Marlborough Sounds to Golden Bay

We juggled our travels to walk a couple of days on the Queen Charlotte walkway in brilliant sunshine and of course ended up setting off in the rain. We caught a boat out to the start and had the bonus of a pod of dusky dolphins fishing on the way. We set off up the hill with all the views shrouded by rain and ourselves getting wetter and wetter. It was a case of keep on walking to the campsite for a late lunch and watch the weather clear and draw us back to the lookout we had bypassed.

Eatwell Lookout

Bay of Many Coves

The sun shone for us the next day and we got the promised views of blue water in the many inlets. The track was very easy as it sidled round every hill but gave us numerous viewpoints. Our boat ride came early and we could relax back at the van.

Sunrise over Bay of Many Coves

Kenepuru Sound

Our next destination was off the tourist route in the Marlborough Sounds as we headed out to French Pass where the tide raced through a gap between an island and the mainland. The drive was super scenic with views down to various bays and inlets and finishing on a ridge top overlooking green folded farmland. The sunrise overlooking the boats in the bay was superb.

We were heading for Abel Tasman NP to do part of another Great Walk (the less popular northern end) and visited some of the local sights along the way. We saw two springs – one of which emerged from a hole in the hill and one which bubbled up in an enormous blue pool. Another walk took us to Harwoods Hole, an enormous limestone cavern entrance. As we passed one farm the cows were walking themselves back to their paddock after milking. They have well trained animals in NZ – we saw dogs moving sheep by themselves in the North Island.

Te Waikoropupu Springs

Riwaka resurgance

Harwoods Hole

Gorge Creek viewpoint

Cows putting themselves away

We walked over the hill to a hut that was an old farmhouse and very picturesque. We then returned around the coast to get the fabled views of golden sand and blue water in the sunshine.
Back at camp at Totaranui we fought the vicious sand flies to enjoy the coastal scenery but weren’t tempted to swim by the icy water. The locals are all out en masse to catch whitebait, a local delicacy. We were surprised at how tiny they were. If they caught a cup full they thought they were doing well.

Wainui Bay

Wharirika Hut

Wharirika Bay

Californian quail

Mussel Cove

Anapai Bay

Totaranui Bay

Whitebait

The next day was a smorgasbord of limestone features. First up was the scenic Wainui Falls, followed by a The Grove, an area of huge jumbled limestone blocks covered with vegetation and roots reaching down the ground. The final spectacle was a huge cavern mouth festooned with millions of stalactites decorated with moss and algae.

Wainui Falls

The Grove

The Grove

Rawhiti Cave

Rawhiti Cave

Rawhiti Cave

Rawhiti Cave

The west coast was beckoning in the lovely weather where we managed to collect the right tide and sunset at Whaririki Beach. We explored the tunnels, admired the frolicking seal pups in the pools and captured the setting sun over the famed Archway Islands.

The sights to be seen were amongst the sheep studded farmland including Cape Farewell and Farewell Spit. There were lambs everywhere, often twins, and some very young newborns.

Cape Farewell

Farewell Spit

Protective mum

We drove along a scenic back road that took us along the shores of Whanganui Inlet. It was full of bays with the road crossing on causeways as the water pours through pipes and bridges as the tide rises and falls. We returned the next day at a different timing of the tide to see a very different picture. Lots of fishers of whitebait were camped down this road – it’s a big kiwi pastime.

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