Our packs were packed and lunches prepared. We met the bus at 8 AM for our trip to Kaiteriteri and our trip into Abel Tasman National Park. Abel Tasman’s track requires 4 days to hike, but we were able to do just a section of it by taking a tour with Sea Shuttles that provides a water taxi service. The bus transported us to Kaiteriteri which is a beautiful beach 13km from Motueka. The beach has golden sand and crystal clear blue water, which is typical of t...

The road north seemed to be the “long and winding road” without much change in scenery. We passed through some small villages. In the town where we stopped for a picnic lunch, we saw an unusual sign so I took Bob’s picture next to it. When we stopped at another town to have coffee, I tried to purchase some Benadryl at the local grocery for Bob’s many sandfly bites, but I was told it was illegal for them to sell it. I guess it requires a pr...

We drove through mountains and along the sea today. Our first stop was at the Bushman's Centre which has a sculpture honoring the ubiquitous sandfly. They are nasty little biting, bloodsucking insects which leave a very itchy welt on the skin. We've both been bitten, but Bob has really been tormented by them. Luckily we brought along lots of repellent and anti-itch ointment.We stopped in Ross to investigate the gold mining historical exhibits there and co...

On the way to the Glaciers we drove along the beach near Bruce Bay. A mile or more of the beach was lined with cairns. Travelers had also written messages on the white rocks; I think some of them were in honor of an ancestor. It reminded us of a beach in Maui where people had built tall cairns as a spiritual gesture. Much of NZ reminds us of Hawaii, possibly due to the fact that the early Maori ancestors were warriors that traveled here by long canoes from island...

After freedom camping near Cromwell, we were less than an hour from Wanaka. The day was FINE so we decided to enjoy Wanaka for awhile before heading to the West Coast. We stopped at an Arts and Crafts show in the park, and then we walked to Waterfall Creek along the south shore of Lake Wanaka. Then we drove past Lake Hawea and the north side of Lake Wanaka, then past the waterfalls of Haast Pass. It was a scenic drive. When we arrived on the west coast we decide...