The Gold Treatment

I wouldn't dub it officially summer without a road trip. And, the best way to venture into the Golden Bay region of the South Island is by car mostly because there are loads of side roads and best-kept-secret spots only a few kilometers from the main road. So, with thoughts of exploration in mind, my friend Lorna and I rented a little car, rolled down the windows, and cranked up the tunes – it was time to cruise!

Our first detour off the main road had me maneuvering our tiny car along an 11km, windy, golden gravel road just barely scraping by the monstrous campervans coming at us from the other direction. But, we were on a mission – to see Harwood's Hole. After careful and successful passage down Canaan Road, a 45 minute walk through a white dusted forest, and a brief scramble over a few well balanced boulders, we found it. A bit hard to miss, this cave is the largest in the southern hemisphere at 400m deep and 70m wide, with a 183m vertical drop! Duly noted, however, was the obvious lack of any form of safety barrier between the boulders we perched on and big ass Hole (no pun intended). It was whooper. The granddaddy of all holes! The big Kahuna!! Okay, you get the picture.

Next, we arrived at the Te Waikoropupu (or Pupu for short) Springs, a sacred area for the native Maori people. This spring bubbled some of the clearest water I've ever seen, and perhaps the clearest in the world according to my Lonely Planet travel guide. Farther up the road, just opposite our camping grounds, is where we visited the Mussel Inn to sample their Freckled Frog Cider, a homemade brew made from an NZ grown fruit the Feijoa. It was delicious!

We spent the next two days tramping around the Farewell Spit and Wharariki Beach, even reaching the highest point of the South Island at Cape Farewell. The beaches and archways carved into the cliffs afforded some incredibly picturesque views – that is when we weren't squinting our eyes, heads bowed to the unrelenting wind that whipped and whirled the fine granules of sand into any welcoming orifice. It wasn't until we were safely sheltered from the brutal blasts of beach weather, that we realized how smooth our skin was. Apparently, all it takes is a few hours battling the elements of the Golden Bay for a free, full-bodied exfoliation. I can see it now:

Come to Golden Bay for the Gold Treatment!
Absolutely FREE!
*Only while weather lasts*

On the last morning of our road trip together, Lorna and I stumbled upon the best beach ever – the beach of Totaranui. Seriously, this place should have a blue “#1” ribbon just to prepare people for it's awesomeness. With golden sands, sapphire seas, and a brilliant yellow orb glowing out of a blue sky, this Abel Tasman National Park gem made us feel like we'd be doing the beach an injustice if we didn't crack open a brew and cheers to a fabulous road trip. Never mind that the time read “10:49AM.” Cheers! :-D

I spent two more days in Golden Bay with a fellow named John who, if I think really, really, really hard, I can remember playing on my mom and dad's softball team back in the 90's. John and his partner Brian were most hospitable, and I very much enjoyed my time with them!

Hitching back to Nelson, I had the good fortune of meeting Patrick, who is best described by his very own words: “an awesome bloke.” When Patrick found out that I didn't yet have a place to stay in Nelson, he offered to let me crash at his place for as long as I wished. As a fellow world backpacker, Patrick was happy to pay-it-forward for all the times he'd been helped out during his travels. And, I was delighted to be on the receiving end of his generous offer! Patrick was on his way back to Golden Bay that afternoon, meaning that I had the house all to myself. And, with only a 10 minute walk to the Tahuna Beach, I was happy as a clam! Two thumbs up for cool people.

I've been in Nelson for a week now and enjoying the benefits of a living in the eco-friendly New Zealand city. Nelson has a lovely city center with heaps of cool shops, coffee houses, and even a cathedral smack dab in the middle. Thus, I've been enjoying a relaxing few days of beach bumming in Tahuna, window shopping, lunching at the local eateries, and strolling the Saturday market with a paper bag full of fresh orchard cherries. I reunited with a Taupo friend of mine, Ivonne, and we've been keeping ourselves entertained by the Busker Street Festival, watching a French man on stilts puppeteer Pandora the human (and female) version of Pinocchio. We also attended the International Kai(*1) Festival which was full of enticing smells from food stands selling international specialties. Here, we participated in a Maori Hui(*2) welcoming us to the Nelson Marae(*3). It was beautifully done with speeches in Maori by the elders and ending with a Hungi(*4). So, if when I next see you, I grasp your hand and pull you in close in order to touch our foreheads and noses, don't be alarmed - you've just experienced a heart warming Hungi from me to you.


Learn a bit of Maori:

(*1) Kai - Maori for “food”
(*2) Hui - a Maori welcoming ceremony
(*3) Marea - a Maori meeting place
(*4) Hungi - a Maori greeting