New Zealand part II

From Taupo we headed West along the "World's Forgotten Highway" - which is aptly named...there really is nothing but rolling hills for miles and miles; it was quite incredible. It made for some very windy driving along roads that were falling apart over cliffs, or had corroded down to one lane in places!

We were heading West to meet up with a friend I had made earlier in my travels (in Canada), Nerissa (pic below). It was great to see her again & to see her home town of New Plymouth. New Plymouth is a small coastal town, but it has a very lively night life. We saw most of the bars along the highstreet, many thanks to our guide Nerissa ;-)

After a couple of nights in New Plymouth it was time to move again, to our final destination on the North island - Wellington. We were staying with Smalls' friend Jo, & her family, just a short drive from the city centre. The city is a beautiful place, as a lot of the houses are spread throughout the hills on the coast, & the centre itself is very clean & tidy. There appears to be a large student population there too. Jo's family were very hospitable & made us feel very welcomed. On our second day there it was my Birthday (26 - I made it!), so I decided the schedule for the day. Being the mature adult that I am, I decided that our only option was the ZOO!

I was very chuffed to actually see a Kiwi bird (the feathered kind!), because they are nocturnal they are very tough to catch at night. I especially liked the view out across Wellington from the Chimp enclosure, pic above. The weather held out for us, so it was very enjoyable. After the Zoo we played on the swings outside (& why not, eh? Only 26!), then we went to a Brewery for lunch (as I say, it was my choice!). That evening Small, Jo & I went out to an Irish bar to see some live music.

After which we went on to some more bars for more celebratory drinks. As it was a Tuesday night the number of open establishments was limited, & they were pretty deserted, but the three of us had a great laugh & stumbled into our beds at 4am. A good day.

The next day we said our goodbyes & caught (just - we were very close to missing it) our Ferry to the South island. There were some 7m swells on the crossing, so very rough, but I am pleased to say that neither Smalls nor I were ill as a result!
Our first stop was the Northern town of Blenheim, which is in Malborough county...WINE country! :-) On our first full day we hired a tandem bike (which is easier to ride than one would expect - even after all the vino) then cycled around 7 vineyards in 5 & 1/2 hrs. The region is renouned for its whites, although there were some lovely reds on offer too! We both had our fill of free samples, & purchased a bottle each of our favourites before heading back to the tent to pass out. A throughly enjoyable day (how jealous is my Dad right now reading/seeing this) ;-)

We went through Nelson on our way to Abel Tasman (Abel Tasman is the national park located on the Northern tip of the south island). Our overnight stay in Nelson was long enough to check out the small town, & enjoy some drinks with the locals. The night ended in everyone being turfed out of the bar during half time of the Liverpool v Man U match, with Liv leading 2-1 at the break...I was not impressed. The result pleased me the next day though ;-)

When we arrived in Marahau, which is the last town before the Abel Tasman national park, we found a campsite & then booked our Kayak adventure. we hired a tandem (again) kayak for 3 days & 2 nights, meaning we would be camping along the coast in the National park. Needless to say, as a Kiwi National park, the place blew us away. I dont think I can beat the pictures for explanation...

The walks into the park from the coast were equally impressive, as you can see...

On our first night we used our disposable BBQ to cook our Beef sausages. Smalls did an excellent job, although we did manage to smoke out the entire campsite...very amusing!

During in our paddles we went out to a seal colony & were lucky enough to catch a few just chilling...

Our time in the national park was excellent, & I would strongly recommend the excursion to anyone heading to NZ. No real Kayaking experience is necessary, especially if you get weather as good as we did! The only real drawback to the whole trip was the number of Sandflies. Those who have been to NZ will fully appreciate their mention, as they are vicious. Not only do they leave you with a mosquito-esque itchy swell, they quite often remove a small amount of skin = drawing blood. Not nice...DEATH to them ALL!

I am not going to sign off with a sunset piccy this time, so you will have to make do with the evening view from the shore of Mosquito bay - the location of our second campsite. I hope that all is well back in the UK, & I would like to give a special thank you to all (you know who you are) for your kind Birthday wishes ;-)

written by

johnnoble on March 19, 2009 from Wellington, New Zealand

from the travel blog: John's year off...

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