Woke up again to beautiful sunshine and the girls hugely relieved that Santa had found them. Made GF buckwheat pancakes then off to the Rabbit beach, with all the kiwis to build a sandcastle and have a picnic lunch, returned after lunch for some shade and the girls spent the afternoon in the pool. then a phone call to USA where it is STILL Christmas Eve. A great dinner of shrimp, salmon and veggies on the grill and crackers! Cross fingers that the weather hold...

Up early to catch a bus to Kaiteriteri where we boarded our boat to explore the Abel Tasman coast. Saw the split apple rock and a fur seal colony before landing on a beach. After a picnic we walked along the coastal Abel Tasman trail to the next cove along and had a wonderful time exploring the beach at low tide - hot enough for us to take a swim and get some sun burn. Gorgeous blue green water, hot sun and fern trees that look like palm trees gives the coast a ...

After feeding the animals we left the farm and finished the last few winds of the Queen Charlotte driveway - stopping for the view point shown. We stopped at Havelock, New Zealand's mussel capital but the mussel shop was closed so we continued on the Nelson for some Christmas shopping. Finally to the campsite in Motueka, our base for Christmas, with a lovely pool - the first I have ever seen with a climbing wall.