Motueka, Nelson and the Marlborough Region
Trip Start
Nov 05, 2002
1
52
69
Trip End
Aug 13, 2003
Picton,
New Zealand
Tuesday, June 17, 2003
Since we last spoke we have passed few a couple of places of interest.
First up after driving through the Buller Gorge was Motueka. We used this as a base for a trip north to Kaiteriteri beach near the entrance to the Abel Tasman National Park. With it's golden sands and the highest sunshine hours in New Zealand this area is a magnet for tourists in the busier summer months. It was still beautiful when we visited I can only image how gorgeous it would be to kayak in the area in better weather.
We continued on to a lesser know area called Takaka Hill, the area used as Chetwood Forest in the Lord of The Rings films (I had my location guide book out!). After a walk through some dense forest we arrived at Harwoods Hole, the deepest hole in the Southern Hemisphere. At 174 metres below the surface the hole is considered a high risk adventure for highly experienced cavers. We made sure not to get too near the entrance but close enough to see there were ropes anchored to the mouth of the hole indicating cavers inside. After a small hike to a lookout overlooking the Takaka river valley it was back to Motueka, taking in some stunning views of Golden Bay on route.
We had a cool night out in a bar in Motueka called the Dodgy Ref. It was here we saw the New Zealand All Blacks loose to England! That didn't go down well. Kiwis take their rugby very seriously and a loss to England is especially hard to take. Bummer.
Then it was onto Nelson, a big enough town an hour or so east of Motueka. This is a town on the arts and crafts trail where the characters are as colourful as their vibrant works. With information from my Lord of The Rings location guide book I located Nelson jewellers, the makers of the 'The One Ring' from the film. Many other local artisans worked on props for The Lord of the Rings movies. We spent a night in Nelson and after a spot of shopping we hit the road for the Marlborough region, famous for it's winery's. At home we are a fans of Villa Maria wine, a product of the Villa Maria Estate in the area. So with our own transport we couldn't pass up the opportunity to stop off at the cellar door. A purchase or two later we were on the road for the short drive to Picton, where you find us now.
After a quiet night tonight we will get the Inter Island ferry for the 3 hour trip across the Cook Strait between the south and north islands. Next time you hear from us we'll be in Wellington, New Zealand's capital! See ya there.
Dave & B
