Good morning from a sun-bathed Hokatiki! This place usually gets up to 4 meters of rain per year and is not known for its great weather, but somehow we have managed to be here for a the last few days of blue skies and warm sun of summer....good timing hey?
So we've been on the road for about 10 days, and have crossed via ferry from Norht to South Island. We really enjoyed our last few days on North Island, and did a walking (read 'can drink all you like') wine tour of Martinborough and a very full day of touring Wellington. The thing about camper vanning in NZ is that the facilities are just so good, it really makes finding a camp and getting sorted for the night totally manageable, even for amateurs like us. So we've been staying in a different place every night, and usually doing about 3 -5 hours of driving a day, although some days have been less. We've had some awesome BBQ's, just watching the sunset and drinking our wine. We've stopped at several farmer's markets along the route we're travelling, and so have been able to stock up with amazing fresh food. Lets just say, the Christodoulous are not hungry on this trip!
So in Wellington, we boarded the ferry and did the 4 hour cross over. We spent our first night on South Island in Marlborough (more wine country) and did some more touring there too. By now, we have over 10 bottles of wine in the van, and less than 10 nights left in NZ- you do the math! Apart from eating and drinking, we've also done some spectacular early morning walks, so we are trying to balance it out.
After Marlborough, we headed down the East Coast and stopped along the way. The furthest south we got on the east coast was a seaside town of Kaikoura. We experienced a real highlight there. We got going pretty early in the morning, and found a small sign for the Ohau stream. Here a stream flows from a mountain waterfall into the sea, and each year baby seal pups find their way from their mothers to the stream, to come play and frolick while their mom's fish or sleep. So we walked on a path for a few minutes through the forest, and suddenly we see this stream, and there are over 50 baby seals playing right in front of us! It was magical, one of those moments you had to pinch yourself. Kaikoura also provided us with a spectacular 11km hike and amazing ocean views, as well as a brilliant roadside seafood feast!
South Island is long and thin, so from Kaikoura, we decided to cross over the island and start travelling on the West coast. So yesterday we drove the Arthur's pass, which traverses the island, and stopped to do a short walk in the forrest en route. The scenery is spectacular...think green forrests and steep snow-capped mountains with black soil. Really makes the driving so rewarding, and the stops we've done in between, either to walk, or have something to eat or check out a site in a little town, have broken up the journey really well. So we arrived in Hokatiki yesterday and had a glass of white wine on the beach as the sun went down! It was a good day :) Today we will make our way further along the coast to the Franz Josef Glacier, and hopefully do a helicopter tour. Not sure how many days we'll spend there - thank goodness we stocked up on warm clothes when we were in Wellington!
So the adventure continues. I think the best thing about this portion of our trip is that because we have no bookings and no firm itinery, we really feel free. Our little Pirate has everything we need and the road is at our command! Ok, getting a bit dramatic here, but you get the picture! Will write again in a few days.
xxxx
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