Friday 13^th December 2002
Friday the 13th - suppose we should have guessed! Day started well. Packed up, got the laptop connected, said goodbye to Mike and Lynley. Water taxi arrives (1030) to pick us up (M & L stand on the pier and wave us off), and some more passengers from neighbouring lodge. Tell taxi driver about our fish catch but he reveals he is responsible for enforcing quotas and size restrictions. Only fish over a certain size may be kept and only a certain amount per day. NZ is taking conservation quite seriously. Car is still there, Pete has keys, drive to Havelock. Beautiful scenery along the way but Glyn starts to feel sick and Pete developing a cold. Stop at the marina in Havelock to stretch our legs and get some air. Then on to Nelson and a supermarket - stock up for next 4 days.

Arrive Marahau about 4pm. Startled to find sea kayaking & water taxi hostel is on top of steep hill, car park at bottom. Walk up to office, past facilities block and campsite - Glyn is worrying. In office are people booking kayaking trip. Glyn doesn't want to stay but we are booked for 3 days, she isn't sure what she will be able to do here. They want us to pay for all 3 days but decide to pay for 2 only. Then directed to room. Room is OK, small with a bunk (double below, single above) no sitting area and no linen. Hadn't planned for this and only have a sleeping bag and an inner. Facilities block has small kitchen, 3 WCs, 2 showers, 2 basins - not really enough for 25-30. Glyn is getting seriously negative now. We decide to try to go to next hostel a day early (Innlet) and keep our stay here to 2 nights. Set off to the village to make a phone call.

Innlet have our room for the day before so book that. (Glyn can't understand why Pete doesn't give name - seems he has been recognised or perhaps only guests?) Glyn thinks that some serious postcard purchasing might cheer her up! Visit craft & musical instrument gallery (Arts Unique www.artsunique.co.nz ), which is very interesting. Again very taken by wooden furniture (rocking chairs) and sculptures. Many Maori sculptures outside. Walk to Barn hostel, (should we have been here?) and then Old Macdonald's Farm and Gumboot café where we have cups of tea. Place is deserted and peaceful with nice gardens and tree sculptures but are told next week there will be 500 people there. Whole area is obviously geared up for tourism both families and kayaking with several companies offering kayaks and water taxis. Definitely won't be our scene next week. Actually funny mix as also quite hippyish with arts & crafts flavour.

Decide to drive to Split Apple bay which we have seen in pictures - beautiful views and a small car park at the top. A 15 min walk down a beautiful stepped path overhung with trees brings out into a little sandy bay with the rock in the middle. Feel more at one with the world.

Return to hostel to attempt to prepare dinner and drink copious quantities of red wine. Hit a new low when find no glasses and only one dirty cup to drink from. Never mind. Glyn cooks sausages, bacon and potatoes. Pete cuts chunks of water melon. Begin to talk to others. Everyone agrees smallest kitchen ever, even campers. Lemsip for Pete and off to bed.

Saturday 14^th December 2002

Once again we have adjusted to our conditions and breakfast is fine. Many people setting off on kayaking trips for 2, 3 or 4 days. Place is deserted. Decide its not so bad and would certainly be good if camping or in height of season when other accommodation would be packed. Take our time getting going and eventually hit the road just before midday. Have decided to set off along Abel Tasman coastal track to see how far we get. Path is broad and well graded and Glyn has no problems so walk out for about 2 hours, stopping at Tinline Bay, before walking past a number of very picturesque coves and beaches to finally stop at Stilwell Bay. Sun is shining, sands are golden, but quite windy. See many kayaks bobbing up and down and making hard going against the wind. Track passes through native NZ bush with many tree ferns and variety of vegetation, occasional streams and magical views glimpsed through the trees. Well worth coming to. On our return meet a Weka on the track (flightless bird) which seems in no hurry to move.

Because the tide goes out so far, the local kayak and water taxi operators are all equipped with tractors and elevated people carrying platforms that are towed down to the water's edge and act as mobile jetties. Also they get the taxi boats out of the water onto trailers every night. For that reason it doesn't really make much difference that Southern Exposure is on top of a hill. In fact all the water taxis set off from onshore locations.

Get back to hostel about 5pm, hoping to use showers and kitchen before the rush. In fact less busy tonight and manage both. Sirloin steak cooked on the BBQ tonight, with potato, carrot, broccoli and asparagus - very good! Followed by tinned pears. Talk to couple we met briefly at Hopewell three days ago - we keep seeing people we think we know but can't place! After dinner temperature drops rapidly and decide to have "a night on the town". We head back to the Park entrance and after a short nature trail where we see various birds and whitebait jumping in the river, go in to the "legendary" Park Café for a "wicked chocolate brownie" dessert followed by drinks. There is live folk music and will be dancing later (the hippy crowd are out in strength) but feel too tired/unwell to hang around and after doing some people watching return to the hostel for more Lemsip and bed.

