Friday, October 12, 2012

From the South to the North

After Kaikoura we continued north up the South Island, finally reaching Nelson, at the northern most tip. There we were able to hike/kayak the famed Abel Tasman hike. Despite being a bit cloudy, the area was still incredible. We took a water taxi to our starting point and then kayaked for approximately two hours to our lunch spot and start of our hike. The kayak was much more difficult than anticipated and made my arms and back hurt. Thankfully the water was calm and we saw a variety of bird-life and seals. 


After lunch we had a two hour hike on the Abel Tasman track until our final destination where the water taxi would take us back to our hotel. The track was full of beautiful view points, and lush, tropical vegetation. 


After our stay in Nelson we headed East to Picton where we would catch the ferry to the city of Wellington on the North Island. Wellington is a vibrant, historical city. We spent a few hours at the national museum, Te Papa... and still didn't see it all! 


Then we went to the Wellington Zoo where we got to see enrichment for the Malaysian Sun Bears! While in Wellington we lucked out that they were having their annual restaurant month and we got to try a variety of different restaurants. The food was incredible! Now a quick flight to Auckland so we can start our adventure in Fiji!