Update #1 (3rd - 5th June)

After marvelling at the stunning scene created by the parting of the clouds, we entered South Island territory via the majestic waters of Queen Charlotte Sound. A Sound is otherwise known as a Fiord/Fjord, a stretch of water most often created by glaciers from the last ice age. The ice flowing down from the mountains several millennia ago carved out immense branch-like gullies, which were eventually filled in by the sea (once the ice had gone into 'retreat').

I stayed outside on the top viewing deck throughout the journey down the Sound. I had to. This, for me, was the start of what I hoped would be the pinnacle of my year travelling around the world. Therefore, I took in every detail and snapped away with my trusty Sony camera. Sounds/Fiords really are one the greatest of all nature's creations. The sheer scale and calmness of them is hard to explain, at least in words. Pictures might give you an idea, but even they will never be able to replicate the sense of awe you feel when viewing everything from water level.

After standing open-mouthed in total silence for the 45-minute journey along the Sound, I eventually rejoined Emma in the warm lounge area. Shortly afterwards, we were instructed to return to our vehicles in preparation to depart the ferry. Picton, the small port town at the top of the South Island, was only a few minutes away now.

As we dropped down the ramp way, the sun disappeared over the mountainous horizon. We searched for a picnic site to camp in, but to no avail. Then, due to a navigational error by yours truly (I simply followed the other cars), we ended up in Blenheim, which lies 25-or-so km south of Picton. We'd already made plans to head up to the northern tip of the S Island, so made our way towards a small town west of Picton - Havelock.

The weather was noticeably colder than it had been in the North Island and we also had to contend with driving rain. Our van's wipers aren't the most effective in the automotive world, but they struggled on gamely against the elements. Before we realised it, we'd arrived in Havelock, which looked quite big on our road map. HA! It was a 'one-horse' kinda town, with a pub and store, but not much else. In the store, we bought a few bits n pieces and were served by a girl who was 12, if not younger. Can you imagine entrusting your shop to a kid and a shop in the middle of nowhere at night too! The mind boggles...

We drove off once again and finally found the road we'd been looking for about 10km outside of Havelock. A little way down this, we spotted a fairly big turn-off area, which was ideal for camping in. The joy of freedom camping, as it seems to be called, is obviously the dirt-cheapness of it (free!). However, you tend to miss out on such nice facilities as toilets, showers and street lighting. I don't mind in the slightest, but then it's far easier for me to 'relieve myself' than it is for Emma. This problem we [kind of] solved with the purchase of a bucket! It comes in real handy on those cold, wintry nights, let me tell you...


We woke up to a very misty morning and a cold one at that. After demisting our 'van, Emma hopped into the drivers seat and we then made our way northwards once again. Our destination was a tiny place called French Pass, which is famous around NZ and the world for being the home of Pelorus Jack, a white dolphin (Pelorus is the name of another Sound in the Marlborough region). According the legend, Pelorus Jack guided ships into French Pass until they were safe from the treacherous waters in the area. Some local Maoris believe his spirit will one day reawaken, when someone is in danger and needs his help. What a lovely story and one that is, as far as I can tell, based on the truth!

The mist didn't clear much on the winding road, but this afforded us some lovely views over the fields and hills in the area. Then, after about 40 minutes or so of driving, we came across a cute little village called Elaine Bay. Now, as several of you will know, this is Emma's mum's name! Therefore, after exploring the bay for a bit (there was a lovely jetty down by the waterfront), we took some pictures of the town sign for posterity.

On the way back up the hill from Elaine Bay, I spotted a hawk sitting in the roadside gutter - casually pecking something or other. We parked a little further up and then crept back down the road to get a closer look. Unfortunately, he heard or saw us and flew off before we could take any pics. Typically of me, I thought I'd check out exactly what he'd been eating in the gutter. I wish I hadn't now! It was the carcass of a small pig or, perhaps, wild boar of some kind. There wasn't much left of it - the predators and water run-off had taken care of that. I took a few pictures of it, of course...

