BootsnAll Travel Network



Days 21-22: Crossing Over

April 5th, 2005

Did a couple crossings: first across the Cook Straight from the south to north islands by ferry in 2.5m swells (considered a good day), and second across the 17km Tongariro Crossing by foot.
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Days 19-20: Come to Marlborough Country

April 1st, 2005

Although the 12th Sweethearts’ Day started out with cold, damp bay-wading, it ended with a hang-dog dinner in a fantastic hotel in Renwick. Renwick and Blenheim are wine making towns in the Marlborough region. We decided to make the wine circuit and sample the local goods (by “we”, we mean Marcus because Kel isn’t a big fan). So Kel chauffered Marcus around the area and pretended not to be bored while Marcus got liquored up and pretened to know something about wine.
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Days 17-19: Supertramp, part 3

April 1st, 2005

Just a few more pics from the Abel Tasman.
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Days 17-19: Supertramp, part 2

April 1st, 2005

We got two gorgeous days and a thurough soaking on the third. The weather was so bad that they canceled the water taxis that day, so we ended up on a bus for the ride back to the car.
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Days 17-19: Supertramp, part 1

April 1st, 2005

We spent three days hiking the Abel Tasman Coastal Track. Tasman was a Dutch explorer who happened upon New Zealand in the early 1600s. But his party was attacked by the locals, so he said “to heck with it” and left it for the British.
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Days 15-16: Mo Betta

April 1st, 2005

We spent a couple of days in Motueka (Mo for short) preparing for our Abel Tasman tramp (that’s Kiwi for hiking). We picked up gear, walked a couple of beaches, and celebrated the Easter holiday with a Mississippi Mud Pie.
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Days 13-14: I Love Rock-n-Roll

April 1st, 2005

The Nelson region is known for growing grapes for making wine, but a lessor known crop is idle youth. As noted by Brendan after B2K Nelson is overrun with roving gangs of idle male adolescents. They all have fancy exhausts, loud stereos, and baggy trousers (I hope we didn’t export these things to them). Perhaps the funniest…
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Days 11-13: Glow-worm Pancakes

March 25th, 2005

After dark we visited a glow worm dell in Hokitika and watched them try to lure tasty morsels into their webs with their luminescent fecal matter. Unfortunately, it’s a site that can only be witnessed in person (photo’s didn’t do it justice). Yeah, we’re posting a lot today because it’s pouring in Nelson and we’ve already seen the bizarre bra collection…
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Day 12: Westside (reprezent!)

March 25th, 2005

The West Coast of the South Island is like the Pacific Coast Highway (CA) with more ferns. We spent some time driving it, in varying weather conditions, but it was always pretty. Aparently land prices are pretty cheap or they wouldn’t put “livestock effluence disposal” sites on beach front property. Seriously.
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Days 9-11: Hanz and Franz

March 25th, 2005

Well actually, we visited the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. Hanz was just an Austrian guy in our tour group. Yep, we booked a tour so we could walk on the ice…
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