Kaikoura... or the end of the world

After our time on the farm in Hinds came to an end, we set off further north to Kaikoura. I'm sure some of you have heard about the severe earthquake that hit New Zealand in November last year. The region around Kaikoura was particularly affected. Many roads were damaged, some bridges collapsed, railway tunnels filled in, and there is construction everywhere, so we had to wait constantly and make slow progress. It was really strange to drive through there, as a usually touristy little town had become a desolate, deserted place. The connection from Kaikoura to the north was particularly affected, so the town can only be reached from the south and is currently a dead end. The weather on that day was foggy and dreary, which added to the atmosphere. However, it was still worth seeing and interesting. Since there wasn't much to hold us there, we continued to Nelson the next day and from there to Marahau. In two days, we will start our first longer hike from here, the Abel Tasman, which will take four days. We are both excited about what awaits us and are looking forward to a little adventure away from civilization=)