Day 18. Global Village

The hostel we checked into last night is adorable. George wanted to spend another night here so we could make use of the free kayaks they offered and I couldn’t say no to spending another night at 6^th best hostel in New Zealand! I’ve basically spent today pottering around the hostel, reading, sunbathing, taking photos, drinking free cups of tea, and just being nosey and admiring the detail, love and attention the owners (who are also lovely) have put into every aspect of the place.

The lounge

 There was a piano with juggling balls, a recorder and some other bits of pieces

 The conservatory just off the lounge

 A real log burning fire

 Another little seating nook in the lounge

 There was one entire wall dedicated to a world map

 My book selections

George's book choice

 Fresh eggs and the honesty tray!

Fresh herbs

The kitchen

 All the rooms were decorated in slightly different tribal themes

This is what I have to put up with waking up to!!

 They also had a sauna, hot tub, gym and kayaks!

But the outside space was maybe the best bit!

 A fire pit

 George checking out the BBQ

 Free bikes, the kayaks and the herb garden

 A lovely tire path that runs along the property

Our view!

 Another sunny little corner

And this is what we sat and looked at while we had breakfast! 

Day 8. Kenepuru and Mistletoe Bay

Hello from inside a tent!

After saying goodbye to Axel we set off in hunt of Kenepuru road. We found it reasonably easily, after a minor detour because we missed the turn off and there was nowhere to turn around, however I almost wish we hadn’t! We thought Queen Charlotte Drive was twisty…  well it has nothing on Kenepuru.

 The ducks here have no fear, and a couple of birds have even gotten into the tent!

We actually had to stop the car twice and pull over because it felt like we were on a rollercoaster. Not only was it mildly terrifying, considering there was a sheer cliff with no barrier on one side, the roads weren’t properly tarmacked, there were signs for landslides everywhere and half the road collapsed down the cliff but the road turns so much, I don’t think there was a single point we were going in a straight line. (it’s a good thing Bernard is an automatic as I honestly don’t know how you’d do some of these roads with a manual as you’d constantly be changing gears)

We were planning to get up to Cowshed Bay near the top of Kenepuru Sound but we just couldn’t take more than an hour or so on Kenepuru road so we’ve stopped off at Mistletoe Bay. The eco-village here is very idyllic and incredibly peaceful.

George set up the tent, which certainly isn’t a ‘three-person’, perhaps a one and a half. Dinner was interesting as we didn’t bring any plates or cups with us as every hostel we’ve been too had supplied some… needless to say making soup failed. Sandwiches it is.

Mistletoe Bay is beautiful with a couple of lovely walks, but we’re only planning to stay the one night and set of tomorrow, perhaps after a quick jump in the water, up Kenepuru road again. The joys.

P.S I’ve never heard so many weird birdcalls before! 

Day 7. Queen Charlotte

After a bit of an early start, I gave mum a quick ring, then set out on a walk around Picton as George was still fast asleep and I wanted to make the most of what was beginning to look like a beautiful day. Me and Axel walked along the harbor side for a bit before Axel, claiming tiredness, went back while I carried on exploring. Men. I managed to find ‘Bob’s Bay Track’ which finishes at a little bay with safe-swimming water. It was a really lovely walk, which only had a couple of scary sections where there’d been landslides and I had to skirt across, and the views were perfect throughout!

The view along the walk

 And what I saw whenever I looked down!

 I still can't get over how clear the water was!

 And the view when I finally made it to Bob's bay!

 Some of the beautiful shells scattered along the coastline 

The bay was lovely and it was great to paddle along the shore and admire the purple and blue shells after a walk in the midday sun (I obviously didn’t think through the timing of the walk). I dawdled at the bay for a while but I realized I’d left my phone with Axel and I didn’t want him to be waiting for me as we hadn’t agreed on a time to set off. After rushing back to the hostel (most of which was uphill) I find George in a hammock having just gotten out of the hot tub and Axel dozing on the sofa.

The route to Havelock 

 at one of the look out spots you could pull into

We did eventually set off, after I rallied everyone (it really shouldn’t be so hard for three people to be ready at the same time), and we took the Queen Charlotte Drive across Marlborough Sound. The drive was beautifully scenic with lots of look-out-points, a few of which we stopped off at. The downside though was the road was very twisty, there were a couple of turns which were painfully sharp and by the end of it we were all feeling a little nauseous!

 Coming into havelock 

 Our view while we ate dinner on the patio of the hostle

Me winning at Risk (even though I'd never played it before and Axel and George claimed to be pros!)

We arrived in Havecock in one piece, just. Found a hostel and were about to settle down for the night when we were told about a waterfall track which if you took at night allowed you to see glowworms up close. Well we couldn’t pass up that chance so after playing risk until the sun went down me and George borrowed some torches and went for a walk up a very steep, muddy path. We actually almost missed the glowworms as we were so busy trying to maneuver a particularly narrow and wet section that we didn’t notice the cliff wall was filled with glow worms! It was obviously impossible to take a photo but it was absolutely beautiful.

Axel heads to Nelson tomorrow while me and George are taking the Kenepuru road up Marlborough Sound, bring on tomorrow! 

P.S we passed two women on bikes twice on the road here (we passed them, then pulled up not long after at a look out & then we ended up having to pass them again) and when we were sat playing risk they walked into the hostel! They said 'hello again' so they clearly remembered us too! Such a small world!