Sunday 15^th December 2002
Pete's cold worsens. Pack up and set off. Backtrack towards Motueka before heading NW to Takaka. Detour to Wainui Falls beyond Pohara at NW side of Abel Tasman. Excellent 40 min walk up to waterfall passing through thick bush with many tree ferns and palms. Glyn rather nervous crossing long "1 person only" suspended bridge, but survived. Picked up and took German hitch hiker back to Takaka before visiting Pupu springs. Largest freshwater springs in Australasia and clearest water anywhere in world (how do they know that?). Springs are sacred Maori thing. All the walking paths have been well made and maintained making walking easy. Very hot in the sun today but the tracks are usually well shaded.

Drive on to Collingwood which being Sunday is deserted. Reminds us of a spaghetti Western as signs all creak in the wind and expect to see tumbleweed rolling down road. Buy two mega caramel fudge ice creams (and postcards) and nearly tumble down the road ourselves.

Arrive at Innlet (halfway to Farewell Spit) around 4pm. Met by Japanese girl (strong accent) who says owner not around but will show us our room if we take her in the car (huh?). Turns out we have a self-contained cottage in the bush but actually only 50 yards as the Tui flies. We had half expected an ensuite room (but have got used to unexpected) and actually have a nice wooden garden chalet with bed, silent fridge and electric rings, a washbasin round the side (outside) and a shower and WC (long drop) in a hutch at the back - could be difficult at night but decide probably won't bother to go that far. However, as setting is great we are both feeling quite positive. The main house has excellent facilities and on our way there we pass two hot tubs down by river (two white bath tubs, one with fireplace underneath, the other with plumbed hot and cold water), a barbecue area, a lovely garden with furniture and hammocks. Best of all a really well equipped kitchen with oven and scales so Glyn (FINALLY) makes Pete (and everyone else) some flapjack. There are piano, guitars, whistles, games, pot-belly stove in lounge.

Monday 16^th December 2002
Bellbirds sing at dawn, Pete wakes. Pete's cold much better, but Glyn now going down. Set off to Farewell Spit - most northernmost point of South Island - over 20km long running north and east. Decide to take short walk across farmland to west side and Fossil Point where should see fossils in rocks. Turns out much longer than expected and across fields with cattle. Eventually make it but Glyn not fit. Walk along beach towards Point and see what looks like pile of rubbish flapping in wind but turns out to be Fur Seal on beach. Several others and get some pictures. Quite "tame" and allow people to approach fairly close (not like seals in Scotland). While there the Farewell Spit safari arrives in a bus with some people from Innlet - glad we got there first. Walk downwind along beach - strong wind swirls sand around our ankles making patterns running away from us. Then back to start point along vehicle track. On east side of spit sit and eat lunch. Very gently shelving beach so tide a long way out. Dots in distance turn out to be hundreds of black swans. Whale strandings very common here because of enclosed bay, with shelving beach and sandy water - many pictures at café/visitor centre. Stop for cups of tea - quite tired.

Drive on to Wharariki beach, 6km on unsealed road. Another short walk to vast beach enclosed by rocky headlands, backed by sand dunes and with rock cliffs and arches in centre. Glyn exhausted by dunes stops and naps while Pete explores. Disappointed to find no seals as we were led to believe by Rough Guide that we would - maybe too late in the tide.

Back to Innlet. Stop and talk to NZ couple (Doreen & Rick) - actually she is from Aberdeen many years ago. Live in Auckland and want us to look them up when we are there. E-mail and snail mail address in address book. After dinner join others in sitting room. Jonathan, who runs hostel, is odd character. Wants to know who hasn't done washing up. Walks round house asking everyone if they had tomato soup! Also throws people off the Internet if he thinks they have been on too long. New experience for us. However, seems rather laid back about paying. We have arrived without enough cash and nearest ATM is 1hr away. He says has to charge for credit card but we can pay in sterling if want. End up giving him £20 (he rings bank for conversion rate) and NZ$55 - seems OK. Wouldn't let us use his Internet connection - not prepared to give password - so get round to subscribing to NZ provider with freephone number that charges $1.50 / hour from credit card. All works OK. Fried chicken (lemon pepper & garlic) with stir-fried vegetables with ginger and soy sauce - excellent.

Sit and talk to others. Pete talks to Canadian girl about stars - she works in science centre - and they are both trying to identify southern constellations. Glyn writes e-mails. Show Rick website on computer - he teaches IT and is going to start website development. Doreen supports special needs teaching and she and Glyn swap notes.

Before bed Pete looks at starmap on computer and identifies Southern Cross. Other constellations all a bit vague, and no South Star.