Nelson - Part 1

I took the Bluebridge ferry at 8 am on the 24th of August 2017 - exactly a month after I first arrived in New Zealand.. It was sad saying goodbye to Ciara and all those new friends I made in Wellington but by now I'd been travelling for a month already so it was time to continue to the South Island. The ferry ride itself wasn't too exciting. The screened movie didn't really catch my attention and for the rest of the time I wrote postcards to friends and family back in Germany.

We arrived in Picton at 11.30 am, a nice little city beside the harbor. Omega Rental Cars was just beside the terminal and I was allowed to leave my bags there and even got a ride to the Tourist Information. Their service is absolutely amazing! I decided to have a look at the Edwin Fox Museum where the 9th oldest ship is on display. It was interesting and in such a small city pretty much the only thing you can do.

The drive to Brightwater would take about 3,5 hours in total. On the way I stopped at Pelorus Bridge where I used my break for strolling along the Totara Walk and climbed down to the river. This is where the dwarves were washed ashore after their barrel-ride. The water was emerald green, it might even be the most beautiful place I've seen so far!

A viewpoint along the road

Pelorus Bridge

None of these pictures are photo shopped - this is what it looks like!

In Brightwater I was greeted by Theo's aunt, her husband, three kids and her mum who I had met five years ago. She said she still remembered my smile... The family was so lovely and hospitable and I felt very comfortable sitting in front of the fireplace with their two cats Merry and Pippin. You might notice that they like Lord of the Rings just as much as I do!
After a delicious Porridge breakfast with Granny I started to explore the Nelson region, which is nestled between three National Parks. My first stop would be at the Riwaka Resurgence, a nice short walk along freezing cold pools. In summer I would have ventured in anyway!

The Ngarua Caves were closed so I continued West down Canaan Rd all the way to the end. There I met the same couple I had seen at every single stop on this road and we decided to walk to Harwood's Hole together. We reached the huge sinkhole after climbing through rugged rocks and bush and at the lookout we were rewarded with nice views.

Upon my return to Nelson I had still some hours of daylight so I also walked up to the Center of New Zealand and went geocaching on the way. After that I returned home and the whole family played Articulate together. With English as my second language that was so hard for me!