Punakaiki (Pancake Rocks)

As mentioned in my last post, the coastal scenery on the West Coast of NZ, from Westport down to Punakaiki (Pancake Rocks), was absolutely spectacular. The Rocks themselves were also stunning and very unusual. It's a very popular tourist stop, just off the highway. From this picture you can see why...

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Karamea and area

After leaving the Nelson area, we headed over to the northwest tip of the South Island to explore the top end of the wild West Coast. From Karamea at the top, down to Greymouth. The Coast Road between Westport and Punakaiki (Pancake Rocks) has to be the most scenic coastline we've ever seen, anywhere...

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Sea Kayaking

One of our three chosen Great Walks that we had wanted to do, the Abel Tasman Coast Track, in Abel Tasman National Park, was fully booked. It was an 'easy' track, level, sandy and involving many beaches. We were disappointed when we couldn't get on it. Like the Milford Track, it probably needs to be...

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St. Arnaud Range Track - Nelson Lakes

In the Nelson area, there are three National Parks: Abel Tasman, known for its golden sand beaches, sea kayak and Great Walk opportunities; Kahurangi, known for its Heaphy Track Great Walk and Nelson Lakes, known for Lakes Rotoiti and Rotoroa, but, also, for its glaciated valleys and excellent tramping....

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Nelson NZ

Our first destination in the South Island of NZ was Nelson. Established in 1841, it is the second-oldest settled city in New Zealand, the oldest in the South Island and was proclaimed a city by royal charter in 1858. There are around 50,000 people these days. We were pleasantly surprised by how...

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(Up) To the Lighthouse

As our final stop on the North Island, before taking the ferry to the South Island, we spent an enjoyable couple of days at Cape Palliser, the southeast point of the North Island. It was obligatory to climb to the lighthouse, I think there were, "puff-puff", 250 steps, more or less. The weather...

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Rotorua

The Lake Taupo/Rotorua area of the North Island is where the geothermal tourist attractions are located. Taupo, the town, is very modern, glossy and expensive-looking. Rotorua is older, but, has history and charm to its credit. The museum building and its surrounding parkland are stunning. The hotels...

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