Nelson is perched along the fringe of Tasman Bay, a brief jaunt from the northwestern tip of the South Island that houses not only the Kahurangi National Park but also the Abel Tasman National Park and it’s world renowned Abel Tasman Track. It’s called ‘Top of the South” and boasts the “highest sunshine hours on the South Island”. It’s an outdoor wonderland with the requisite cold beer that you want after a long day on the track. The region tops quite a few lists. The Craft Beer capital of New Zealand. The most popular national park in the country and home to the most photographed rock in New Zealand. It’s one of the best kitesurfing spots in New Zealand as well as a world famous fly fishing spot. A popular hike in the are is the “Center of New Zealand” hike, so named because during the initial mapping of the country, that point was calculated to be the middle of the longitude of the two islands.
As many places in New Zealand can boast, Nelson has its own slice of the Lord of the Rings franchise. Jens Hansen Goldsmiths were the makers behind the ‘ring to rule all’. They actually carry many of the copies that they had to make not only for the Lord of the Rings trilogy but also then again for the making of The Hobbit. With their own little slice of notoriety to keep them smiling, they also make custom wedding and engagement jewelry as well as necklaces, pendants, and earrings.
Nelson has a well-established artisanal reputation, such as their weekend market where everything from handmade food products like regional manuka honey and a handmade New Zealand botanical gin to hand carved pounamu and bone jewelry and handspun merino wool. And while we were excited for that as well as the beer and wine on offer, we had to find a place to trek the Abel Tasman in our brief few days. We took advantage of the numerous aqua taxi companies that run the coast, as there are no roads in the Abel Tasman. All commuting has to be done either via boat along the coast, or on foot via the numerous scenic track put out by the Department of Conservation. The Abel Tasman is known for its beaches of powder fine blonde sand and water as clear as a magnifying glass. It is home to many wildlife sanctuaries such as the Bird Sanctuaries, home to tuis and bellbirds, on Adele Island and the seal sanctuaries on the neighboring D’Urville Island. While the entirety of the Abel Tasman track is intended to take a few days and is well suited to backpacking, small segments can be easily done in a few hours. Our tour company picked us up from our hostel in Nelson, drove us the hour out to the park gate of the park in Marahau and then we caught a boat to the Anchorage port. The hike from Anchorage to Marahau, which is extremely low impact and boasts jaw-dropping vistas, is intended to take about four hours. But with accessible paths running down to the beaches each equipped with their own DOC shack and cooking area, the walk can lazily extend to take up an entire day.
Marlborough is New Zealand’s Napa Valley. World famous for the wines that it produces, New Zealand made a reputation for itself of concentrating on one thing and doing it very well. While there has been new attention paid to Pinot Noir in the region and it also produces some truly beautiful Pinot Gris, it is Sauvignon Blanc that continues to be the shining star. Grape vines were reportedly brought to the region with James Busby in the early 1800s and so the wine industry in New Zealand, though it probably took about a century for it to be considered an ‘industry’, is probably only 150 years old. Only New Zealand could not only produce some of the most beautiful wine, and still put it in a region where you could walk to them all on foot. The region lapses in and out of suburban blocks of houses with trampolines and toys in the yard and world renowned acres of grapes. Wine tours in the Marlborough area tend to be of a different kind. While there are numerous companies that will take you on a shuttle bus between the wineries, an equally popular option is to bike. With the region being primarily flat, and bike paths set aside off the major roads, it provides a leisurely way to see the region. You can hire a bike for a day for as little as $15 and bike easily between any of the twenty-five wineries that are within 5km of the Renwick/Blenheim area. Moozh and I opted for the ‘tramping’ option and set off on foot, covering five wineries in about four hours. We even got to hitch a ride on a vine combine. While the majority of wineries in the area are open all year round, with cellar doors that still offer tastings and wine pairings in the winter, Autumn is a quiet time in the region. The air is crisp and the lanes of vines, like grey hairs, begin to drain their green and crisp up into fiery shades of mustard and crimson. The region has had a unseasonably hot and dry summer that ran long into Autumn. While it caused many of the winemakers to be optimistic about the turnout of the crop, it has caused a late harvest. Grapepickers sit around in hostels around the region on call for hours and days at a time. With a mild mention of hail, they are called out in droves, dozens at a time to rip clumps of plumpy grapes into the shelter of a wine press.
Reluctant to leave the crisp romance of wine country, we still had an island to see. Souvenir bottles lovingly wrapped and protected in our packs, we set off further south. Our bus took the winding highway at blistering speeds along the East Coast, sandwiched in the narrow path separating the crashing surf on one side and the phenomenal mountain ranges that bristle only a few kilometres away. Our hour long pause in Kaikoura was spent simply watching the water crash.
