To the South

When we originally planned the trip, our short stay in the north was supposed to be a warm-up of sorts. We though we might be slow to adjust and jet-lagged, and didn’t plan too many activities in advance; we had so much fun, it’s hard to believe that our trip is really just getting started.

The trip through the Rotorua Airport was quite a contrast to flying in the US. After a short check-in, we basically walked right onto the tarmac and into the plane. No security points, no x-rays; didn’t have to take our shoes off even. A friendly sign at baggage check reminded politely: if you have weapons, pack them in your suitcase. The short flight between the islands had some spectacular views of the Marlborough Sounds, and not a cloud in the sky. Too bad the camera was stowed; I’ll make sure to have it on the return flight.

Our hotel in Nelson was in a great spot on the coast with a panoramic view of the mountains and Abel Tasman National Park in the distance.We wandered around the city centre and were almost transported back to State Street in Madison -- lots of art shops, yoga centers and cafes. We even briefly gawked at a little confrontation between a street cop and a vagrant, who was on the phone with his lawyer explaining calmly, “I’m downtown Nelson and my civil rights are being violated by the local police.” Just like home.

From NZ Developed

After lunch we headed to the Nelson Cathedral, famous for its art deco architecture but perhaps more well-known for the contentious design process and construction. Many wanted to combine the traditional features of cathedrals with more contemporary design elements; traditionalists were having none of it. Construction was finally completed in 1965, forty years after ground was first broken.

Then it was time for a hike up to the ‘Centre of New Zealand’ hill in the middle of Nelson. It may not be the actual center, but the hill was one of the first surveying landmarks used in the South Island, and has been commemorated as the centre ever since.

From NZ Developed

The next day, we woke up early and got breakfast to go; in NZ that means meat or veggie and egg pies from the local bakery. Definitely better than an egg McMuffin.

We spent the day on a guided sea kayaking trip through Abel Tasman National Park. Most of the land that makes up the park today was once private land, and there are still a few towns and private tracts of land throughout the park. Back in the twenties and thirties, farmers and loggers stripped the land of nearly all the ancient forest; it was only after the National Park was established in the 1940’s was natural vegetation allowed to grow back. The tour was great; there was only one other couple from New York, also celebrating their honeymoon, in the group with us. The city slickers had tough time keeping up with us -- maybe we aren’t that out of shape!

From NZ Developed

At lunch, our guide Joey took us hiking inland to a cave at the top of a small waterfall. We rock-hopped up and across a frigid fresh water stream and falls to a hidden cave where the water poured in from above. All in all, we spent about six hours on the water, including some time observing the a seal colony on a small, rocky island just off the coast.

From NZ Developed

We got a bunch of great tips from our guide; we’re excited to check out some of the waterfalls and other scenic sights he recommended on the west coast next week. He also practically made us promise to go to Ferg Burger in Queenstown when we’re there at the end of our trip. Though he did say if we order some mammoth burger contraption -- two half-pound patties, a “few good layers” of bacon, two eggs and a bunch of cheese -- that we shouldn’t order the chips to go with it. No kidding.

Tomorrow we head toward wine country. We’ll be biking through the Marlbourough wine region sampling their famous sauvignon blancs. We’re also staying in hostels for the next two nights and we’re looking forward to being budget travelers and meeting other folks from around the world.

[I'm a little behind on posting, just too much other fun stuff to do! I've changed the dates on some posts to reflect where we were in NZ on the date for each.]