Immediately after leaving Elaine Bay, the road rose higher and became un-sealed (un-paved). This meant a rather bumpy ride the rest of the way to French Pass, but within a short time, I couldn't have cared in the slightest! The views, enhanced somewhat by the low-lying mist, were like nothing I'd ever seen before. There really is something about the sea and land that leads up to it that captures the imagination; the incredible green of the fields all about us; the turquoise water in the Sounds below us (where Mussel farms were seen aplenty); the sun trying to break through the mist and splitting into thousands of rays as it did so; the beautifully contoured hills that reached down to the water, seemingly carved by the most artistic of forces...

Once again, my descriptions and photos really can't do it any justice. You'll just have to trust me when I say the road to French Pass really was out of this world.

After winding our way down from the hills, we arrived in the tiny village of French Pass. A fishing community, it has a shop/petrol-station-combined and a jetty. That's about it. Oh, and a campsite run by our new friend, the DOC (Department of Conservation). We parked the 'van up in a nice spot, paid our camp fees and then went for a wander. After chatting to the friendly owner of the garage, we strolled down to the jetty. At the far end, a couple of people were fishing, so I went and had a chat with them whilst Emma stared at the amazing view.

As the sun started setting over the sea, myself and the nice couple I'd just befriended nattered away. Soon after, the chap handed me his fishing rod, hooked up some bait and left me to fish to my heart's content! To be honest, I'd forgotten how relaxing fishing was and I was soon getting some bites on the line. Unfortunately, my skills were extremely rusty and I didn't catch any of the little critters that were enjoying my baited line. Oh well, at least we enjoyed ourselves looking at the small sharks they'd caught earlier on (one of which moved suddenly, scaring the life out of Emma!).

After it'd gone dark, the fish stopped biting completely, so we decided to head back to the 'van. Saying goodbye to our new friends, we wandered back down the jetty, stopping for a bit to check out the old hut at the far end (which contained some very old local notices and posters, alongside a more modern telephone!). Back at the 'van, we settled down to read our books for a bit. After an hour, there was a knock at the window. I opened it to find our friends and neighbours (they were also staying at the DOC site), complete with a lovely portion of smoked cod! They'd not caught much to eat, but still had the generosity to offer me some. At first, I tried to refuse politely, but in the end I had to accept. It really was good of them and, yes, the fish tasted as freshly-out-of-this-world as you can imagine! In return, I later dropped by their tent and gave them a few bottles of beer, which were gladly accepted.


I awoke to an incredible red-hued sunrise, but soon fell back to sleep (if you can't have a lie-in when travelling, when can you?!). Later on, we sorted out the 'van and then went for a stroll up the hill above the DOC site. At the top, the views out to the sea and nearby D'Urville Island were fantastic. There was also some info up there on the local area and its most famous inhabitant - Pelorus Jack. We did try to spot some dolphins, whales and seals from up there (all residents of the area), but sadly to no avail. Whilst up there, Emma & I were joined by a group of New Zealanders on holiday in the area - we all agreed the views from French Pass were hard to match.

Before we left the campsite to return south, we took the time to stroll along the shoreline. We made our way across the rocks and around to the other side of the bay. There, we looked for crabs and generally just larked about. The best things in life really are free, you know!

When we returned to the 'van, I spotted a bag stuck in the front window (which I'd opened a crack to let some air clear the condensation). To my surprise, it was another fish - a whole one this time! Our buddies had been fishing all morning and had once again displayed their Kiwi generosity by giving me one of their catch. I soon found them, cleaning their wee boat and thanked them once again. Emma and I then said goodbye and wished them a nice time on the remainder of their holiday away from the kids!


Update #2 (5th - 9th June)

After packing up the 'van, we drove back along the winding road from French Pass towards the main highway. The views were once again incredible, yet different due to the clear blue sky and glorious sunshine. Where the mist on the previous day had scattered what little sunlight there was, this journey had a clarity that couldn't have been more perfect for the landscape around us!

The water in the Sounds was even more turquoise than before and the trees & grass shone an almost indecent shade of green. Wow. It made me realise why so many people rave about the South Island. It simply came across as 'nature at its best' - nothing more, nothing less.

