Travels through Collingwood

Collingwood in the Nelson Tasman area is one of those little towns where the people are friendly and it's not far from the Kahurangi National Park and Farewell Spit. When we drove through it was one of those early Summer dreary days where it rained constantly. B and I stopped at a local Four Square (like a corner shop or dairy) to buy brunch and found a good supply of healthy food so I bought a tub of yoghurt and muesli to munch on while we drove around. We had borrowed B's sister's car and discovered how good the brakes were along the windy steep roads through Golden Bay. 

Just over a year later and life has changed dramatically...who would've known Covid would come along turning everyone's life upside down? Last Summer we were going through drought mode but so far it's rained twice and although most houses here have air conditioning (rentals by law have to have at least one), ours is in our lounge we have only had to use it once as opening up our doors onto the deck seem to bring a good breeze flowing throughout - the fan in the bedroom is proving to be handy as is sleeping without blankets.

Because people can't go on holiday overseas and with Summer being holiday season for Kiwis they are instead choosing to travel around the country. Lots of festivals going on in different places and up here the extra traffic is blocking the main roads during the day. By the end of January life should be a bit more back to normal once most people go back to work and schools start up again...

Stay safe wherever you are - kia kaha. Linking up with the Weekend Roundup and Weekend Reflections.

Christmas in Motueka

 It's nearly been a year since we were in Nelson looking around each area to see if we wanted to move there.When I first visited there in 1981 I was 10 years old - I had travelled down there by plane with my nana and grandad to see my aunt and cousins for a week. Back then the Nelson region was alot smaller than it is now - this time it had grown considerably and it was obvious that it was on it's way to becoming the next Auckland. Many people are moving out of the major cities to buy cheaper properties elsewhere around the country, however the average house price in Nelson is just about what you would pay in perhaps Wellington or Whangarei.

On the 2nd to last day of our time away we drove through Motueka and really liked it. It's just over 30 minutes out of Nelson and although there were quite a few shops and businesses there it had a sort of small town feel to it. As we drove through the main street of course I had my camera in hand so I could take any on the go photos and this one caught a few street decorations that were up here and there along with residents going about their daily lives. 

Although we didn't end up moving there, B's sister and her family live there so we will definitely be going back at some point for a visit.

Linking up with Our World Tuesday, Through my lens, Tuesday Treasures and My Corner of the World.

Visiting Mapua Wharf

 Last November during our holiday in Nelson, the other half and I drove out to Mapua Wharf which is about a 25 minute drive out of town. Unfortunately we were there in early Summer while it was very overcast and drizzly so it wasn't very busy there but usually the shops in and around that area are active with visitors. There are cafes, a bicycle hire shop, a boat club, a real estate office, a wine bar, a maritime museum, an art gallery, a homewares shop, a restaurant and a hat shop. 

We were 2 of the very few people around that day so we each took turns standing behind the sign while the other took a cheesy photo. The creature artistically decorated on the bottom right of the sign is what's known as a Taniwha. Up until February this year I had long hair so this was just before I had it all cut into a shorter style.

Pretty interesting really. Linking up with Skywatch Friday.

Wild and Windswept Farewell Spit

Another place we visited in Nelson was this expansive place Farewell Spit - quite a long drive out, took us about roughly 2 hours but unlike where we live the scenery wasn't boring. After leaving the carpark we walked out onto this beach and carried on for at least 20 minutes.

After walking along a track for another 30 minutes we climbed over sand dunes to read this very wild and windswept beach that looked almost like no one had ever been there. 

 

This huge piece of driftwood caught my eye and I took photos of it from different angles. FYI Farewell Spit is at the northern end of Golden Bay. Known as Tuhuroa meaning "explore" it is the longest sandspit in NZ.

Although it looks like wind in these photos it is actually fog, we spent the whole time in Nelson with overcast rainy weather. The dunes are constantly exposed to very strong winds around 25 km/h.

At some point along the beach I spied something moving near some more driftwood - it turned out to be this Fur Seal sleeping on the sand. It's best to stay away from wild ocean critters so we carefully walked past and hope it wasn't going to be harassed by other people as they sometimes are. This beach is a popular place for Pilot Whales beaching themselves on the sand.

After walking through some farmland privately owned which had been opened up to the public we walked past herds of cows and sheep being moved into an upper paddock.

It was nice to see this little well with a sign saying "This wishing well is here for you whatever you wish for I hope comes true". I think in total we walked about 10 kms - good exercise and we were shattered once we got back to the car.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday

Back to Ruby Bay

Aren't you glad Christmas is over and done with? We had a relaxing Summer's day with my family around for lunch. As it's Summer here at this time of year the last thing we eat is hot food so usually we have a mixture of salads, cold meat, cold desserts and drinks. I hope yours went well.



Anyway during our travels in Nelson last week one place we stopped at was Ruby Bay about half an hour out of town. When I was growing up I was very very close to my nana and at the age of about 10 she and my grandad flew me down here to visit my aunt. While we were there they took me for a visit to this beach and I vaguely remembered picking up a white sparkly rock while I was there. Over the years somehow it got lost so 35 years later the other half re-visited there and although it was an overcast day I found another rock to replace the last one.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday.

Oh Christmas tree

At Nelson Airport earlier this week it was nice to see they had a good sized Christmas tree up in their waiting area filled with decorations.

So after our trip to Nelson last week we have decided it's not for us. It's a nice place but rapidly growing and the other half's sister thinks it will become as overpopulated as Auckland and Tauranga in the next few years.

Here in our small town the Summer crowds have arrived - there are loads of holiday houses starting to be used and lots of people visiting. 2 of my children work at one of the local shops, they have told me they get all sorts of strange questions and assumptions by out of towners who assume we have supermarkets and malls here like the bigger places. It's that time of year where you just try not to drive anywhere unless it's to work, because of the increase in traffic is best to walk.

Te Waikoropupu Springs

The other half and I got back from our trip to Nelson yesterday and while we were there we visited Te Waikoropupu Springs in Takaka. The sign above (I think) translates to: "You are welcome, come on in, come up, come on up, you are welcome to this holy place, the source of well being of the fresh water".

We had to drive quite a way to see this about 45 mins to an hour out of the city but so totally worth it. The water was crystal clear - as far as I know there is only trout and ducks that live here.

Neat to see pots of bubbles where the springs are located in various spots. These springs are culturally significant to the Maori people and there is approximately 14,000 litres of water produced per second.

The floor of the lake is covered in white sand, waters that come out from the smaller vents carry the sand upwards.

Apparently the springs have been registered as Wahi Tapu (meaning sacred place) with the Maori Heritage Council of Heritage NZ, and in Maori myth legends is the home of the female Taniwha Huriawa (beings that live in dark pools) .

The short loop is good for walkers and lasts about 30-45 minutes. Because of the purity of the water there has been a ban on swimming, boating, diving, fishing, wading and the filling of water containers.

The other half has said to me he remembers many years ago diving into some of the caves under the water before the ban came in. The waters now are known for their healing properties and were a place of ceremonial blessings at times of birth and death plus the leaving and returning of travellers.

Linking up with My Corner of the World.

Stunning Picton Wharf on a late winter's day

Last Friday morning we were on a mission to drive to Nelson in the South Island of New Zealand. From where we are it is a 6 1/2 hour drive to Wellington, then another 2 hours on the Interislander ferry then another 2 hours to our destination.

After a busy weekend while on the ferry back to Wellington this is the sight we saw of Picton - I think it's a perfect example of how stunning our scenery here is.

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