beauty throughout the South Island induces “Oh Wow” expressions, and frantic picture taking around every corner, as new vista’s unfold, which leaves very little time or need for creative blog writing!!

So in an effort to catch up with our huge backlog, we are posting largely pictorial blogs with the odd caption to match, as we travel anticlockwise around this amazingly beautiful country.

Luckily the crossing was flat for our fellow travellers.......the source of the agricultural aroma on the aft deck

Working our way through the beautiful Marlborough Sound

What a place to cruise.......on a rare day like this!

Then we approach Picton.........

A cruise ship partly obsured by a pile of soft logs waiting to be loaded for export

Soft logs are a huge percentage of NZ exports

Pretty town of Picton