We boarded a
ferry in Wellington for the trip
to the south island.
The Inter Island
ferry landed in the bustling town of Picton with it's many tourists shops.
We continued our drive along the north coast to Nelson and spent a fun evening with a fellow cruiser, Rex Neley whom we had
not seen since meeting him and Capt Bob Phillips Sv Crescendo in 2014. We were the only 2 boats in the atoll of this desolate island of Suwarrow in the Cook Islands. Suwarrow is famous as written about in the book, An Island to Oneself, chronicling the life of Author Tom Neale who lived alone on this remote island back in 1952.
The next
morning we departed Nelson and made a quick stop at the New Zealand’s longest
swingbidge above the rushing waters of Buller River for a quick adventure.
We continued to the west coast and enjoyed leisurely day hops, stopping in the
Oparara Caves in the Kahurangi National Park.
Hokitika is home to the New Zealand Green Stone
(Jade) industry. Kaija found a piece that spoke to her...or as legend would have it..selected her. This is her Koru Spiral. It depicts new beginnings, Life and
Hope. It also conveys the idea of perpetual
movement. This seemed very appropriate for Kaija and has become a favorite.
This map shows the region of the South Island best known for these precious stones.
Our next stop was one of the wonders of New Zealand known as "Pancake Rocks". This extraordinary geological display is located in the Paparoa National Park and is well worth the visit. This region is known for it's Karst landscape where limestone has been dissolved by water to form strange and delicate forms. The food-rich ocean also attracts Kekeno, the New Zealand fur seal.
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