Blimey, part 13 – unlucky for some, though not us as you
will see. However time is marching in on and I’m getting that feeling in the
pit of my belly – we’re now much closer to the end of the trip than the
beginning. I’m doing my best to ignore it and will enjoy our remaining time here I’m
sure.
Sandra opens the batting again in this one:
Saturday 20th January 2024
We set out from Kaikoura at just before 10.30am – making the most of the later departure time as the next journey was not too far. It was, however, going to be a beautiful run up the SH1 to Blenheim – the town in which we stayed at for our first night on the South Island. We were going to a different motel – it turned out to be one of the best – a delightful swimming pool and run by a very friendly couple. We had the fortune to have an accessible room once again – a couple of niggles but not a problem.
Another journey that had plenty of opportunities for lens clicking and with Sandra driving I had the DSLR at the ready. Soon after leaving Kaikoura the SH1 we briefly turned inland and we got a fabulous view of the Seaward Kaikoura Range:
Further up and back on the coast there was a pleasant little parking area where we were able to spot some seals:
Sandra:
The coffee and cake stop was at the beautiful café we stopped at on the way down at Kekerengu. It was just as we remembered and we enjoyed a lovely coffee and cake sitting by the Pacific Ocean in very hot temperatures indeed.
We slowly pressed on and eventually arrived, somewhat earlier than check in time, we politely asked if we could do so earlier and they happily agreed – we were very happy and soon settled into the lovely apartment. We would be checking the swimming pool out too.
Stop 20 | Admirals Motel | Blenheim | 2 nights | NZ$195/night
We also took a quick 20 minute drive out to a local vineyard – Spy Valley wines. I was able to purchase two bottles of Syrah – their equivalent of Shiraz - for gifts. The whole area is covered in mile after mile of vineyards. A home cooked meal, air conditioning on and a quiet evening soon led to sleep.
I was saddled with the onerous task of sampling the wines –
what a chore. This was one of the few wineries in the Marlborough area that
offered a Syrah, red wise most only do a Pinot Noir. Sauvignon Blanc is the star of the show here.
Sunday 21st January 2024
Sandra:
The next morning and we had a lazy get up and enjoyed the peace and quiet. By lunchtime, it was now 30C. A trip to another vineyard to try and find a Merlot for Richard did not yield anything. We also called in at a brewery and the trip here was more successful. Richard will bring you up to speed with that.
In amongst all the vineyards and wineries was the Moa brewery, set up by the son of one of the vineyard owners. I enjoyed a lovely bottle of a Belgian style beer only a few metres from where it was brewed, in a cracking location.
Sandra:
A refreshing dip in the motel pool was in order, plus a nap under the shady veranda of the pool. The wife of the owner was there too with their grandchildren and it was good to have a chat about day to day life in New Zealand.
We eschewed cooking that evening and went out to a very pleasant pub/restaurant where I had fish, chips and salad and Richard had a burger and chips. We returned home and air conditioning soon eased the temperature to more manageable levels. It is a strange phenomenon – the more north you go, the hotter it gets!! We are, of course, in the Southern Hemisphere. Blenheim is quite a big township by NZ standards but it is still very quiet away from the main road.
Monday 22 January 2024
We were on the road again – not too far still, we were heading for Nelson Bay area in the very north of South Island – we opted to take the inland scenic route through the Wairau Valley and yet again we were not disappointed. We started off in rather cloudy and wet conditions as we drove past mile after mile of vineyards. Perhaps the reason why they are there in the first place. We soon drove out and started to climb out of the valley and to a lovely three building town, read village called St Arnaud. We popped down to Lake Rotoiti for some photos – it was still quite grey and the clouds up the side of the mountains made for a very ethereal feel indeed.
There was an information centre but the only coffee available was in the Alpine Motel, it was very good and to be fair, the whole area, once you have left the vineyards behind is geared for winter sports and skiing in the main. We pressed on, climbing and eventually started to drop down towards the City of Nelson.
The weather started to improve and it was great sunshine as we passed through the Buller River valley on the SH63. For at least 20 minutes we didn’t see another car so I took the opportunity to grab another couple of photos.
On the SH6 plumbing necessitated another stop and the Flat Rock Café came to the rescue. It would have been rude not to have made a purchase so we enjoyed another brew on the veranda:
Sandra:
We found our motel, in a suburb called Richmond – about a 20 minute drive from the centre of Nelson. No matter, we unpacked and then set off on a reconnaissance trip to see the centre of Nelson. Ms Google Maps took us along by the port and there was one container ship in port. We had a drive round – partly because Ms Maps couldn’t make her mind up where the Cathedral entrance was. Anyway that was for the day we leave. We eventually parked up and found a really nice Café which was selling Hop Federation beer and icy cold fruit juices – yes it was still as hot, although there was a pleasant breeze which reduced the humidity somewhat.
