New Zealand: Wellington, Marlborough and Punakaiki

From Ohakune we continued south to Palmerston North. Shirley, our lovely neighbour in Perth, is a Kiwi and her sister Robyn lives in their hometown. Thank you so much for having us Robyn and Tony! Was so lovely to meet you after hearing so many wonderful things from Shirley. Thank you for spoiling us with the delicious date and nut scones, it was such a treat. Hope to see you all again soon =)

From ‘Palmy’ we continued to Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city and second most populous urban area. Wellington reminded us so much of Cape Town and surrounds. A little bit hilly, a lovely botanical garden, a funky city centre, a maze of one way streets, many beautiful wind-swept bays for exploring right on the waters edge, white sand and rocky beaches, crazy traffic even on a Sunday, cricket fanatics, filming central, stunning viewpoints, a cable car, museums and the list of similarities goes on! We were a little optimistic on what we could fit in to one afternoon and felt largely thwarted by the traffic, due to a cricket game and the fantastic weather. We enjoyed a drive along some of the bays and a café-style late lunch overlooking the rocky shoreline, views of the city from Mount Victoria, a wander around the botanical gardens, the beautiful hot sunny day and a chilled night cap in a waterfront pub. We didn’t spend much time in any NZ city but Wellington was definitely a firm favourite. 

Views of Wellington City from Mount Victoria on a beautiful cloudless day

Wellington Botanical Gardens

Harbour at dusk

The next morning we took the Interislander ferry from Wellington across the Cook Strait and through the Marlborough Sounds to Picton, our first destination on the South Island. It was a cloudy and cool start to the day but soon cleared into another hot day. The ferry takes about 3.5 hours; there are movies and a kids play area, and many people relaxed and took a nap in the quieter seating areas. We were mostly on the top deck soaking in the views and fresh air. The ferry hugged the North Island coastline before heading into the strait so the open and exposed part of the crossing is very short making for a smooth journey. Coming into the Marlborough Sounds was so beautiful, it was really special to experience the sound from the water.

View of the harbour from the Wellington Interislander Ferry Terminal 

Setting out from Wellington on the ferry 

The Marlborough Sound

After collecting the car, we drove from Picton to Havelock along the Queen Charlotte Drive and stopped at many view points and walked down the hill and back to some secluded beaches. There is much to explore and discover in the Marlborough Sounds, it’s a holiday in itself! We had to be content with a few hours. From Havelock we made our way to Renwick in the stunning Wairau Valley wine region. Our accommodation was up on a hill with sweeping views of vineyards and the Wither Hills and we enjoyed a picnic dinner with a glass (or two…) of the local finest on a perfect evening while the sun set.

Views of vineyards and the Wither Hills from our accommodation in Renwick 

From Renwick we crossed from the East to the West coast of the South Island with a stop at the Nelson Lakes and the small town of Murchison along the way, it was a beautiful drive through vineyards and mountains. The first stop on the West Coast was Punakaiki and the Paparoa National Park. The day began hot and clear but cooled down and clouded over as we made our way toward Punakaiki. A little drizzle wasn’t going to stop us from an evening walk on the beach! Some cooler weather was very welcome after a blistering week.

Views of the Nelson Lakes National Park 

Stunning coastline around Punakaiki on a misty evening 

Interesting eroded rock formations on our beach walk 

The next day was a slower rest day after a few busy travel days in a row. The day began cloudy and cool but cleared and heated up by midday. Exploring started with the Porari River Track, a one hour walk along the Porari River into the Paparoa National Park. We enjoyed this quiet and peaceful track with many unique birds flitting about. One can return along the same route or along the southern section of the Inland Pack Track. We chose this option even though the end is quite far from the beginning. This suited us though since the walk back to our accommodation passed Dolomite Point with the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. The Blowholes are best viewed at high tide so we timed our return walk with the tides and were there at the right time. The Pancake Rocks is a unique set of weathered limestone giving the impression of stacked pancakes. At high tide the sea is forced through holes at great force in the rocks hence the name blowholes. We discovered however, that there needs to be quite a big swell in addition to high tide for this to be efficient. Even if the blowholes are not working that day, it’s still worth a walk around this easy loop track right off the main road at any tide.

Part of the Porari River Track 

A delightful New Zealand Bush Robin

A Weka, a flightless bird species endemic to New Zealand

Pancake Rocks 

In the afternoon we enjoyed the short Truman Track through beautiful forest down to a fine gravel beach where cliffs, caverns and interesting rock formations await. And another misty evening walk on our own gravel beach. Many people only stop here for the Pancake Rocks or spend one night at the most. This stunning coastline is worth some attention and Dolomite Point isn't the only place you will see interesting rock formations.  There are a few nice tracks in the area and we are glad we had a travel ‘rest’ day to enjoy this area.

From Punakaiki we continued down the West Coast to Franz Josef and glacier country.

More on that next time!