Our last couple weeks on the South Island

The next morning was a very special day...Easter, or rather, Rayann's birthday. Shaun did an amazing job surprising her with homemade french toast topped with berries & powdered sugar, all cooked at the communal hostel kitchen! It was delicious. That day we had planned to simply drive up the coast and stay at a small B&B a little north of Westport. We stopped off along the way to check out the famous pancake rocks, a series of cliffs & crevasses carved out by the smashing waves of the sea into rocks that look like stacked pancakes. Then we started off for an afternoon hike along the Punakaiki River.

Shaun in front of the Pancake Rocks

Later that day, we drove up towards Westport, a small mining village on the north west coast of the south island. We checked into the Charming Creek B&B, which was truly wonderful. We had the chance to hike through an old mining trail and try the local eatery where we splurged on the local burgers slathered in beets. The kiwis LOVE their beets. Gay, our B&B owner, was an amazing host, and the homemade yogurt, bread & jams was delicious; a perfect birthday getaway! We only wished we could have stayed longer but our aggressive itinerary kept us moving northward.

Farewell Spit

Next up was Abel Tasman National Park and we were extremely excited to be headed up to the much talked about national park. Friends, family and strangers had all recommended doing one of the many kayak trips to the different beaches & coves. However, once we arrived, the weather made it impossible for us to do our 2 day/1 night kayak trip. Instead we spent our first day driving north towards the Farewell Spit, the south island's most northern point and longest sandbar in NZ. The wind made the trek up the lighthouse pretty difficult, but the views of the Spit and surrounding greenery were beautiful and made the trip worthwhile.


The following day, instead of kayaking Abel we decided to hike along the coastal track to the various beaches. We set out early and returned really late, making it a tough hike of about 15 miles, but yet again the views were astounding. Every few kilometers we came across a cove with white sandy beaches and turquoise waters. You could see why this is such a popular area in the summer, kayaking to beach after beach. But even though the waters were rough for kayaking and cold for swimming, the day was perfect for the hike.

Abel Tasman

"This is the hardest thing I have ever done my entire life!"
This was Rayann's exact quote used multiple times throughout our 2 day/ 1 night mountain bike trip through the famed Queen Charlotte Track in Marlborough Sound. Harder than a Sprint Triathlon and 1/2 marathons, the 55km tested both our endurance and our stamina. When we signed up for this activity we didn't research the elevation changes along the track. According to the brochures the track is rideable for everyone from beginners to experts. With Rayann and I falling somewhere in the middle we thought it would be difficult, but something that could be easily done in 2 days. It turned out to be hard work, but did not detract from the beauty and magic that the Marlborough Sounds region is known for. One of Captain Cooks favorite stops during his Pacific Ocean voyages in the 1800's (7 times total for extended periods of time) the many coves and inlets are named after his vessels and crew members.

View from the Queen Charlotte Track

To access the trail head we had to take a water taxi to the outer most tip of the Queen Charlotte Sound. We were greeted with blue skies and warm weather for the first time in 5 days which lasted the entire weekend. We were dropped off at Resolution Bay and immediately encountered up and down terrain that lasted for the whole ride. Most of the uphills entailed us getting off our bikes and pushing them up the steep inclines. What added to the difficulty was that it had rained in the area for the previous 5 days so the track was extremely muddy and in some places completely washed out. This only added to the experience and really challenged us both going up and down. The most rewarding part however were the views and vistas once we got to the top of the inclines. Every turn would give us new breathtaking views of the sounds with trees running right down into the ocean and sun soaked coves packed with birds and other wildlife.

Before we headed out on our trip we decided it would be best to book accommodation since it was low season and we weren't sure which ones were still open. We decided on a little homestay called Noeline's located in Punga Cove 21km into our journey. This place was awesome!! When we arrived, Noeline our 80 year old hostess had homemade scones right out of the oven and hot tea waiting for us (Just what the doctor ordered). After talking for an hour or so we decided to shower the mud off ourselves while our hostess, who felt like our temporary grandmother, stoked the wood stove in the living room. To add to our experience the Royal Wedding happened to fall on this night, which was a much celebrated event in New Zealand. Noeline was super excited to watch the big show and provided numerous details and commentary throughout. Even more she would periodically check her transistor radio and provide updates of the footy game as well as the Australian League Basketball finals game where the New Zealand team won the title for the first time ever. We were completely blown away by the experience and would like to thank Noeline for her hospitality.

After a great rest at our adopted grandmothers place it was off to tackle day 2 at 8am. In front of us was a 6 hour 34km long ride filled with difficult terrain. This is where Rayann's quote was used often. She would also yell at the top of her voice so that she could psych herself up to get to the top of the hills. What we decided early on is that even though the downhills were extremely fun, we did not look forward to them because we knew that whatever goes down, must go back up on this trail. Again though, the reward far exceeded the effort because each time we would get to the top of the next hill we were given another remarkable photo opportunity. After only a few spills and near misses with trees we made it to our destination, Mistletoe Cove, with a half hour to spare. It was probably one of the most rewarding things we have done on the trip and by far the most physically demanding! Now we might have to buy some mountain bikes back in San Fran and tackle the great trails they have out there!

The day after our mountain bike exertion, Rayann was adamant about not doing any physical activity the next day. So we headed to The Blenheim/Renwick region to do some wine tasting in the famous Marlborough Region. We spent the morning and afternoon tasting some local specialties including some fabulous sauvingion blanc, pinot noir and local MOA beer before making our way down south to Kaikoura. On our way down we stopped at Ohau Waterfall, famous for housing hundreds of seal pups during the fall & winter months. Every year the seal pups climb up the stream to this waterfall and its pools to play and socialize with others pups while the mothers are feeding out at sea. We were astounded by how many seals were in and around the waterfall, swimming, playing, fighting and relaxing. The scene was incredible and one of the highlights of the trip. This was much better than any zoo or aquarium trip we've ever taken!

Link to pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/rayann.torres/NewZealandSouthIsland#