I thought it was only fair that Emma should get to enjoy the views, as I had the day before. My driving is normally a source of pride, but I almost drove off a few of the corners on the way back - the views were just too amazing not to grab a look. At one point, I nearly took out a farmer on his quad bike! After a gentle (!) reminder from Emma, I concentrated more on the road than the panorama and pulled over when I simply had to. Incredible.

We eventually made it back to the main road in one piece and headed for the big-ish town of Nelson. Once there, we found most of the shops closed, which seemed a bit strange for a weekday. After talking to a nice old couple, it transpired that it was the 'Queen's Birthday', which is an official public holiday in New Zealand. Nice!

So, taking our cue to have a quiet afternoon/evening, we found a campsite and sorted ourselves out before Emma kindly filleted my yellow spot cod (how many vegetarians would do that, I wonder?!) and I then cooked it in milk. It made for a lovely meal. We then settled down to a game of cards.


The next morning, I headed for the Internet café to update Travelmadness, whilst Emma cruised the shops in Nelson. She rejoined me later on, with a very nice T-Shirt for her wee cousin, Archie, whose birthday was at the beginning of July. Archie shares his special day with Emma's gran, May. She was given some lovely Possum-Merino gloves, which should keep her warm next winter!

Before leaving Nelson, we stopped at a Pizza Hut that had a silly deal on - 2 large pizzas for the measly sum of $5.95 NZ each (about 2 quid!). Bargain! Although we have become very good at cooking each night in the 'van (or at sites), we occasionally take advantage of kind Kiwi generosity!

The drive out of Nelson was a nice one, with a lovely bay to our right. The winter sun was low in the sky, however, as it had been since leaving Auckland. You can really feel the sun over here, especially when it blazes in through a car window/windscreen. The UV levels in Australasia are the worst in the world and skin cancer is a real problem here. So, we have to be careful, even in winter!

We'd already decided to head to one of NZ's most famous parks, the Abel Tasman National Park. It sits happily on the north-west coast of the South Island and is actually one of, if not the, smallest parks in the country. As we neared the park boundary, the road became steeper & steeper. Emma didn't notice, however, as she was sound asleep. It's a hard life, being a traveller, you know...

She soon woke up though, as our trusty 'van had to move through the gears to get up the steep hills. At one point, a couple of cyclists overtook us, the gits!! That was soon rectified as we crested the highest hill and made our way down towards the shore in the distance. Once we reached it, we pulled 'H' over and stepped out to take in the magnificent view. Wow. The colour of the sunset over the distant mountains was incredible - a riot of pastel shades, all coming together just for us, it seemed. The second image on 'H' in Gallery 5 was taken that evening, by the way.

We needed to camp somewhere, but unfortunately all the signs warned us that we couldn't bed down in any of the picnic sites/laybys in the area. Therefore, we hopped back into the 'van and continued down the road to a small town called Marahau... where the road promptly ended! There were a couple of campsites there and we picked one that appealed to us - Old MacDonalds Farm. It was, of course, run by the MacDonald family - who else?!

We booked in for a couple of nights, pitched up in a nice quiet spot (quiet? the campsite was empty!) and had an early night.


The next morning, we felt like doing nothing. Nothing at all. So, after I'd wandered down to the camp office to chat to Mr MacDonald Jnr (his father was retired, but still lived there too)about what to do in the area, I returned to the 'van to grab Emma. Together, we walked around the land for a few hours, having a great time looking at all the animals they had there. Like most [livestock] farms the world over, there were sheep, cows, pigs, ducks and dogs there (2 lovely, but bonkers Staffy Terriers). However, they also kept some parrots and a load of llamas and alpacas on the farm, which are fantastic animals to look at (they breed them for their fur, which is hollow-fibred and makes for extremely warm clothing!).

One of the llamas was obviously a bossy kind of chap and took to butting the others out of the way when we tried to stroke them. After a while, we gave up on them due to his interference, but across the way were another bunch. These were mostly alpacas, I think and were a friendly bunch. There are some photos in Gallery 6 of Emma & I with one in particular that might keep you all amused...

Another of them looked rather like a friend of mine back in Essex. See if you can guess who...?!

