Golden Bay is THE most beautiful place! Right on the most northen tip of the South Island, its very isolated with not much public transport and it has the most windswept and atmospheric beaches and landscapes. Standing on top of one hill, I could see for miles around - the 'Old Man range', Puponga port beach and far out to the end of Farewell Spit (now a nature reserve) curving away in the distance.

Highlights included:

-More bonding with seals as the pups were playing in a pool on one of the best beaches,a few even nibbled my foot! (watch out for the surprisingly sharp gnashers) Mothers were happily suckling thier young nearby and the pups splashed and played in the surf, lolloping around on the sand and even chasing the odd onlooker for fun!

-Eating mussles I'd freshly picked from the beach and coking them in white wine- delicious and I even lived to tell the tale!

-Cantering along the beach with the wind in my hair and riding back through bright green traingular shaped hills and gnarled and twisted trees that seemed very other-worldly.

-The best fish and chips- taraiki fish and a battered oyster- yum!