Nelson

Hello from the South Island!!

The last time we wrote, we were in the capital city of New Zealand, Wellington, which is the port city for the interisland ferries.  New Zealand is a country made up of two islands, north and south, with ¾ of the 4 million population residing on the North Island.  From what we have heard, the south island is supposed to be quite stunningly beautiful, so we are quite excited to explore this island.  We took the ferry over a few days ago and are now in the Northern most aspect of the Southern Island. 

We have spent the past few days relaxing and unwinding in the sunniest city in New Zealand, Nelson.  From what we can see, this city deserves this reputation.  Other than the crazy wind storms that have been happening (which I am writing to you in one right now!!) the weather  has been quite nice.  We are staying at a very nice hostel in Nelson.  It is called “Paradiso”, and it is living up to its reputation!!  There is a pool, hot tub and sauna, as well as a large backyard full of areas to relax—lounge chairs, hammocks and palm trees surround!  There is a very nice kitchen with glassed in solarium for eating pool side, and they provide a yummy breakfast and soup every night!

Our first day here we took the opportunity to explore the city and the waterfront.  We walked down to the nearest beach and had the opportunity to walk a few kilometers along the exposed reef and sandy beach, due to the approximate 4 meter tide flow.  This means the water level decreases 4 meters in depth at the time of low time, which equals to what seems to be miles and miles of distance.  There is a river flowing through Nelson that at low tide is simply a barren channel—there is a restaurant called the River View, but I figure the name is only accurate for half the day!!  Apparently the spring tides, which we are experiencing now, are the most dramatic.  On the beach we walked to, there was a bunch of kite surfers.  There is a channel that runs through this beach area that at low tide still contains water, making it the perfect place to learn to kite surf.

Yesterday we rented a car and took off to explore on of the tourist hot spots in this region, the Nelson wineries.  All along the Northern tip of the Southern Island are numerous little wineries, with the specialties in this area being aromatic whites and quite peppery reds.  We had a great day exploring the area, had a wonderful picnic lunch on Rabbit Island—a little secluded nature reserve right on the water (no rabbits seen!!)  and also sampled some excellent olive oil.  Apparently grapes and olives grow well in the same climate, so we came away with a few bottles of wine as well as some delicious olive oil.

Today we spent our morning exploring the Nelson market, which showcases all the local offerings.  There were vegetable stands, cheese shops, homemade venison sausage, olive oil and lots of local crafts and art.  We came away with quite a haul, which should keep us eating well throughout out next adventure—hiking the Able Tasman.

We take off tomorrow to explore New Zealands smallest national park, and from what I can see, possibly one of the most beautiful.  We will spend about 5 days in the park, walking along the white sand beaches with turquoise waters—should be some nice pictures after this adventure!!

Random New Zealand food facts: We aren’t quite sure who decided how to price the food in this country.  Soup, for one thing, is more of an expensive option.  If you wanted a bowl of soup for lunch, it would easily be $8-$10.  You might not think this is too bad, but a big sandwich with fresh meat, cheese, veggies—the works essentially—would only be $3-$4!!  Peppers (green, red, yellow) are known as capsicums and Steve does not understand why all the colony countries have adopted marmite!!  However, Steve has found a fondness for chutney, which works out well in all these fruit growing areas of New Zealand—delicious!!  There must be a large middle eastern population in New Zealand, because schwarma/kebabs  are everywhere.

Signing off for now.  Will let you know how our Able Tasman adventure goes in a few days.  Miss you!!