Arriving late afternoon in Nelson I checked into my hostel for the first night, it was awesome. Almost like a sharehouse sleeping only 13. Coincidently I ran into a mate from Switzerland who I met in a backpackers in Queenstown, off all the backpackers and towns in NZ. It was good to catch up with him. Now they call this a city, hmmm . . . . I don't think so. It doesn't classify itself as a city under my checklist more so a beachside town. Just shops and cafes that were never open really, and a nightlife much like the main strip out of the Gold Coast.

The next morning I got onto skype with Abbey and she had failed to inform me that she didn't have a microphone so the whole conversation was just me with her typing. It was hilarious at the time, but we eventually got onto each other via phoneline and we had a good chat.

It was heating up so I decided to go to the popular bay beach, I think its name was Tahunuia or something like that anyway! It was great, shallow water out for miles so to cool off it was fantastic, just floating around the bay, I stayed for a little longer just reading my book on the beach. I then checked in to my new hostel, this was a party hostel with people my age! It had a pool, spa everything! Then it was time for dinner and good nights sleep for my Kayak trip in Abel Tasman National Park tomorrow!

Now this was an early ugly start, bus picked me up at 7am and I slept the entire way to the ATNP (Abel Tasman National Park). We got kitted up then went on the water taxi to our drop of point, some place with a real complicated name like Oenhuntuit bay. But also on the way a dolphin bounced around our boat and we saw some seals just chilling on the rocks.

So after all the safety procedures about how to get out if you capsize (which our guide hadn't had one in years!) then how to steer and paddle etc. We were off, straight round to a nice little secluded cove where a Swiss couple had managed to get the nose of the boat on some rocks, the water then receded and there was only one possibility……. CAPSIZED!!!!!!! Hahahah it was pretty funny at the time but our guide wasn't impressed at all! We had to wait so as we could get all the water out of there boat and there camera got wet which was good at all. We then headed for our lunch spot, 'Mosquito Bay'. I wasn't too impressed with the name either, but luckily whoever named it was wrong. No mosquitoes at all! After a long lazy lunch we paddled out to sea a little further than usual so as we could all raft together (put all our kayaks in line) and set sail. We all hung on to each others kayaks and put up a sail on our paddles! It was real fun, we went a lot faster than I thought we ever would! We almost made it all the way to the final destination 'Anchorage Bay'

I then slept on the bus the whole way back cause I was so tired. That night involved some well deserved beers which may or may not have been involved with games. Then a I retired to bed for another day. The next day I made my way down to the local market, it was a little small so I didn't stay for very long. Then off to 'the centre of New Zealand'. Well apparently this is the centre of NZ, it was a short walk up to the conveniently placed hill where the centre of NZ was. There was some good views to go along with it thought which made it all worth while!