Belated Happy Easter Everyone - From A Simply Awesome New Zealand

Well I trust everyone has had a wonderful Easter? Mine was superb. One of my best friends and his lovely wife Hazel were visiting New Zealand for a wedding and when they discovered they would be over here at the same time as me, they invited me to join them as they caught up with friends in New Zealand. We stayed in a bach (a Kiwi term for a holiday cottage) and had the most excellent long weekend.

                                     

                                                               James and Hazel

The location was stunning, the weather was fantastic and the company was excellent. I was very warmly welcomed by James and Hazel's friends and we spent our time actively exploring the sea and the coast, eating, drinking, chatting and laughing. 

                                

     

On Friday, once everyone had arrived, we wandered down to Kaiteriteri beach and had a swim, sunbathe and game of frisbee before looking into kayak hire for Sunday. We then had our first barbecue of the weekend.

On Saturday we caught the water taxi up the coast, via a few tourist spots, to a point high up the Abel Tasman route and then proceeded to walk 25 kilometres back. The weather was beautiful, but as we were walking in the shade of the bushland coastal track, we avoided getting burnt, whilst savouring all the remarkable views and colours of the sea, the sand and forest. We had a packed lunch on the beach, contemplated fording one of the bays as the tide went out (and thought better of it) and made it back to base 8 hours after we set off. That night we had a rather quieter meal and early bedtime, but still found the energy to have a quick disco where everyone had to choose (and dance to) a favourite disco track. No one appreciated my "It's Raining Men" selection - I wonder why?

                                         

                                                       Walking the Abel Tasman trail

On Sunday we hired sea kayaks for our group and buddied up as we planned a four hour exploration of the local coastline. Yet again we were blessed with great weather and calm seas as we set off. Before we knew it we had reached our destination so we decided to explore a few sea caves, swam to a prominent rock outcrop in the bay and had a picnic before heading back to Kaiteriteri. That night we enjoyed another barbecue and I found myself rather inebriated after drinking two litres of local scrumpy! I do not remember going to bed, but I do recall getting up in the middle of the night to have a shave and then again two hours later to take some neurofen!

                                  

        

This was such a great time and such a welcome dose of company and friendship. It actually coincided with the sixth month anniversary of my departure from the UK and was therefore particularly timely, as my travel stamina needed a boost. What a remarkable coincidence that James and Hazel should travel to New Zealand at the same time as me?

        

    

                                                   Sea Kayaking at 'Split Apple' rock

        

Thank you: James, Hazel, Simon, Una, Ian, Helen and Betty - I had a wonderful Easter. 

And thank you New Zealand. Six weeks is the longest I have spent in any one country during my travels so far. It has seen me drive 1500kms in the North Island, ride a motorcycle 1000kms in the Northland, fly from Auckland to Wellington, ferry across the straits to Picton, drive 2000kms in the South Island, ferry back across the straits and then fly back to Auckland from Wellington. I have jumped from the Skytower, paraglided in Queenstown, sea kayaked in Kaiteriteri, dived the wreck of the Lermontov, watched Orca and Hectors dolphins in the wild, swam with a seal, had a mud wrap in Rotorua, visited Hobbiton and the Weta studios, toured countless museums and galleries, walked coastal paths and mountain tracks, mountain biked at Wanaka, climbed volcanoes, watched the locals battle the world at cricket, visited Parliament and lots, lots more.

Who knows what my next chapter will bring me as I travel to Alaska?

Keep in touch everyone, it means a lot to me.

Paul x