Week 2: 28th Dec to 3th Jan: - Serene Collingwood to Glacial Southern Alps
We stayed in the Far North of the South Island in Golden Bay staying in a great wee hotel/hostel in Collingwood which had a stunning view over the tiny town. The beer was excellent too - try The Mussel Inn Brewery - Pale Whale and Captain Cooker!
An Eco trip to Farewell Spit completed our time in golden bay - can you see the kiwi?
A quick trip back to Nelson to catch up with our lovely Welsh friend and brewer Ffyon and a visit to WOW (the world of wearable art - it has to be seen to be believed!)
Nelson Lakes looked very inviting for an invigorating swim until you saw the residents who live under the jetties - not for Mrs T!
A slightly soggy New Year midnight was celebrated before most of the world in a Nelson Lakes campsite but the best was sending New Year Greetings in UK time from the blue sky sunshine top of Mt Robert, where we had yet another stunning walk
We then headed over to the West Coast and up to beautiful remote Karamea where another of the NZ Great Walks the Heaphy Track ends. We only managed to visit the fringes of this huge wilderness area to see the huge limestone caverns and river walks next to a delightful café called 'The Naked Possum' (Kiwis really DONT like Possums!!)
More high level walking was the order of the day in Arthurs Pass after a night in a lovely campsite at Brunner Lake, where again the dawn chorus was beautiful (and very loud!!)
First a quick visit to the Pancake Rocks and baby seals (which were not up in the river like they were when Rhian, Callum and David Attenborough visited!
The Road and railway through Arthurs Pass is a feat of engineering but the real grandeur is the mountains. We walked up to a ski hut and looked back across to Mt Rollison
Of course we took pictures of the Trans Alpine Train which goes through the Pass for guess who!
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