January 3

Kaikoura to Nelson

I got up at 6:00 so I would have time to walk down the coast to the seal colony before getting the 9:45 bus to Nelson, which would be my base for the Abel Tasman track. Kay was going to Nelson today also, to do sea kayaking along the Abel Tasman coast with a German friend she had met at Aspiring Hut.

The morning was beautiful and sunny. I walked up to the end of the road. A short distance beyond, I found the seals I had seen from the whale-watching boat yesterday, but they were on an island, so I couldn't get to them. Some of them were not too far off-shore, and the channel was shallow and narrow. The rocks were too jagged to cross barefoot, and I didn't want to get my shoes wet, so I waited a little while to see if the tide was going down. Low tide was coming in a couple of hours. But the water wasn't going out very fast, and I didn't have much time, so I decided to continue on.

I passed some belligerent seagulls, like in The Birds, that must have been nesting. They tried to dive-bomb me in large numbers. Once I got past them, I saw more seals out on the jagged rocks, and approached them. I came upon the first by surprise. It made some threatening noises, and I backed off, and the seal went back to sleep. Just beyond was a large group, mostly sleeping.

When viewing seals, you are supposed to not go between them and the water, because they feel threatened if their escape route is cut off. Also, you should crouch low, since height is a sign of dominance, and is perceived as a challenge. There are seal-swimming trips in Kaikoura. That is said to be the best way to interact with the seals, since they lose their fear in the water, and are no longer threatening.

I didn't have time to stay long, and walked back quickly to the hostel. There is another trail along the cliffs above the beach, which is said to be a nice alternative way back. I just retraced my steps. At the office, I picked up my bus ticket on Mt. Cook Landlines. Kay would be going on a different bus. I also had reservations now for Tasman Towers.

The bus stop was nearby, at a triangular island in the road. A couple other people came to wait. The bus was late. First it took us downtown, and waited 20 minutes. I took a quick walk over to the beach and took a picture, since it was a beautiful morning. Then we proceeded up the coast, and went to Blenheim, arriving at 12:30. This small, fast-growing town is the heart of New Zealand's wine country. It is the sunniest spot on the South Island. We had an hour wait here before changing busses to go to Nelson.

I found a popular cafe downtown and had a mince pie, fudge bar, and mochaccino. I noticed that a fair number of people in town weren't wearing shoes, especially children. They don't have the signs in New Zealand that keep barefoot people out of most stores and cafes in the US. New Zealand seems to be a more relaxed place.

It was hot outside. Blenheim was sunny and tropical, with plenty of palm trees. It was mostly an agricultural town. I went back to the bus and train station to wait. Kay was there, with her German friend, Connie. They had arrived by a different bus, but we would take the same bus to Nelson. The bus was a bit late again. Before boarding, I checked the luggage bin to see if my bags were there, since they weren't marked with a destination and this was a different bus. "Oh ye of little faith", said the driver.

When I gave the driver my ticket, I asked if he could stop at Tasman Towers on the way into Nelson. He said "yes, if I asked real nice." So I did, and he agreed. He gave a lot of commentary on the way to Nelson. Some of the bus drivers don't say too much, but most talk a lot, telling all sorts of details about the surroundings and their history.

Kay and Connie got off the bus before me at the YHA. I arrived at Tasman Towers, just down the street, a half hour before the office opened at 4 PM, but the manager was expecting me on the bus, and gave me a key. This hostel was definitely one of the best I have seen. It was modern, with beautiful landscaping and palm trees out front, and could have been a nice motel. I unpacked, and got out my camp stove for the first time to test it. It was hard to tell if the butane-propane stove was lit in the bright sunlight. The flame was almost invisible.

After the office opened, I arranged my transport to the Abel Tasman track and bought my camping passes. The hostel did everything. I could have rented camping equipment here as well, if I needed it. The lady also pointed out some good camping spots. I was going to camp on this track to get away from the crowded huts. The beach camping areas are supposed to be nicer than the hut locations anyway, and these huts don't have gas, so I would still need a stove. Following the lady's advice, based on the tides, I decided that I would walk the track from north to south, so that I would cross one tidal basin during the afternoon low tide. I would sleep out two nights.

I went downtown and walked around a bit, looking for a place to buy freeze dried food and other supplies for the track. Nelson was one of the largest towns I had visited on the South Island. It even had traffic lights. However, everything was already closed except for the restaurants and bars, because it was after 5. Nelson has a population of around 50,000, including some bums and punks and other lowlifes. The commercial district is large, and a big church sits up on a hill. I walked up to it, passing a group of skateboarders. Later, I stopped in an ice cream store and had a cinnamon and cappuccino gelato, and then went to the supermarket for supplies. Fortunately, freeze-dried food can be found in supermarkets in New Zealand. (Unfortunately, it is not nearly as good as what is found in the US.)

I showered, and then packed for the walk, and checked everything I wouldn't be carrying at the office. They wouldn't be open when I left in the morning. I cooked spicy Chinese-Thai style beef for dinner, and microwaved the leftover cake from Dux Deluxe in Christchurch. It was still good. The cat was very interested in my dinner, and sat in the next chair. Later, it climbed on the table.

After dinner, I asked the manager about getting to Tongariro National Park on the north island, where I would be doing my last major walk. It would take two days: to Wellington on the ferry, and then to Tongariro. I had hoped it could be done in one day, since I hadn't left much time for the north island. I packed my food for the track and went to bed shortly before 11.

Copyright Scott A. Yost, 1996. All rights reserved.