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So Long, South Island I checked out of my motel room and left the small port town of Hokitika early in the morning and continued driving north on Highway 6, a narrow and winding road, while slowly snaking my way up the west coast of the South Island. I spent about an hour in the town of Westport and drove along the Buller River Canyon for another hour, then I headed inland a ways to Nelson Lakes National Park. This being a Friday afternoon in a National Park in New Zealand in January, I was expecting to see huge crowds and a packed campground.
I was surprised, however, to find only a handful of folks in the park and a campground that was mostly empty, so I enjoyed a pleasant night there while camping near Lake Rotoiti. It felt great to finally get some use out of the folding chair, water jug and sleeping pad that I'd bought in Auckland a month earlier, now that I've toted that stuff all over New Zealand. Nelson Lakes is a nice park and something like a smaller version of Glacier National Park in Montana, with snowcapped mountains, pretty alpine lakes, and a great Visitor Center with a friendly staff.
Above left: Driving north on the West Coast of the South Island. Ferns like these are just about everywhere in New Zealand, and some are taller than houses. Above center: The Pancake Rocks viewpoint at Paparoa National Park. Above right: This is why they call them Pancake Rocks. Neither scientists nor Aunt Jemima know how they formed.
Above left: The fern-enshrouded Highway 6 on the west coast. Above center: A tight squeeze. Compared to the U.S., the roads in New Zealand are really narrow (though most are wider than this one) and are very winding. It can take all day just to drive 200 miles. That's one reason why New Zealand seems a lot bigger than it really is, at least compared to the wide-open states in the American west. Above right: The Buller River.
Above left: The weather was finally nice enough to camp. This is at Nelson Lakes National Park. Above right: Lake Rotoiti at Nelson Lakes National Park. This area was covered with ice during the last glaciation, about 10,000 years ago.
The next morning I packed up my tent, got in the car and drove up to the vibrant city of Nelson, located on the northern coast of the South Island. Nelson boasts that it's the sunniest city in New Zealand and, sure enough, it was warm and sunny when I got there. I checked into a mom-and-pop motel that afternoon, then drove a few miles to Motueka where I hoped to do some sea kayaking near Abel Tasman National Park, apparently one of the most spectacular national parks in New Zealand. Ah, but with beauty comes popularity and unfortunately all of the kayak trips for that day were filled – that's the price you pay for serendipity, I guess. I consoled myself by staying up until midnight while watching the New Zealand Black Caps play (and beat) Australia in cricket.
The next morning was sunny, warm and glorious, and after returning some e-mails, I drove a few hours north to Picton which, as you may recall, is the ferry terminus for the South Island. It was good to return to Picton after my 33-day trip around the South Island. I checked in, once again, at the pleasant Broadway Motel and got some takeout at Lord Thompson's, which is undoubtedly the best fish and chips place in New Zealand (having eaten in just about every fish and chips place in this country, I should know). That evening, you guessed it, I watched some more Black Caps cricket on T.V. Good thing I'm not in a rut, huh?
I had a few hours to kill the next morning before the ferry to Wellington arrived, so I drove down to an empty park near the Picton beach so I could update my website. As I was typing away at a picnic table, the park caretaker, a friendly elderly gentleman, came by with a broom and we started talking as he swept. We chatted for 20 minutes as he told me about New Zealand and I told him about America, then he smiled and bid me goodbye. That's the way it is in New Zealand – people often come right up to you and start talking as if they've known you all your life.
After writing a few more website stories, I packed up my laptop computer, drove over to the ferry landing and boarded the ferry. On this ride I was taking the older, slower, and cheaper Inter-Islander Ferry instead of the sleek, new Lynx, which I had taken on my southbound crossing on Christmas Day (see News: January 1, 2002). The Inter-Islander is a bit rusty and, at 20 years old, was definitely showing its age, but it has a lot more charm and personality than the newfangled Lynx. I decided that I preferred old, slow and cheap (perhaps because I'm also old, slow, and cheap). I lounged on the sun deck while watching the scenery pass by at 20 knots and said a quiet goodbye to beautiful South Island, which had been my beautiful-albeit-soggy home for the past month.
During my 33 days on the South Island, I saw just about every corner of the island and visited every sizable town (and a lot of small ones). Overall, my experience there was pretty positive. Yes, it did rain a lot and it was a lot more crowded than I imagined it would be. In fact, it was more crowded than just about anywhere I've been in the U.S., even during the summers. But heck, it's a beautiful place, the scenic variety boggled my mind, and the people were exceptionally friendly. I'll definitely come back to the South Island someday – just not in December or January.
Above left: Since my last name is Leu, I got a kick out of this "superloo" in Nelson. Above center: Sunbathers at Pelorus Bridge. Above right: My roof has moss on it. This roof has mussels.
Above left: Kenepuru Sound on the northern tip of the South Island. This is near the site where Captain Cook's crew ran into cannibals in 1769. Above center: Heading north on a beautiful, warm afternoon. Above right: After traveling around the South Island for a month, I returned to the pleasant town of Picton. I had reservations here for the ferry the next morning to take me back to the North Island.
Above left: One of the two Inter-islander ferries coming into Picton. Above right: "Three pieces of flake and one scoop, please." My first stop in Picton was for fish and chips. This is Lord Thompson's Fish and Chips shop in Picton, which serves the best fish and chips in New Zealand. I asked the owner (left) why their fish and chips were so good. His secret, he told me, is using hotter oil than most other shops. Whatever they're doing it really works.
Above left: The next morning, waiting for the ferry to take me back to the North Island. Above center: Leaving Picton and the South Island, heading north. Above right: Queen Charlotte Sound on the South Island.
Above left: On the Interislander Ferry during the three-hour ride to Wellington. Above center: Saying goodbye to the beautiful South Island. Above right: And saying hello once again to Wellington, on the North Island.
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