After packing up our flat (it is amazing how much 'stuff' we, - ie Shona and her work at the Op Shop! - have accumulated in the last 9 months) and leaving various boxes with different friends we set off with our Honda CRV packed to the gunnels for our glorious holiday over Christmas and New Year down on the south island. We are now back and staying in a lovely student house for 4 weeks until beginning of Feb until we move back to our flat in Pacific Palms.
We have had so many wonderful adventures during the holiday that it needs to be split into a blog for each week!
Week 1 21st to28th Dec - A Magic Christmas
After a long 7 hour drive from here in the Bay of Plenty we reached Wellington the capital. We stayed in a lovely (5*) beachside backpackers on the Kapati ((pronouced 'cup of tea') coast. we caught the local commuter train into the city and 'did' the world renowned Te Papa museum and popped into the understated but amazing Weka workshop - where all the monsters etc for the Hobbit/Lord of the Rings/Avatar/TinTin and Thunderbirds etc are created.
We were extremely lucky that both our Inter-island ferry crossings were calm and sunny so we could fully appreciate the beautiful fiord type landscape going into Queen Charlotte Sound. We drove straight from Picton to out destination campsite on 'Cowshed Bay' (Kiwis are very literal when they name things!)
Christmas eve saw us walking the 24km mid section of the Queen Charlotte which was absolutely spectacular and probably the high point of the holiday for both of us. It was a VERY warm and very high tramp but the cold beer and sense of achievement at the end was incredible!
Something a bit strange happened on Christmas Eve night, we both woke up in the wee small hours and could swear the stars seemed to ultra bright, especially one standing out shining over cowshed bay!!!!!! A very special memory.
Chrismas morning after a deafening dawn chorus, Shona had brought Christmas decorations, and crackers, so the pressies were opened and bucks fizz and bacon sandwiches as per tradition enjoyed. We even had our own Weka dishwasher (a type of bird!!).
Later on Christmas day we moved on to Nelson where we had booked into a lovely B&B. We hadn't booked anywhere for Christmas dinner and were preparing to have a rather sad/sweaty salad on the beach, but the lady who ran the B&B came to our rescue and got us into a lovely German restaurant for a lovely Christmas dinner. After our meal we sat on the balcony of the B&B for rusty nail cocktails and were joined by our hosts then an American honeymoon couple and finally a swiss family who were also staying at the B&B.
We skyped everyone at home as they were waking up but I do have to admit it was a strange hot Christmas but all in all a Christmas memory like no other!
The Abel Tasman walk was our next destination which was lovely but slightly overshadowed by the crowds not to mention being rained out in a VERY small tent at Totranui. We will just have to go back at a different time of year and when the weather is better!
Looks an amazing place - wish I was there.
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