Best Western Chelsea Park Mtr Nelson

... hours kayaking in total. Me and Rob didn't fall in at all, but Alex and Lee got stuck on rocks twice and had to get in the water to get their kayak free and so were soaked through by the end. A few pictures back at the tour office then the bus back to Nelson, on which we all fell asleep again.

Nik and Ben were out when we got back, but had gone out to the supermarket to buy all the supplies for the momentous roast ...

... and truly in New Zealand! On our first night we went to a place called ‘Waipu’ (pronounced whypooh - hilarious), where we parked up at a ‘Department of Conservation’ campsite - situated at a beautiful location by the beach. We went for a walk along the beach just as the sun was setting, creating a beautiful pink and purple sky, we then returned to camp on our little stove that came with the van before going to bed in the back and watching a dvd - the ...

im trying to remember all the way back to arriving in brisbane a month ago and its pretty difficult so this maybe a very vague blog! we decided to fly around most of australia as it took soooooooo long to get anywhere by buses and flying was just as cheap! viki and i (still just the two of us) spent a couple of days in brisbane... not massively impressed by the city before heading to fraser island.... the island nearly every backpacker goes to! its the largest sand ...

... ants on the landscape. After many golden beaches, azure waters, beach breaks we all finally ended up at Back Bay where I pitched up in the camp site on the beach. Got a hot chocolate from the Kiwi boys Steve and Tim from the hike who were staying in the hut across the inlet sands. Treated to hot topic of the Wilson family (Abel Tasman locals) great grand-daughters inheritance amid headlamp light.

... over the other side of the park! Our guide Ricky was a hippy gem - very helpful and showed us the ropes! The sicklehs thought they were in for a nice relaxing casual kayak.....then it struck, think again, nothing is simple with us!!! Kat took the back seat for the first leg, stearing, oh dear!! 1st stop was to go and see an island full of wild seals, we were told to stay at least 10 metres away but we managed to drift straight for them.....sos ...

... bbq and headed back to the hostel to get rest for the next day. Tuesday morning we woke up and headed out of Nelson to Abel Tasman National Park. Abel Tasman is the most visited national park in the country of New Zealand and I understand why! We took sea kayaks (two person) packed with our gear across the ocean to the campsite... the kayak trek was incredibly refreshing and such an awesome way to start our two night camping trip in Abel Tasman. We ventured into ...

Nach einer verregneten Ueberfahrt sind wir auf der Suedinsel gelandet. Unsere erste Station war Moutueka am Eingang des Able Tasman National Park, wo wir Weihnachten verbrachten. Den Park erkundeten wir zu Fuss und per Kajak. Am 27. verliessen wir den wunderschoenen, aber von Touristen ziemlich ueberlaufenen, Able Tasman und fuhren weiter zum Nelson Lakes Nationalpark, wo wir innerhalb von 1 Sunde 25 ...

... but the weather forecast for the next day suggested that the same thing was likely to happen, so I stuck to the original plan. All it means is that I'll have to come back and do it another time ... I can dream! Not to be defeated I headed out for a walk and explored along the sea front. It was cold and, after 15 minutes of walking, wet; so I dived into a cheap internet café to catch up with my blog and to consider my budget for gifts in the ...

... New Zealand is proving to be very expensive and jobs are few and far between. We're beginning to wonder about the logic of spending a year here, earning a pittance, and then heading home. It's beginning to seem less rational. Meanwhile the scenery continued to impress. We stopped off at the weird and wonderful Pancake rocks. A load of thin layer rock piled on top of each other which no-one can explain the creation of ...

Week 42 May 15th Well, today's whitewater rafting day on the Kaituina River. Got kitted out with wet suits (too right..its positively Arctic here in the water) and the usual equipment. The guys running the tour are a good bunch of Kiwis..they promised Ivan a hard time (he boasted about his Kayaking skills and said rafting was for sissies...HA!). The raft was put in the water and because this specific river's a burial place for the Maori's a prayer was said for the ancestors ...