PENGUIN CROSSING

Last Friday morning we woke to a beautiful sunny day. The term here for sunny, warm weather is "FINE" and fine it was! Perfect for a morning at the Farmers Market in Nelson. I filled my back pack with fresh kiwi fruit, local produce and some fun sauces. The market was filled with local crafts people selling hand made arts and crafts, and the air was filled with wonderful aromas from fun and fabulous foods. We had a wee bit to eat at an Asian stand where we enjoyed a delicious curry roll. Having our fill of culture in Nelson, we headed north up Tasman Bay to the Able Tasman National Park. Once again we were in awe of the beauty. We spent the night in Marahau which is at the south end of the National Park. From there, if you want to go north, you can only do so by tramping, kayaking or taking a water taxi. I was very keen on the kayak idea, however, the weather was grey and chilly, so we decided on a water taxi ride. We boarded the boat in a car park, on a trailer, attached to a large tractor. The tractor pulled us out to the beach and we drove out a long way on the wet sand and into the shallow water, where we were released from the trailer into the bay. Our able captain navigated the low tide and steered us safely out to tour the beautiful world of water and rocks. Although the sky was a bit grey, the water was green and clear. As we went skipping and gliding across the water, wind in our hair, and smiles on our faces, we took in the fresh sea air, and the awesome scenery. We glided past one golden sand beach after another, and each one was as pretty as the last. It was a real treat to see the coast line from the water, unspoiled beauty from another perspective. The tides in the bays can range from 8 to 15 feet. It is a wild thing to see the water lapping on the banks of the shore with sail boats bobbing in the water, and then several hours later, there is a large body of sand separating the shore and the sea, and sail boats resting on their hulls, with the appearance of being beached and abandoned. From Able Tasman, we headed north again to the Golden Bay. We navigated a small mountain pass, with outstanding vistas from the summit. The valley below was filled with apple trees beginning to bud with pink and white blooms. Beautiful trees with clusters of large purple trumpet flowers, lined the highway. A short walk through "The Grove" was a real highlight. There was a thick jungle of trees and native bush growing out of a rock outcroping in the middle of a valley. It felt like we had walked into a far away world. We stopped at pupu springs where you can gaze into the clearest water in the world, without being in Antarctica, and clear it was! Our reflection never looked so good! We stopped in Takaka, a super fun little artsy town with great food and lots of fun art, where bare foot kiwis live an alternative lifestyle. We had been thinking about purchasing a mountain bike, and found a great bike for a good price at the local bike shop. We paid for the goods, and then, on with the helmet and up with the pant legs, off I went down the road following the Kiwi Condo along the road to the camp ground. As I peddled along the country roads I could not only see the sheep and lambs, but I could hear them baaa, baaaa, and even smell the clean rich smell of the fertile fields! What a cool way to get a little closer to nature and really entrenched in the experience. That evening, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the beach. The sky filled with orange and pink so bright that it lit up the wet pools of water on the sand to create a beautiful mosaic on the beach. The next day took us up to the very top of Golden Bay to Cape Farewell. We are still traveling with Rick, Katie and Hokulani, so off we all went, on a tramp thorough the rolling green fields of sheep and lambs, and down to Wharariki Beach. It was low tide, so we were able to enjoy the wonders of nature at it's finest! Large rock formations jetting up from the sea, have been caressed and sculpted into large caves and arches that welcome visitors to wander through and marvel at their grandeur. Our friend Rick, who is a big fan of mussels, harvested a large bag from the rocks and promised that after dinner that night, we too would be mussel fans. I was skeptical, but he is a wonderful cook and indeed, has changed my mind about our green lipped friends. That night it rained HARD! Sleep was difficult between the gale force winds, buckets of rain, sheep baaaaaaing and big dog snoring. No worriers, the next morning the sun was out again and we took a quick hike up to view the Farewell Spit. A large long strip of sand bar that curves around the top of the Golden Bay. It is a sight to behold. From the spit, there was no where to go but south, so south it was. Straight down to the Nelson Lakes National Park, where we were greeted that evening with a triple rainbow at lake Rotoiti. The next morning we woke to a hard frost. The wooden boat dock looked like a skating rink. The lake was cold and calm reflecting the snow covered peaks in the distance, framed by green and golden hills and a clear blue sky. I headed off on the mountain bike for a wee ride up the road where the view was magnified with every gain in elevation. Johnny also enjoyed a nice bike ride, and then we headed west. The Buller River Gorge escorted us to the west coast in style. We followed the river through mountains and valley's winding our way through lush Forrest and green pastures, and then along the coast to Punakaiki. This is where I saw a Penguin Crossing sign and got extremely excited! For the next hour, I was on the edge of my seat looking intently and hoping desperately to see one of the cute little creatures. Sadly, the road sign was the closest I came, and Johnny was good enough to stop and let me take a photo. Pancake rocks were just around the corner, so we parked our Kiwi Condo and headed out to see the show. As we walked around the cliffs high above the sea, the ground trembled and shook as waves crashed into the rocks and shoreline. Sea spray was hissing up through cracks in the rocks like an ancient sea monster from a Maori legend. It was fantastic! The rain began to fall harder and harder until it was coming down in buckets with the wind blowing it sideways. By the time we got to our camp ground , the sun was shining and we enjoyed another gorgeous sunset on the beach. Oh yea, the beach, did I mention, there are the most beautiful rocks on the beaches. I have picked up so many tumbled, soft, colorful, special rocks. My friend Katie has promised to show me how to hide them from Johnny so I can make it home with them before he finds them and gives them back to the sea. I am afraid I may end up like Lucy in the Long, Long Trailer, and have to throw them from the camper van so we can make it up the next mountain pass. Rain, Rain Go away! The guide book said "A Hard Rain Is Gonna Fall" as fall it has! In spite of it, we did two hikes today. By the end of it, we were in the running for the new soggy bottom boys. Still smiling, we shook off our outerwear, dried out our underwear and snuggled in for the night. Looking forward to another amazing day down under!