The Top Half

We leave Picton and take the scenic road around the fjords again. Arriving in Nelson the rain is thundering down. Aware that camping will probably be the best option where we’re going, we stop briefly to pick up more supplies. Hot-footing it all the way round the top of the South island, our plan is to do the majority of the driving during the bad weather and come back at a more leisurely pace.

Eventually arriving in Collingwood, the view of the farewell spit is consumed by low-lying clouds. Visibility is poor, so we backtrack to Takaka (via some naturals springs) to camp for the night and come up with a plan for the next few days.

We get a loud wakeup call at around midnight as a huge thunderstorm passes over head. A 1940s style air-raid siren follows. Presumably to call in the volunteer fire-fighters for reasons I can only imagine. After the storm passed, we were treated to a clear, star-lit sky.

We later found out that this storm had gathered pace as it travelled North and turned into a tornado as it hit Auckland.

The following morning, the weather in our area had improved dramatically and we headed back to the farewell spit in the hope of seeing some seals. The tide was all the way out and there were no seals in the areas we were allowed. We did, however, see a large flock of black swans, so not all was lost.

We spent the rest of the day hiking around the Abel Tasman national park which was absolutely stunning.

Only an hour’s drive to Nelson, so we decide to head there for the night and give the city another chance. We only planned on one night, but our VW beetle themed hostel (The Bug Inn) was lovely and the manager pointed out what Nelson had to offer, so we extended our booking to two days. We spent the following day being pleasantly surprised with the city. So relieved we decided to give it another go, it made it to the short-list of places we could see ourselves staying for a while. We explored the shops and cafes and strolled around the farmers market which was rife with organic, local produce and knickknacks. Christmas is everywhere, but I’m warm today, even in shorts and a t-shirt. A summer Christmas is very weird.

Next day is Nelson to Westport. To be completely honest, it was a rather forgettable drive to a rather forgettable town. When we arrived at the hostel, there was a sign on reception saying “back in 15 minutes”. We waited for an hour for someone to show up to no avail. We had plans for the following day to go and see some seals in a local colony, so we decided to go and do it that afternoon instead.  

Next we were to head to Greymouth via Punakaki (pancake rocks).

Greymouth was another small town, devoid of any discernible personality, so we continued our journey up and through the mountains towards Christchurch via Arthurs pass. The drive through the mountains was breath taking.

Accommodation in the mountains was very expensive, so we headed on to Christchurch.