There's almost too much to describe, really you should just take a peruse through the album. But if you'd really like to know our itinerary, I'll do my best to break it down for you.
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| From 20091204-NewZealand |
We started in Christchurch. I got there on December 2nd and Amy flew in to meet me a couple of days later. The Twisted Hop brewery was one of my favorite establishments, but really the botanical gardens were the highlight of the city.
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| From 20091204-NewZealand |
From Christchurch we caught a bus to Dunedin (south along the eastern coast of the south island) to go visit a friend of mine. We figured it would be good to start the trip visiting people rather than starting out on our own. Somehow my friend managed to concoct a double-rainbow for us shining off the patio of his home. We explored the Otago Peninsula a bit, visited a few breweries, and then we were on our way back to Christchurch a few nights later.
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| From 20091204-NewZealand |
Once back in Christchurch we picked up our camper for the rest of the trip and started off toward the north end of the south island hoping for warmer climates and sandy beaches. We weren't disappointed, as the first stop we made was in Kaikoura - an absolutely beautiful beach not far from Christchurch.
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| From 20091204-NewZealand |
We didn't stay in Kaikoura though, that day we were destined for Blenheim. We had heard Blenheim was the place to go for vineyards, and we were not disappointed. Every summer holiday should include a day of drunken bike riding from one winery to another.
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| From 20091204-NewZealand |
From Blenheim we were headed to Kaiteriteri for some beach time, but before we got there we did a nice little hike on the Kawa Track.
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| From 20091204-NewZealand |
Once at Kaiteriteri we had a fun time collecting shells and playing with starfish.
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| From 20091204-NewZealand |
From Kaiteriteri we headed off to the Golden Bay area which was more or less our destination for the trip. Our first day there we took a friend's advice and went to visit Wharariki beach. The surf is too wild for any kind of swimming here, and the spray in the air makes it a less than pleasant place to work on your sun tan, but nonetheless this is one of the most impressive beaches in the whole country.
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| From 20091204-NewZealand |
The next day we decided it was time to finally get inside Abel Tasman national park and see what the fuss was all about. We did a ten mile loop and saw more endless beautiful beaches.
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| From 20091204-NewZealand |
After you've seen one perfect golden beach with blue skies and overflowing with lush vegetation you've seen them all...
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| From 20091204-NewZealand |
But one day in Abel Tasman simply wasn't enough. The next day we decided to attack the park by boat. For a reasonable rate we got a double kayak for the day and paddled off to chase the seals around in the water and get to some of those beaches you can't reach by foot.
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| From 20091204-NewZealand |
Amy says being able to pilot a kayak together as a couple is a good relationship test. I'd say we did pretty well considering we left all of our fellow kayakers in the dust once we launched from the beach.
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| From 20091204-NewZealand |
It's probably safe to say that kayaking in Abel Tasman is one of the most fun things you can do in New Zealand.
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| From 20091204-NewZealand |
But at some point the trip had to come to an end. After kayaking we started the drive back to Christchurch stopping here and their for refreshment, but the trip was mostly finished after that and we spent our last few days relaxing and preparing for the 24-hour trip home.
I've left quite a lot out and there's so much we didn't get to see. We never got to the north island and we have a long list of places on the south island we wish we could've visited. Hopefully this post has given a rough idea of how wonderful our time there was.
Suppose we'll have to save all of the rest for our next New Zealand vacation!
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