Kia Ora again, now from the South Island of New Zealand!
We drove a lot by car the past week: almost 2500 km on the North Island! We drove from Tongariro National Park to the capital city of New Zealand: Wellington. Wellington is in the far south of the Northern island. From here we took the ferry to the South Island and we are celebrating Christmas and the New Year. We will be exploring the south part of New Zealand for the next 2 weeks!
To Rafael's joy, we took a ride on the Cable Car in the capital of New Zealand: Wellington
View on Wellington from Mount Victoria
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. An huge and wonderful museum about the culture of New Zealand.
Great escape (and free entrance) on a stormy morning.
Great escape (and free entrance) on a stormy morning.
On the 24th of December we took the Interislander Ferry to the South Island of New Zealand.
It takes about 3,5 hours across the choppy Cook Strait and through the beautiful mountains of the Marlborough Sounds.
Marlborough Sounds
The ferry arrives in the nice harbour of Picton, where we had lunch and time to play!
Click to watch video
On our way to Motueka (near Abel Tasman National Park), Remco accidentally made a typo in Google maps navigating us. We drove in the very wrong direction, all the way to the north of the (beautiful) Marlborough Sounds and these sheep (see video) passed us on the way. However, we had to make a 3,5 hour detour, oops!! This happend on Christmas-eve and therefor our dinner consisted of a Snickers, a Bounty and an applejuice at the only petrol station which was open 😕🙍.
On Christmas Day, almost everything was closed in Motueka.
We enjoyed a very relaxing day with swimming, a beachwalk and Dutch 'pannenkoeken' for dinner.
The beach close to Motueka
On Boxingday (2e kerstdag), we sailed along the coast to explore Abel Tasman National Park.
It's one of the most famous & beautiful National Parks of New Zealand.
Weird to know that Abel Tasman was a Dutch sailor from Groningen, discovering this place in 1642.
Split Apple Rock
An octopus for lunch for this ' New Zealand furry seal'.
Tonga Arches
You can hop on and off the 'Sea Shuttle-boat' and select on which beach they will drop you.
We had lunch here on the 'Tonga Quarry'.
Pied shag birds (Bonte Aalscholver)
Tonga Quarry
Our next stop of our road trip was the cute town Hanmer Springs.
We had to change our initial route to Kaikoura because of the big earthquake on November 14th. The city and roads to Kaikoura where still almost inaccessible.
In the morning we went to the wonderful Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools.
In the afternoon we rented mountainbikes for a nice ride through Hanmer Forest.
Next week more about the South Island when we'll travel to Akaroa, Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook.
We wish all of you an amazing 2017:
Happy New Year,
Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!
😁🎊🎆🎇🎉🎑
On Boxingday (2e kerstdag), we sailed along the coast to explore Abel Tasman National Park.
It's one of the most famous & beautiful National Parks of New Zealand.
Weird to know that Abel Tasman was a Dutch sailor from Groningen, discovering this place in 1642.
Split Apple Rock
An octopus for lunch for this ' New Zealand furry seal'.
Tonga Arches
You can hop on and off the 'Sea Shuttle-boat' and select on which beach they will drop you.
We had lunch here on the 'Tonga Quarry'.
Pied shag birds (Bonte Aalscholver)
Tonga Quarry
Our next stop of our road trip was the cute town Hanmer Springs.
We had to change our initial route to Kaikoura because of the big earthquake on November 14th. The city and roads to Kaikoura where still almost inaccessible.
In the morning we went to the wonderful Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools.
In the afternoon we rented mountainbikes for a nice ride through Hanmer Forest.
Next week more about the South Island when we'll travel to Akaroa, Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook.
We wish all of you an amazing 2017:
Happy New Year,
Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!
😁🎊🎆🎇🎉🎑
