Wednesday 5 March
We awoke to a wonderful, hot, sunny, day; the beach and coastline were looking quite different from the day before. We spent some time in Nelson, an attractive city, where I bought an NZ pay-as-you-go mobile phone which proved invaluable during the remainder of our time in the South Island. We then set out on our long drive from Nelson to the West Coast. We shared the driving and enjoyed the scenic Buller river and gorge before stopping at M
urchison for a snack lunch (we had to sit in the shade to eat it). I took over driving and before long we reached the beautiful west coast. We stopped, of course, at Punakaiki, to see the famous Pancake rocks. These really were marvellous, as also were the endless empty beaches with only the occasional person walking on them. All quite magnificent and beyond the imagination of the average Brit like us.
urchison for a snack lunch (we had to sit in the shade to eat it). I took over driving and before long we reached the beautiful west coast. We stopped, of course, at Punakaiki, to see the famous Pancake rocks. These really were marvellous, as also were the endless empty beaches with only the occasional person walking on them. All quite magnificent and beyond the imagination of the average Brit like us. 
We stopped overnight in Hokitika where we treated ourselves to a stay in Teichelmanns, a great quality B & B where we stayed in the cottage. We walked on the beach - rather windswept and overcast by the evening - and had over-large quantities of supper in 'Stompers' (the whitebait were locally caught but I prefer the way they are served in the UK).
Tuesday 4 March
Tuesday 4 March
We had had such a great time in Wellington we were sad to be leaving, but we made an early start for our tour of the South Island. Unfortunately the ferry journey across the Cook Strait and through Queen Charlotte Sound to Picton was marred by very foggy weather so we did not see the stunning scenery for which this journey is famous. We picked up our Ford Focus at Picton and took the scenic route along Queen Charlotte Drive: even in reduced visibility it was superb, with lots of far-reaching views into other parts of the Sounds. At Havelock we stopped to stretch our legs with a walk around the town and marina and we lunched overlooking the water. I had chowder prepared with the Havelock famed green lipped mussels. When we arrived at Nelson, we decided to find accommodation near Tahunanui Beach despite the still cloudy weather. We found a B&B and then took a walk along Tahuna beach followed by a dinner of wine and tapas at 'Havana' before a welcome night's sleep after our (well, Richard's) first spell of driving on steep windy roads.
