Thorpe

After departing Greymouth, Verena and I started our 5 hour journey to the Abel Tasman National Park and Nelson area. We had an Airbnb booked for somewhere in between the two, but before we got there, we headed straight for Abel Tasman. Like I mentioned before, I was hoping to meet a friend and running teammate from NYC.

Our ride up the West Coast was pretty uneventful. There was one point where I wanted to check out the longest swing bridge in New Zealand, but there was a cost associated with it. Forget about it. We didn't want to linger too long and didn't want to pay for it. So we continued on our way, and had a picnic nearby along the Buller River, one of New Zealand's longest rivers. But no swing bridges were in sight. Throughout our drive, we marveled at the changing landscape. So many times I felt like we were in different places, like Colorado, California, and even at home in New York. Further evidence as to why New Zealand is a top destination. 

The Buller River.

We made a couple of more rest stops, but got to Abel Tasman, right around the time we expected. After inquiring whether my friend was at his accommodation, we started our hike, with the hopes of finding him. A lot of people hike along the Coastal Track for a couple of days and camp along the way. It was something I was going to look into, but didn't pursue it. We were at one end of the park, and started walking from Marahau and headed towards Apple Bay. It was really nice out, the first time I actually wore shorts while not running. The landscape was also very different from what we had seen before. Definitely closer to what I've seen in Australia and Southeast Asia.

Abel Tasman National Park.

I kept my eyes peeled for Ilan and we eventually came across him! I was thinking we'd miss him and since he's on a tour, his timing is pretty set in stone. This was really the only chance we had to catch him. And we were successful. He turned around and joined us as we continued our hike to Apple Bay, which wasn't too much further. We caught up on running, NYC happenings, and our travels. It was a very quick visit, but really glad I got to see him. He was continuing on his trip south, where we had come from, and would eventually head back home.

I found Ilan.

After our hike, Verena and I drove to the middle of nowhere to our accommodation. And I mean the middle of nowhere. We were where we were supposed to be, but couldn't find the house. After turning around a couple of times and saying hi to some cows, we found our place. Well I should say, she found us. Our host had seen us drive around and flagged us down. She welcomed us into her home and showed us around. 

Looking for our Airbnb.

We were looking forward to our stay since it meant we weren't going to be in a hostel dorm room. But we also weren't in a room in a house. We were actually staying in a yurt. I had never heard of this before, but it seemed like a step up from camping. A yurt is a portable, circular structure with a bed and other furniture, and electricity.

A yurt.

And space. So much space to spread out.

No bunks in sight.

Oh, but not a flushable toilet. We were using a compost toilet down at the house. It actually wasn't that bad. There was a smell, but not a gross smell. Just something different. Compost-y. Verena and I went with the flow. 

Follow the instructions.

We both needed a bit of downtime, so this was the perfect place. Verena was looking for a job and I needed to do my normal catchup. We slept in and got fed by our hostess. She was so nice and provided breakfast for us each day. After our catch-up, and a run for me, we decided to go hit up a nearby winery. We stopped at Neudorf Winery and tried a few different local wines. Since it was getting on the late side and figured we wouldn't get to another winery in time, we decided to get a bottle and have a glass outside. The rest of the bottle was for later. It was such a nice day and a beautiful setting. 

Neudorf Winery.

Afterwards, we drove to Mapua, at the suggestion of our host, to walk around a bit. We scoped out the pier, but it didn't take long to explore the small town. Although it was entertaining watching the kids jump in with no fear. 

Visiting Mapua.

Since it took about 10 minutes to walk around, we decided to try a local beer at the Golden Bear Brewery. It was a local spot, with live music. It would have been nice to chill there for a bit, but we had a bit of a drive back to the yurt. 

Checking out the local brewery.

We had one last full day in Thorpe, and decided we should check out Nelson, one of the larger cities in the northern part of the South Island. This is where Verena was looking for a job, and I wanted to check it out as well before heading to Christchurch.

We started off with hiking up to the Center of New Zealand. The hike was pretty short, but we sat at the center of New Zealand for a while to check out the view and eat our lunch. To be clear, the true geographical center of New Zealand is actually 55 kilometers southwest, but Botanical Hill had the first trig station and surveying started at this point. Hence the center of New Zealand.

Center of New Zealand.

We made our way back down the hill and walked around the Queen's Gardens and checked out Nelson. We didn't notice a lot of people around and was definitely quieter than Queenstown. But still a nice place to visit. 

Beautiful gardens.

As we were walking around town, there was a store that looked interesting and we had paused outside for a second. A woman came out and encouraged us to go inside and we found a cute store with little doors in life-sized trees, unique toys for children, and other cute local New Zealand products. It felt like we were in a tree house or in the shire. We went to the back and found a cafe. Even better. So we ordered a pot and relaxed a bit. 

Hobbit-like cafe.

To round out our visit to Nelson, we visited Tahunanui Beach and watched the kite surfers for a bit. It was a little late in the day at this point, so didn't go swimming. Though a part of me wishes I had gone anyway. Next time. 

Kite surfers.

I really did enjoy relaxing in Thorpe and visiting the surrounding area. I think another day or two would have been nice to relax and check out some more wineries and other things (too much), especially as our host was really nice. We enjoyed getting to know a Kiwi and talking about our local countries. I would totally go back and stay there again. 

Our last morning.