We went to Picton via the Queen Charlotte scenic drive to get the ferry to Wellington - what a great way to say goodbye to the South Island! Lots of twists and turns via beautiful lakes and beaches. If only the weather was warmer! So, it turns out that I don't have sea legs (even though I'm a Pisces and a fish, astrologically speaking). The swells on the Tasman sea between Picton and Wellington are notoriously treacherous and even though it was a calm day, the w...

After a few days in Nelson, we left on Sunday morning for the Marlborough wine region - stopping only for coffee and a lunch of local green-lipped mussels at a cafe in the Havelock Marina. Another beautiful day of sunshine - hooray! We arrived in Renwick and were greeted by the owner of the Watson's Way backpackers, Paul. I wasted no time and rented a bicycle to ride through the vineyards and take photos of the rich, warm colourful vines lit up in the late after...

We managed to find one of my favourite Kiwi backpacker accommodations purely by accident when the place in Nelson we'd originally wanted to stay at was full - so the owner kindly suggested we go to Almond House instead! It's got a lovely cosy fireplace, spotlessly clean bedrooms/bathrooms/kitchens, friendly staff/owner and, most importantly, it is quiet. If it weren't for my emerging cold, I would have slept very peacefully. We stayed in Nelson for 3 nights as w...

In Culverden, we got to sleep in separate rooms as Mary had kindly offered us each a bedroom. It was really nice to be able to sleep in my own bed - as we have been sharing a room every night for the past 7 weeks (since we arrived in Australia). Sometimes it's the little things that make a difference. Richard had already left to milk the cows at 4am (wow, I don't think I've got the energy to be a farmer's wife) and they had an early morning appointment, so we l...

This morning we started the trek from the west coast towards the north east of the island. From Westport, we drove towards the former gold town of Ross, where we stopped briefly for some photos, after which we headed on the Lewis Pass. Yet another magnificent drive through lush forests, cow-filled plains and snow-capped mountains. There's never a dull moment on the roads in New Zealand as the scenery always seems spectacular - if I had to stop every time I wanted...