Urging our bags forward the bus pulled up after I'd managed to sweep round the hostels to check their bookcases incase there were any hidden gems.. Sadly not. Our journey commenced, with highlighted stops being Hokitika and Punakaiki, places we considered as alternate stops before choosing Wanaka. Firstly Hokitika, a town more or less known for its jade / greenstone carving. A short lunch here gave us the time to see a few factory style outlets and get some lunch, on the whole not feeling like we'd missed out on too much.. Next up was Punakaiki, home to the Pancake Rocks and blow hole - fortunately we were stopping long enough to be able to head down to the coast - though sadly the tide wasn't quite up to the blow holes tipping point, but the rocks and whole environment were something to see regardless. There really wasn't much else to here either, so it seems somehow that maybe Wanaka was the best choice after all!
Continuing up the coast we passed through Westport and Greymouth, again places we skipped to no great disadvantage, before slipping through the Mount Arthur range and heading down toward Nelson and more specifically Upper Moutiere. Meeting a new relative was pretty different but a true pleasure, we both apparently scanned the others features to discern how close that relation was and came to no joint conclusion. As it was night time we had little knowledge of where we were or what was around us, but a healthy dinner and comfortable bed was all that was required at that moment.
Come the morning we awoke to take in the most beautiful surroundings, hills, mountains and a hop farm seemed to be all that you could see, so to break into the spirit we headed out to Motueka where old shipping buildings had been converted to all kinds of modern shops and gallerys.
The following afternoon we were further wowed by the World of Wearable Art, a permanent museum featuring a large number of the costumes designed and shown at the past event. It would be wrong to call it a fashion show since it's positive, entertaining, humorous and cultured show is a far cry from the catwalk critique of custom. There was all kinds of creations, majestically crafted from recycled materials, croched garments, neon faces, horse-men, lobsters, the list is endless. Alongside this collection was also a vast car collection spanning the last century, you'd envy the workers who get to move the one parked out the front daily!! Afterward we carried on toward Nelson a bit further and heading up to a great viewpoint where you could see the whole bay area, past Rabbit Island over to Motueka, plus the sun and sea were playing off each other making it a spectacular sight..
After heading back the Lord of the Rings sneaked its way into the DVD player and so commenced a marathon of orks, elves, hobbits, dwarves, wizards and scenery spotting - assisted by a guidebook of the filming locations..
Come Tuesday we'd had enough of indoors so ventured out once more, this time heading towards the Abel Tasman National Park. We reached the coast and since you can only really continue by foot from this side of the mountains we took in the views and visited a wood carvers garden display before heading out to Koteriteri where another incredibly beautiful vista greeted us. These areas both held some of the magnificence that can't be found anywhere, the sea lapping on sandy beaches, backed by acres of forest, a true paradise for those willing to hike / tramp its length.. All in all another great day out, but as with all things our time here had to end and we were packed and ready to leave for Nelson the next day. I'm glad to have met and been privelige to the hospitality we received, no matter how great a distance or time can separate us from that and I look forward to meeting them again in the future.
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