Lolomiina: 26.03.2017
On the day after the kayaking tour, we started early as we wanted to drive up to the northernmost point of the South Island. So we drove along the Golden Bay, a large and beautiful bay. Earlier this year, tragically, about 400 whales and dolphins stranded there, of which about half could be saved.
Our first stop was Wharariki Beach, where huge sand dunes awaited us at low tide, which were particularly impressive when combined with the wild ocean. On the short walk to the beach, we learned from a sign that there were baby seals at Wharariki Beach.
When we saw a few people on the rocks by the water, we also became curious and could already imagine what we would find there.
When we arrived there, we were very surprised how friendly the little seals were, so that one even playfully bit a woman in the pants to pull her into the water with the other seals. The other baby seals also came very close to the people, so that you could even touch them. But just watching the seals play in the water from up close was a great joy.
We then continued to Cape Farewell, the northernmost point. There, you could walk along the cliffs on green sheep meadows to a spot from which you could see Farewell Spit, a huge land formation above the Golden Bay. We also drove to Farewell Spit afterwards, but decided against the 4km hike that could be done on it, as we were still pretty tired from the tour in Abel Tasman. Also, Farewell Spit didn't look particularly spectacular from up close.
After that, we drove all the way back down to the city of Nelson, where we had an appointment with a mechanic for an oil change the next day. This is where we are currently and we are spending the time until Friday, when we can take the ferry to the North Island of New Zealand and go to the capital Wellington.