Nelson

Driving north out of Hokitika, along the coast, it was a grey, rainy day -

We had planned on stopping at Punakiki Pancake Rocks…

… and nicely, the sun came out intermittently just as we came to the prettiest part -

Scientists aren’t exactly sure why this area has layers of limestone interspersed with layers of softer mudstone, but it sure was neat -

There were also channels (and caves) cut by the surf…

… forming sonically interesting blowholes. To hear the next video, open it in a browser by clicking the link at the end of the email, and make sure your speakers are turned up high -

The booming was amazingly loud in person - hopefully you can appreciate some of it from the video.

We continued on up the coast, with the sun playing peek-a-boo for awhile…

… but then started to stay out…

… as we turned inland, following the Buller River -

I finally got a decent picture of the deer raised for the venison we frequently see on restaurant menus -

One of the reasons I wanted to stay in Nelson, was its proximity to Abel Tasman National Park, encompassing the NW corner of the South Island. To get to our trailhead, we had to book a water taxi…

… to take us along the shore…

… showing us local landmarks…

Split Apple Rock

… before dropping us off at Anchorage Bay -

In the next picture, the body of water that is turquoise, and extends off the R side, is Anchorage Bay as seen from the track after we had climbed a bit -

We walked 8 miles back…

… passing along verdant coastline, and through thick bush of endemic trees -

There were many isolated bays with sandy beaches…

… and we treated ourselves to lunch on one of them -

Carrying on…

… we could finally see our destination (the gathering of white buildings at the base of the ridge in the next picture) -

As we walked on the boardwalk over the marsh at the end, this Pukeko was searching for dinner -

Our stay in Nelson marks the end of our month on the South Island. I’ll close with a shot of Nelson Bay -