Returning to the motel – it was a quick change and into a lovely warm salt pool – a very pleasant half hour was spent relaxing and enjoying the very buoyant water.
The motel was a bit further out from Nelson than I thought but no matter. Availability in Nelson was scarce and expensive and anyway we had the car so it wasn’t an issue. It had a full cooker too so some oven chips were procured to accompany the burgers. Naughty but nice.
Stop 21 | Richmond Motel | Richmond, Nelson | 2 nights | NZ$140/night
Todays journey:
Tuesday 23rd January 2024
Sandra:
This was to be a big day for both of us – we were aiming to get to Farewell Spit – a very northern part of South Island – you can get close to it by car and then walk another 4km on a sandy spit of land that is a very protected scenic nature reserve. Any further and permits or an organised tour is needed. We would be happy enough to get to the ‘end of the road’ car wise.
Sandra took the wheel first and for once I was not sorry, not having a particularly good nights sleep. There had been a storm during the night and I’d woken to remember that our towels and swim stuff was outside. In addition we faced the main road that was busy early in the morning. This motel was one of the cheaper ones and its location was perhaps one of the reasons why.
First photo stop was just after Tasman by the Moutere inlet, with water both sides of the road. I was taking a couple of pictures seaward when I could hear a woman bawling on the other side and turned as a golden retriever gleefully launched itself into the water. Sadly, I wasn’t quick enough with the camera but captured said dog as it exited.
Just up the road was Motueka, a place I remember from when Trev and I visited. However, before we hit the town we diverted off to a road right on the coast where we came across the old wharf and the wreck of the Janie Seddon, beached in 1955.
The ship has an interesting history, detailed on one of the information boards:
Trundling along the length rest of the road, which sported some fine properties with finer views we headed into town for our first caffeine fix of the journey.
Purely by chance we ended up right next to a building which I remember from 1999. An old Gothic chapel which by then had become a bar/restaurant. Times change of course and it was now occupied by an estate agents. At least it hadn’t been pulled down.
The road turned inland and through the Riwaka valley before climbing steeply up Takaka Hill. More tight twists and turns which Sandra was enjoying immensely. There were plenty of places to stop, official and otherwise and the view, well, you know by now:
A stop near the summit necessitated a 10 minute walk from the car park but it was worth the puffing and panting in the thin air for the views back across Tasman Bay:
A bit further on, after much more twisting and turning of the wheel, Golden Bay came into view, as well as the valley below and the eastern edge of the Kahurangi National Park.
Once back towards sea level it was a relatively straight half-hour run to Takaka. It had a sense of remoteness – not surprisingly given the journey to get here – but also felt very laid back. Lonely Planet reckons it boasts the highest percentage of dreadlocks and bare feet in the high street – not something we noticed but it did have a nice vibe to it. We found somewhere to fill our bellies and empty our bladders before pressing on.
Another half-hour or so away was Collingwood, an old gold mining ‘town,’ now with a population of around 250 it felt very much like the end of the line and I was reminded of my time staying at Spurn Point in Patsy a few years back. The remoteness was both romantically appealing but off-putting practically.
Unsure of what facilities would be available right at the top we stopped after another 20 minutes at Tomatea Point. The Spit was just visible:
Sandra:
We pressed on and made the end of the road – the last 10 minutes being on yet another gravel road. It felt like a really big achievement for both of us – not least because Richard had never been there either.
We turned around and made for a lovely café which we’d spotted in Collingwood and which was in the old Courthouse. They were about to close but thankfully still happy to serve us.
Just a quick comment re the driving – for my part it was very enjoyable – I am sitting down after all. The pass that I drove over down into Takaka was another breathtaking moment scenery wise. I have to admit though, I was glad to hand the keys over at the end of the road – I would now be able to experience the scenery too.
We returned, quite late for us, to the motel and straight into the pool for a dip. A slightly cooler breeze did take the edge off but refreshing it certainly was. Steak, mushrooms and oven chips for dinner went down well.
To me, time in New Zealand is not just about the destination, it's the journey too and today was another day that embodied that. Another very memorable day indeed and even just writing these blog posts helps recalling the details. Back in the 90's when Trev and I travelled this part of the world I kept a physical diary, as well as writing home to Mum and Dad fortnightly. I so wish I'd kept those and that's why I'm so keen to document all my trips these days. Travel does indeed broaden the mind but more than that, it's damn good fun.