After having our fun with the animals, we wandered into the village of Marahau to see what we could do. Other than a café (closed in winter) and a DOC Info Centre on the Park, there was only an Art Gallery to get excited about. We wandered around there for a bit, getting excited about the great wooden sculptures and Paua shell artifacts on display. NZ really is a very creative country and the local artists use the nature around them to good effect - as any good artist should!

Before leaving the gallery, we struck up a conversation with the lady working there - Helen. She was great fun to talk to and we had a lot in common from an artistic viewpoint. Eventually, the conversation made it around to the weather. Emma was complaining how cold the nights were in the 'van and Helen sympathised, as she herself lived in one (albeit a rather larger version!). She then said she could go through her 'things' and see if she could find a gas heater she believed she had spare. In response, Emma gave Helen a smile that hasn't been as wide since she saw Viggo Mortensen strip in 'The History of Violence'!!

Taking our leave from Helen, we strolled back to the campsite just as the sun was setting. When we made it back to the 'van, I noticed a chap setting up a fire close to the kitchen/toilet block. Being a typical bloke (ME MAN! ME MAKE FIRE!), I couldn't resist wandering over for a chat. He - Nigel 'Reidy' Reid - turned out to be a lovely bloke, whose job made me instantly jealous. He worked as a qualified mountaineer, for Alpine Guides in Fox Glacier (further down the west coast of the S Island)! How cool?!

Emma soon joined us with a cup of coffee/hot choccy, along with Reidy's girlfriend, Rosa-Maria (she comes from Chile). We decided to sit with them both for the night, with Reidy and I collecting firewood now & again to keep us warm (it was below freezing). We talked for hours and had a great time, which included cooking & eating 'pipis' on the fire, which are small shellfish caught just below the low tideline all over NZ. They tasted as fresh as my fish had the day before - oh how I love seafood!

At about 9pm, a car pulled into the campsite and then approached our little party slowly. The window was cranked down and Helen's voice appeared from the darkness. We couldn't believe it! She'd kept her promise and had brought us a gas heater! Also, much to Emma's delight, she also gave us a hot-water bottle and a blanket. What an incredibly nice gesture. We gave her some money, as there was no way we'd accept all of these as gifts. She wasn't made of money, after all. Before waving her goodbye, Helen invited us over to see her 'van the following day - an invitation we gladly accepted.

When Emma & I rejoined Reidy and Rosa, we had one last magical experience together - the Southern Lights (Aurora Astralis) lit up the night sky for a brief time. Reidy was amazed, as they are rarely visible as far north as Abel Tasman. After what seemed like forever, we stopped gazing at the sky and then swapped contact details and said our farewells. It really was one of the best nights we'd had since leaving the UK.


We awoke early, as we had a bus to catch! The day before, I'd booked us a ride on the local taxi service - a speedboat! This would take us up the Abel Tasman coast to a place called Anchor Bay. However, we nearly didn't make it as far as the boat! As is usual with us, the bus that should have collected us at 08:45 didn't appear. Mr MacDonald called the company for us and they claimed they'd never received the booking. Emma blamed this on me, as immediately after booking the taxi through mr MacD, I then started chatting to him for 15 minutes. It's not my fault my Northern blood runs deep and I enjoy conversation!

When the bus eventually arrived, we were whisked off to the local depot where we then jumped into the boat. However, the boat was a half-mile from the shore still, so it sat on a trailer off the back of an old red Massey-Ferguson tractor! It was a surreal experience, being driven down a road whilst sitting in a boat, let me tell you!

Once we made it to the shore, we were reversed down a ramp and into the cool, clear water. The chap driving us (who looked a bit too much like a 70s pop-or-porn star for my liking), asked the immortal question; "Am I going fast enough for you?". "No!" some of us cried back in return - foolishly. WHAM! Just like that, we were off at a speed of knots I can't begin to imagine. Whoohooo! It was great and Emma & I shared a great big grin for the next 5 minutes.

The driver showed us some of the natural sights just off the Marahau coast, which included 'Split Apple Rock' and a variety of sea-birds. After this little excursion, we blasted off northwards towards the first drop-off point. Whilst en-route, the driver suddenly changed direction sharply and motored out further into the sea. He'd spotted some rather familiar friends of ours... dolphins!! Most of them were asleep, but a few were feeding, which was great to watch in itself. However, a single chap decided to follow the boat for a bit and had a great time bowsurfing at the front. Oh, how we love dolphins!

