Another day in paradise, another day filled with new sights and sounds. And another day with a very slow internet connection!
Morning #2 in our cozy little mountain chalet overlooking the Tasman Sea dawned cold and cloudy, but nothing that would stop us from the day's adventures. Yesterday was about one long, spectacular hike in Abel Tasman National Park under a crystal clear sky. Today was about exploring multiple out of the way places (recommended to us by our Kiwi friend Keith Johnston, who knows every nook and cranny of this country) from Abel Tasman north to Golden Bay, a route which winds its way from sparsely populated country to down right desolate country! The road began winding up over Takaka Hill from the moment we left our base camp at Marahau. Up, up, up and more up, hairpin turns like I've never seen. In the daylight hours we found this spectacular, but the return trip in the dark at day's end was mostly just a fast route to motion sickness! But the views....spectacular!
Over the 55 km between Marahau and the Golden Bay urban center (I use the term loosely) of Takaka, we stopped for two short hikes to breathe the clean cold air and take in the breathtaking views...to the East, Tasman Bay and to the West, Golden Bay. By the time we reached Takaka, we were hungry and in need of morning tea (which doesn't have to include actual tea at all, but is a catch all for the time when Kiwis stop to drink something and catch their breath and perhaps a snack sometime between breakfast and lunch).
A quick trip to pick up supplies for tonight's dinner and we were off again, this time for a stop at Pupu Springs, the largest freshwater springs in Australasia and reportedly the source of the world's clearest water. I'm not sure how they measure "clearest" but I can safely say I've never seen any water even remotely that clear. And, having spent my early years hiking in the backcountry of Wyoming and Montana, I can say that I have a pretty high bar when it comes to clarity of my water! Pupu Springs, like many special places in NZ, is a sacred place for the Maori people. The thing that struck us most of all was the fact that this place is OFF LIMITS for any kind of tampering whatsoever! How is it possible that this clearest of all waters on earth hasn't been exploited for profit? New Zealand is pretty good at this stuff.
Next stop...the VERY off the beaten path Grove Scenic Reserve. The 30 minute round trip walk took us through some of the most fascinating landscape and fauna I've ever seen. Dominated by limestone, this small reserve is home to so many interesting rock formations that it reminded me of a sculpture garden. Nooks, crannies, and climbing rocks galore, much to the delight of the children. Naomi discovered that the rock walls are loaded with fossils, and the kids proceeded to identify one after the other.
As the grey day turned to grey late afternon, we pressed on in an attempt to cover Keith Johnston's "Best of Golden Bay" list. Five kids and a leisurely pace prevented us from seeig them all, but we ended the day on the, again very cold, but spectacular Tata Beach.
The steep hills roll right down to the sea, interesting shells lie in wait for the taking, and limestone rock formations beckon to the children..."climb me...now!" Knowing that our time there would lead to a winding return in the dark, we tarried anyway. The problem with beautiful places is that they're hard to leave.
Speaking of which, David, who is always most attached to the place where is he is right now (wherever that happens to be) ended the evening crying because he doesn't want to leave this place. I think if we let him, he'd stay here in this cabin forever. But tomorrow we sail back across the Cook Strait back to that other beautiful place...the one where we currently live. Not bad.
Morning #2 in our cozy little mountain chalet overlooking the Tasman Sea dawned cold and cloudy, but nothing that would stop us from the day's adventures. Yesterday was about one long, spectacular hike in Abel Tasman National Park under a crystal clear sky. Today was about exploring multiple out of the way places (recommended to us by our Kiwi friend Keith Johnston, who knows every nook and cranny of this country) from Abel Tasman north to Golden Bay, a route which winds its way from sparsely populated country to down right desolate country! The road began winding up over Takaka Hill from the moment we left our base camp at Marahau. Up, up, up and more up, hairpin turns like I've never seen. In the daylight hours we found this spectacular, but the return trip in the dark at day's end was mostly just a fast route to motion sickness! But the views....spectacular!
Over the 55 km between Marahau and the Golden Bay urban center (I use the term loosely) of Takaka, we stopped for two short hikes to breathe the clean cold air and take in the breathtaking views...to the East, Tasman Bay and to the West, Golden Bay. By the time we reached Takaka, we were hungry and in need of morning tea (which doesn't have to include actual tea at all, but is a catch all for the time when Kiwis stop to drink something and catch their breath and perhaps a snack sometime between breakfast and lunch).
A quick trip to pick up supplies for tonight's dinner and we were off again, this time for a stop at Pupu Springs, the largest freshwater springs in Australasia and reportedly the source of the world's clearest water. I'm not sure how they measure "clearest" but I can safely say I've never seen any water even remotely that clear. And, having spent my early years hiking in the backcountry of Wyoming and Montana, I can say that I have a pretty high bar when it comes to clarity of my water! Pupu Springs, like many special places in NZ, is a sacred place for the Maori people. The thing that struck us most of all was the fact that this place is OFF LIMITS for any kind of tampering whatsoever! How is it possible that this clearest of all waters on earth hasn't been exploited for profit? New Zealand is pretty good at this stuff.
Next stop...the VERY off the beaten path Grove Scenic Reserve. The 30 minute round trip walk took us through some of the most fascinating landscape and fauna I've ever seen. Dominated by limestone, this small reserve is home to so many interesting rock formations that it reminded me of a sculpture garden. Nooks, crannies, and climbing rocks galore, much to the delight of the children. Naomi discovered that the rock walls are loaded with fossils, and the kids proceeded to identify one after the other.As the grey day turned to grey late afternon, we pressed on in an attempt to cover Keith Johnston's "Best of Golden Bay" list. Five kids and a leisurely pace prevented us from seeig them all, but we ended the day on the, again very cold, but spectacular Tata Beach.
The steep hills roll right down to the sea, interesting shells lie in wait for the taking, and limestone rock formations beckon to the children..."climb me...now!" Knowing that our time there would lead to a winding return in the dark, we tarried anyway. The problem with beautiful places is that they're hard to leave.Speaking of which, David, who is always most attached to the place where is he is right now (wherever that happens to be) ended the evening crying because he doesn't want to leave this place. I think if we let him, he'd stay here in this cabin forever. But tomorrow we sail back across the Cook Strait back to that other beautiful place...the one where we currently live. Not bad.
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