Week 40 - Abel Tasman and Marlborough Sounds

At the start of the week, we set off to the Abel Tasman National Park. From Marahau, we walked 7 km through beautiful woodland along the coast to Akersten Bay. Stunning views of various bays with sandy beaches and turquoise waters greeted us repeatedly.

It was evident that this area is also a vacation spot for locals, as there was a lot of activity everywhere, with countless large and small boats on the water.

During our hike, we also encountered Wekas quite often. These birds are often mistaken for Kiwis by some tourists.

After our hike, we took a slight detour to the Split Apple Rock before continuing on to Nelson.

On Tuesday, several important matters were on our agenda. We wanted to take our van for another inspection to ensure a smoother sale. Additionally, we had a job interview for a position in Christchurch.

Both the inspection and the job interview were successful. From March 9th, we will be working on a peony flower farm, receiving food and accommodation for about 2 hours of work a day. At the same time, we will sell our van with a new inspection.

We are, of course, incredibly happy about this. It gives us security that we won't have to spend too much money on accommodation if we can sell the van quickly. It also allows us to set a reasonable price at the start of the sale.

After these two excellent developments, we spent the rainy day relaxed at the campsite.

For the next few days, we continued on to Kenepuru Sound. On the way, we stopped at Cullen Point Lookout near Havelock and took a short hike to Onahau Lookout.

Our campsite for three nights was beautifully located right by a small bay at Kenepuru Sound.

For Julian, the conditions were perfect to go fishing again. The bay proved to be an ideal starting point, and he was able to catch his very first snapper. After catching a few more fish that were either too small or not suitable for eating, he caught a second larger snapper.

For Thursday, we booked a kayak tour on Kenepuru Sound. To start, we could leisurely walk to the neighboring bay. The kayak tour was truly beautiful. We leisurely paddled along the coastline in excellent conditions, visiting the various small bays. Our guide was Hannah from Canada, who is also in New Zealand on a Working Holiday Visa. The vibe between us was great, and we managed to pick up some tips for Canada.

During the tour, we made a stop at one of the many mussel farms abundant in the bays, where Hannah collected some large green-lipped mussels for our lunch.

Overall, it was just a fantastic tour, and we had a lot of fun that day, though we were also relieved when we returned to the starting point, as our backs and rear ends were quite sore.

The next day, we set off for Nikau Lookout in perfect summer weather. We took the Queen Charlotte Sound Track again. Fortunately, most of the trail was shaded by trees. There were beautiful views of Kenepuru Sound and Queen Charlotte Sound along the way.

Back at the campsite, it was time for the first time on our journey - we deployed the awning on our van! The shade was truly needed as the sun was blazing. Under the awning, the coffee tasted especially good, and we also played a few rounds of cards.

The next morning, it was time to say goodbye to the beautiful campsite at Kenepuru Sound and head towards Picton. We made a short stop in the town. Since a cruise ship was anchored, it was bustling, and we continued on to our spot for the night.

This morning, Julian already went fishing on the beach before sunrise. Although he wasn’t rewarded with a fish, he was treated to a beautiful sunrise over the sea.

Otherwise, we drove a good stretch towards Christchurch, where we will welcome Franzis's mom, Birgit, and her brother, Oliver, tomorrow. We are really looking forward to the next four weeks with them. We will travel the South Island together, exploring new as well as familiar places.