After that bit of excitement, we returned to our earlier heading and arrived at Anchor Bay 5 minutes later. God, what a fast boat! The driver backed in to the beach slowly and then Emma & I hopped out. After waving goodbye to everyone on board, we slung our backpacks and fleeces on and made our way towards the walking track. This, after all, was the aim for the day - a 3-4 hour walk back along the coast to Marahau. There were longer walks possible (some up to 3 days in duration), but we'd settled on this one as the best for our fitness levels.

The first part of the walk was a bit steep, which Emma complained about several times. I had to gently remind her, of course, that it was 'nothing' compared to the climb up Ayers Rock! The look she shot me back soon silenced me, however. Will I ever learn, I wonder...?!

The rest of the day was very enjoyable and was spent walking along the path and down to the various beaches/coves. At one of these, we decided to literally 'fish for my supper'! The tide was down, so we paddled out a few feet into the sea and picked a load of mussels from the rocks underwater. They were of the green-lipped variety commonly found in NZ waters and were fantastic to look at (especially under the bright sunlight). At one point, Emma's shoe dropped into the water, which made me laugh out loud and shout out "Bootie!!". Fortunately this time, she also found it amusing!

At another beach further along the track, we walked all the way to the other end thinking there would be another path back uphill. There wasn't! No problem though, as some locals had obviously thought about this. They'd set up a chain of ropes (well, bits of hosepipe) that climbed near-vertically up the hill. I went up first to make sure it was safe - if they could take my weight, hell even a rhino would make it - and Emma then followed me up. It's the little adventures like this that make good days into great ones, methinks.

By the time we reached Marahau, about 7 hours has passed! As mentioned previously, the walk was rated at approx. 3-4! It's not that we are slow walkers, it's just that we enjoy taking our time when looking at wonderful views and walking along beautiful beaches. I've never quite understood it when people go for a walk, especially in a place like Abel Tasman, and race along the tracks. How can they possibly take in the variety & depth of views on offer? I don't know...

The walk passed through a lot of native rainforest, which was a wonderful experience. The variety of plantlife on view was immense - from the tiniest little coral-like lichen to some of the biggest trees found in New Zealand. Walks like this are fantastic and have the added effect of making you forget the distance you've covered - marvellous!

When we made it back to the campsite, we hopped into the 'van and went along to see Helen, as promised. Wow! Her 'van' was nothing of the kind - it was, in fact, a converted school bus. And what a bus! It had its own wood burner, boiler, shower and toilet. There was also a fully-fitted kitchen and a large double bed. Amazing. She later told us that this kind of thing is popular in New Zealand and lots of people actually sell their houses to live like this. I can see why. Fantastic.

After some great conversation with Helen and her friend who stopped by for a coffee, we left a few hours later. By this point, we were starving! I'd totally forgotten about my 'catch of the day', so as soon as we returned to the campsite I went in search of some water. The mussels went into a large frying pan and within 10 minutes they started opening. Unfortunately, a few crabs hidden inside some shells died in the process (sorry Emma!), but this couldn't be helped.

I was lucky, all but 2 of the mussels were edible after cooking (we caught about 16 of them in total) and WOW were they good. I think I'm turning into a fish myself, what with all the seafood I've been eating here in New Zealand. I'm sure those back home who love the stuff will be very jealous (Dad!).

What another fantastic day and one experienced in 'my' South Island, too...


After sorting out the 'van, we left our new friends at Old MacDonalds Farm (which is for sale, incidentally, at $7m NZ) and Marahau and headed south. The drive was as pleasurable as ever, with the wonderful NZ scenery unfolding before our eyes. It really must be one of the most picturesque countries on earth and I envy people who live here.

It was a day for driving and not much else. As the afternoon faded into evening, we came across a picnic site by the side of the road, close to a township called Murchison. After parking up, we cooked-up a nice pasta meal and then whiled away the hours chatting about our amazing last few days.