Never underestimate the fruitfulness of family connections while you are travelling abroad. This extends to family you’ve never met before, as well as family that is really only distantly yours. When family of mine, my aunt and uncle of Four Homeless Millionaires notoriety, traveled the world with their kids in 2009 they connected with an extremely high number of family, friends and distant relatives across the globe. Which they then passed along to us. New Zealand and Australia were a particular example of the hospitality and generosity of people. After long wearying, treks across the country, we were welcomed, fed and given a bed of extreme comfort by people who, due to the fact that they care about someone we also care about, even gave us a second glance. This, in a nutshell, made our stay in Christchurch -the last stop on our trip and the receptacle that held the last of our patience and global well wishes- a relaxing and recuperative time.
The scars on Christchurch are slow to heal and very visible. The earthquakes of both September 2010 and February 2011 both caused widespread damage not only to the infrastructure of the city but also the mindset of every person living in Christchurch. While the 2010 earthquake caused significant damage to the city at a 7.1 on the Ritcher scale, it was the February earthquake of 6.3 that took 185 lives and seemed to solidify a quietness to the city. Subsequent aftershocks added to a general unease not to mention an estimated cost of nearly $30 Million New Zealand Dollars. Piles of rubble and fractions of buildings fill the omnipresent “red zone” deemed to be unsafe due to the earthquake. Within the confines of the red zone lives the legendary Christchurch Cathedral and the Memorial Bridge. Numerous buildings are propped up against stacked shipping containers and construction equipment works at a constant hum removing the rubble and trying to make sense of the mangled area. Everything from banks and high rises to the local, home grown businesses sit evacuated and partially crumbling with notations by the construction companies in regards to their stability scrawled in spray paint on their windows.
Out of the wreckage has grown a Re:Start shopping plaza of local and luxury business all housed in shipping containers. Old trendy shopping districts and historical areas are being rebuilt to their former glory. Posters are pasted on certain building sides.
“It’s okay if you’re still sad sometimes.”
“It’s okay if you’re over it.”“
It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it.”
The gist of them is simply saying Christchurch has changed a lot, to the degree that as a traveller passing through, you can’t understand or put some kind of words to. Something more than a platitude. So much artistry and culture still exists in the city of people who have, and presently are, working through the changes. The city seems to have a transitionary identity that manages the strangeness of the new quietness of the city. While the repairs are slow, they are still repairs. Life renews.
Things I learned in New Zealand Pt. 3
One of New Zealand's best qualities is that it is understated from top to bottom.
Wine touring should be an appropriate hobby. For me.
No matter how much you understand it, nothing can stop the power of the earth.
Quote for New Zealand:
Moozh: Christchurch is the only place you could get a discount on a penthouse.
As many places in New Zealand can boast, Nelson has its own slice of the Lord of the Rings franchise. Jens Hansen Goldsmiths were the makers behind the ‘ring to rule all’. They actually carry many of the copies that they had to make not only for the Lord of the Rings trilogy but also then again for the making of The Hobbit. With their own little slice of notoriety to keep them smiling, they also make custom wedding and engagement jewelry as well as necklaces, pendants, and earrings.
Nelson has a well-established artisanal reputation, such as their weekend market where everything from handmade food products like regional manuka honey and a handmade New Zealand botanical gin to hand carved pounamu and bone jewelry and handspun merino wool. And while we were excited for that as well as the beer and wine on offer, we had to find a place to trek the Abel Tasman in our brief few days. We took advantage of the numerous aqua taxi companies that run the coast, as there are no roads in the Abel Tasman. All commuting has to be done either via boat along the coast, or on foot via the numerous scenic track put out by the Department of Conservation. The Abel Tasman is known for its beaches of powder fine blonde sand and water as clear as a magnifying glass. It is home to many wildlife sanctuaries such as the Bird Sanctuaries, home to tuis and bellbirds, on Adele Island and the seal sanctuaries on the neighboring D’Urville Island. While the entirety of the Abel Tasman track is intended to take a few days and is well suited to backpacking, small segments can be easily done in a few hours. Our tour company picked us up from our hostel in Nelson, drove us the hour out to the park gate of the park in Marahau and then we caught a boat to the Anchorage port. The hike from Anchorage to Marahau, which is extremely low impact and boasts jaw-dropping vistas, is intended to take about four hours. But with accessible paths running down to the beaches each equipped with their own DOC shack and cooking area, the walk can lazily extend to take up an entire day.
