Wines of the North

In this region we managed wine tasting in 6 vinyards and beer tasting in a brewery. We recommend the beer (Harringtons) because they have a fairly good simulated English bitter and they sell it at 8.50 for 2 litres :) The wine is quite distinct between Nelson and Blenhiem, but more importantly the tasting is free. Smooth and nutty from Nelson and more acidic around Malborough, of course it's pretty much all white so we can hardly consider ourselves experts.

Abel Tasman day 1

Cycling is the way forward when visiting the vines since you can (probably) get away with being drunk in charge of a bicylce, so that's how we did it. The people serving wine were genuinely friendly and explained their whole process, many of them only set up vinyards 30 years ago. Olive trees growing on their land have only been there 20 years but the kiwis are getting into them in a big way, their oils are winning international prizes - seems that it's all in the soil.

Abel Tasman near the end

We managed another of the "Great Walks" in this area too, the Abel Tasman which is pretty much a coastal walk where you can also fit in a bit of kayaking if you fancy it. The mussels are easy picking since they are hanging around on all the rocks and can be picked up for lunch or dinner depending on when the tide is out. The tide is quite amazing since it covers so much of the land when it's in but you walk across the areas it covered when it's out.

The roads are pretty crazy around here and driving 100k is like a marathon for your arms, the best of these roads goes through the Malborough sounds along the Queen Charlotte drive (also a walk) towards Picton (where you catch the ferry over to the capital).

Dancing Sands Spring

Only one other thing to add about the north of the south is that the hostels are much better than further south, the people are friendlier and the places are much better equiped. We even went out for a night on the town with our fellow hostellers.

Dom at the end

Fossil Ridge Vinyard

Malborough Sounds

Mussels Abel Tasman

View of Vines

Vinyard Blenheim

Wither Hills (Blenheim)