So after a tearful goodbye to loved ones in Taupo we traded in such luxuries as a comfy bed, home cooked meals, hot tub, beautiful nightly sunsets and the company of family to live in a van for the next couple of weeks.We still have a bedroom, kitchen, dining room and living room but unfortunately they're all contained in a 6x4x4 ft. box.We picked up the beast in Christchurch just over a week ago and after dinner at Hell's Pizza (best pizza in the world) we headed north up the coast.The first stop was in Kaikoura where Ricky (Jo's friend from back home) greeted us and showed us some of the local sights; translation: we bbqed by the water hole with a few brewskis - I couldn't imagine a better way to spend the afternoon (thanks Ricky).The next morning we had the privilege of viewing some of the largest mammals on earth - sperm whales.We saw no less than three whales tales as they dove to great depths just a few miles off the cost of the peninsula.We next drove farther north into the world renowned Marlborough wine region.Nowhere else in the world would you find a better collection of Sauvignon Blancs.We treated ourselves to 6 bottles of wine to fuel us during the remainder of our journey through the South Island.We had to give Nelson a miss due to time constraints but we were able to sneak in a lunch on the beach on Rabbit Island.13 kms of fine sand beach under the blistering hot sun was just what the doctor ordered to get us out of the van for a few hours.We next set our sights on the Abel Tasman National Park but on the way were distracted by a Pick Your Own Raspberry farm - we couldn't pass that up.$7 per kilo was all we were charged for some of the biggest and juiciest raspberries either of us had ever tasted.Good road snacks for the drive.

Unlike the national parks we grew used to in the US and Canada, New Zealand's parks are usually not accessible by any motor vehicles, so our first day there was spent in a two berth kayak exploring the Tasman Bay coast of the park.The first hour or so in the kayak was a straight shot across some open water before we reached the numerous small beaches which speckled the coastline.We chose a relatively small beach to have some privacy while we enjoyed our lunch consisting of sweet chilli tuna and bread and of course a bottle of Huia Sauvignon Blanc.After a good bit or relaxing in the sun and staring out to the sea we headed back to our pickup point.The thing about the tasman bay is that it is extremely tidal due to the shallow depth of the bay.As we were paddling back and the wind really kicked up we found ourselves in no-mans land where the giant waves were breaking way out from shore as the tide was heading back out to sea.Some strong paddling and nifty maneuvering got us back in safely without being overturned in our slim kayak.Having had enough of the rough sea, the next day was spent on land, 22 km worth were trekked by foot.The Abel Tasman Coastal Walk is supposedly one of the best in the world and we got an incredibly beautiful day to enjoy a piece of it.We started out before 8 and were able to make it out to Watering Cove (another tiny beach 11 kms into the trek) just before 11 where we enjoyed a feast before the kayaking crowds closed in.Another 11 km walk back to where we started only stopping once for a quick dip into the beautifully blue sea and we were back in our sleepervan heading for the west coast, not before another stop at the raspberry farm though.The great weather we enjoyed the previous day turned grey (as it usually does here in the South Island) so nothing too exciting for the drive down the coast.One quick stop in Greymouth and dinner in Fox Village and then we set up camp in the Lake Matheson parking lot hoping to beat the tourist rush to do a hike first thing in the morning.We were rewarded the next day by about a 10 minute glimpse of reflections of Mounts Tasman and Cook in the eerily calm waters of Lake Matheson.The walk through the lush forrest of ferns with some rainfall and periods of sun created the perfect setting for some great shots by our resident photographer.On the shores of Lake Wanaka is where we cooked our finest meal to date in our sleepervan: pan seared lamb with bruschetta…delicious.We had a magnificent view of the lake with the soaring mountains in the background to enjoy our meal which was complemented by a bottle of Craggie Range Sauvignon Blanc.This morning we drove down to Queenstown to be greeted by more rain and piercing winds.Hopefully that all changes tomorrow as Greg ventures out offroad motorcycling in the hills surrounding the lake…don't fall!