We decided to start our morning with an early hike up the hill that over looks Hamner Springs. You would all be so proud of me for getting up before the sun had even risen to get this in (as we had a long drive ahead of us). Our hiking path looked like it might have been an old logging road at some point because it was so wide. Our footsteps were padded with a very thick layer of pine straw and our path lined with ginormous trees. They had a nice lookout point at the top of the climb that gave us fantastic pictures of the town and surrounding hillside as the sun peeked over the hills.
Our route for the day took us to the east coast, where we then headed north up the coastline. The east coast of the South Island is very rocky and cliffy. As we drove along, we could see dolphins jumping out of the water just off shore. We, of course, had to pull over to gawk. As we looked out over the rocks, we were greeted by a group of seals. Apparently, the cute, little animals call the rocky sea line home and you can just drive by to check them out any time you want. That is so cool!
We passed through the quaint town of Kaikoura, famous for whale-watching. We didn't want to watch whales, so we moved on to something we did want to do. Eat. We drove just outside of Kaikoura to Nim's Bin. Nim's Bin came highly recommended by the locals and it was even marked on our atlas. So you would expect something rather swanky to accompany such a stellar reputation. But no ... Nim's Bin is a caravan, on the side of the road. They only sell what was caught that morning. 
We talked the whole morning about how they were famous for the crawfish that they catch. Now, I like crawfish and was rather looking forward to a crawfish lunch. So we walk in to see what was available, mentioning that we wanted crawfish. This is the point that I realize that crawfish are not crawfish. They are carYfish. A completely different species from craWfish. These were essential rock lobsters. Now, you will probably need to sit down before I tell you this. I don't like lobster or their cousins. I don't know why. I love shrimp, crab, mussels and a whole smorgasbord of shellfish, but lobster just doesn't do it for me. Luckily they had mussels at Nim's Bin, which I gorged myself on while my posse dined on crayfish. Everything was de-li-cious!
After lunch, we continued following the coast line to Picton. Picton is the town where you can take the ferry to Wellington (on the North Island). It also the start of Queen Charlotte's drive, a winding road that hugs the shoreline of Queen Charlotte's Sound.
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| Picton |
The views overlooking the sound were beautiful and we got our first glimpse of the HUGE shift in water levels this area experiences when the tide goes in and out. The day was a bit gloomy so we didn't get the full effect as we stopped at the various "scenic overlooks." It was just a preview of what was waiting for us the next day ... Abel Tasman National Forest!
We arrived in Nelson in the late afternoon. Nelson is one of the bigger and more commercial towns I've seen in New Zealand ... several fast food places, more than one grocery store, shopping core that was bigger than one block, etc ... We were staying at the Wheel House in the Crow's Nest for the night. Nelson is built into the hillside surrounding the bay. The Crow's Nest is located about 3/4 of the way up the main hillside. Our views were magnificent and we made to most of our accommodations by grilling our dinner and spending the evening, relaxing on the deck overlooking the town.
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