Motueka
February 27, 2016
73°F
85% Humidity
Sunny
73°F
85% Humidity
Sunny
We had about a 4 hour drive along the coast on very narrow and especially windy roads.
The views made it all worthwhile.
The views made it all worthwhile.
Nice day for a ferry cruise.
Turns out we had to continue past Moteuka to a small community called Kaiteriteri. There are many lovely homes here and we are staying in one called Bayview Bed & Breakfast
Our bedroom on the top floor.
View from the terrace.
The living room is surrounded by glass.
February 28, 2016
73°F
52% Humidity
Mostly Sunny
73°F
52% Humidity
Mostly Sunny
Our adventure today is to drive south to Abel Tasman National Park. Along the way we stopped at Marahu, a popular boat and kayak launch point. Notice the background. The tide is very low.
The first thing we notice are the tractors lined up on the road.
Then we noticed the people and boats way out in the surf.
We decided to try out the trail to Tinline Bay.
Finally, the picture is complete. The tide is so far out the boats can't launch on the normal ramp. The beach is extremely shallow. So they use the tractors to take boats out to the water and retrieve them.
Arrived at the Abel Tasman National Park. This is the famous coast line for hikers and boaters.
The trail was delightful. We saw many enticing beaches and coves.
March 1, 2016
67°F
50% Humidity
Partly Cloudy
67°F
50% Humidity
Partly Cloudy
Today we took a boat tour of the Abel Tasman National Park coast.
I left my iPhone on land to avoid dropping it in the water. So the pictures are limited. The few pictures below were taken by Barbara.
The tour started at 8:30am so it was low tide. We climbed aboard the boat while it was still on the trailer. Then we were towed to the water line by tractor and launched.
Our guide was a trained biologist and did an amazing job sharing his knowledge on the local flora and fauna. He was especially interest in the relationship of all the species on the Eco system.
I left my iPhone on land to avoid dropping it in the water. So the pictures are limited. The few pictures below were taken by Barbara.
The tour started at 8:30am so it was low tide. We climbed aboard the boat while it was still on the trailer. Then we were towed to the water line by tractor and launched.
Our guide was a trained biologist and did an amazing job sharing his knowledge on the local flora and fauna. He was especially interest in the relationship of all the species on the Eco system.
It's hard to get good pictures while bouncing around in a boat. But as we entered a cove on one of the islands Barbara snapped a pic of the birds on this rock. The large one in the middle is called a King Shag. The guide said it was very very rare ( like only 500 exist) and was only spotted yesterday for the first time in New Zealand.
The bird community are all arriving this weekend to confirm the spotting.
The bird community are all arriving this weekend to confirm the spotting.
Our first stop for morning tea and biscuits.
Steve's making sure the boat doesn't float away.
Barbara doesn't care . "Let's camp here"
Steve's making sure the boat doesn't float away.
"Let's not. I didn't bring extra sun screen protection."
Time for our nature walk.
These views are amazing.
Hey. Is that our boat down there?
Frenchman Bay. Should have brought my swimsuit. Water temperature was 71.6°F.
This was a rest day.
February 29, 2016
74°F
70% Humidity
Mostly Sunny
74°F
70% Humidity
Mostly Sunny
They are in the process of making this island predator free. That means getting rid of the stout and rats. The problem is that conventional traps kill one at a time and there are not enough volunteers to clear and reset the traps. Some ingenious engineer designed this retriggerable trap. When the rat sticks his head into the tube (to get the bait) a compressed gas spike is fired into its head killing it instantly. Then it's ready for the next victim. I wanted to buy one to take home. Price $185NZ. I wasn't sure I could get it through customs so I passed.