Marlborough is New Zealand’s Napa Valley. World famous for the wines that it produces, New Zealand made a reputation for itself of concentrating on one thing and doing it very well. While there has been new attention paid to Pinot Noir in the region and it also produces some truly beautiful Pinot Gris, it is Sauvignon Blanc that continues to be the shining star. Grape vines were reportedly brought to the region with James Busby in the early 1800s and so the wine industry in New Zealand, though it probably took about a century for it to be considered an ‘industry’, is probably only 150 years old. Only New Zealand could not only produce some of the most beautiful wine, and still put it in a region where you could walk to them all on foot. The region lapses in and out of suburban blocks of houses with trampolines and toys in the yard and world renowned acres of grapes. Wine tours in the Marlborough area tend to be of a different kind. While there are numerous companies that will take you on a shuttle bus between the wineries, an equally popular option is to bike. With the region being primarily flat, and bike paths set aside off the major roads, it provides a leisurely way to see the region. You can hire a bike for a day for as little as $15 and bike easily between any of the twenty-five wineries that are within 5km of the Renwick/Blenheim area. Moozh and I opted for the ‘tramping’ option and set off on foot, covering five wineries in about four hours. We even got to hitch a ride on a vine combine. While the majority of wineries in the area are open all year round, with cellar doors that still offer tastings and wine pairings in the winter, Autumn is a quiet time in the region. The air is crisp and the lanes of vines, like grey hairs, begin to drain their green and crisp up into fiery shades of mustard and crimson. The region has had a unseasonably hot and dry summer that ran long into Autumn. While it caused many of the winemakers to be optimistic about the turnout of the crop, it has caused a late harvest. Grapepickers sit around in hostels around the region on call for hours and days at a time. With a mild mention of hail, they are called out in droves, dozens at a time to rip clumps of plumpy grapes into the shelter of a wine press.
Reluctant to leave the crisp romance of wine country, we still had an island to see. Souvenir bottles lovingly wrapped and protected in our packs, we set off further south. Our bus took the winding highway at blistering speeds along the East Coast, sandwiched in the narrow path separating the crashing surf on one side and the phenomenal mountain ranges that bristle only a few kilometres away. Our hour long pause in Kaikoura was spent simply watching the water crash.
Never underestimate the fruitfulness of family connections while you are travelling abroad. This extends to family you’ve never met before, as well as family that is really only distantly yours. When family of mine, my aunt and uncle of Four Homeless Millionaires notoriety, traveled the world with their kids in 2009 they connected with an extremely high number of family, friends and distant relatives across the globe. Which they then passed along to us. New Zealand and Australia were a particular example of the hospitality and generosity of people. After long wearying, treks across the country, we were welcomed, fed and given a bed of extreme comfort by people who, due to the fact that they care about someone we also care about, even gave us a second glance. This, in a nutshell, made our stay in Christchurch -the last stop on our trip and the receptacle that held the last of our patience and global well wishes- a relaxing and recuperative time.
The scars on Christchurch are slow to heal and very visible. The earthquakes of both September 2010 and February 2011 both caused widespread damage not only to the infrastructure of the city but also the mindset of every person living in Christchurch. While the 2010 earthquake caused significant damage to the city at a 7.1 on the Ritcher scale, it was the February earthquake of 6.3 that took 185 lives and seemed to solidify a quietness to the city. Subsequent aftershocks added to a general unease not to mention an estimated cost of nearly $30 Million New Zealand Dollars. Piles of rubble and fractions of buildings fill the omnipresent “red zone” deemed to be unsafe due to the earthquake. Within the confines of the red zone lives the legendary Christchurch Cathedral and the Memorial Bridge. Numerous buildings are propped up against stacked shipping containers and construction equipment works at a constant hum removing the rubble and trying to make sense of the mangled area. Everything from banks and high rises to the local, home grown businesses sit evacuated and partially crumbling with notations by the construction companies in regards to their stability scrawled in spray paint on their windows.
Out of the wreckage has grown a Re:Start shopping plaza of local and luxury business all housed in shipping containers. Old trendy shopping districts and historical areas are being rebuilt to their former glory. Posters are pasted on certain building sides.
“It’s okay if you’re still sad sometimes.”
“It’s okay if you’re over it.”“
It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it.”
The gist of them is simply saying Christchurch has changed a lot, to the degree that as a traveller passing through, you can’t understand or put some kind of words to. Something more than a platitude. So much artistry and culture still exists in the city of people who have, and presently are, working through the changes. The city seems to have a transitionary identity that manages the strangeness of the new quietness of the city. While the repairs are slow, they are still repairs. Life renews.
Things I learned in New Zealand Pt. 3
One of New Zealand's best qualities is that it is understated from top to bottom.
Wine touring should be an appropriate hobby. For me.
No matter how much you understand it, nothing can stop the power of the earth.
Quote for New Zealand:
Moozh: Christchurch is the only place you could get a discount on a penthouse.