Northern Tip of the Southern Island

We decided to make our way up the west coast of to reach the top of the South Island and the harbor towns of Nelson and Picton. Sounds idyllic, but this journey entailed a harrowing 5 hour bus ride along the narrow, winding costal highway and through switchback mountain passes. Josh nearly lost his lunch within the first 20 minutes! But, this was our fate, as we’d chosen the Intercity Bus instead of an expensive car rental and the potential dangers of driving on the opposite side of the road. We arrived in Nelson at the Almond House late that evening and were more than happy to walk 15 minutes to the grocery store for our dinner, as long as there was no public transport involved! From the Almond House, we were able to go running and reach the Centre of New Zealand. This outlook, high atop a hill outside of town, is the geographical centre of the country. We borrowed the bikes from the lodge and rode to Tahunanui Beach. This long strip of white sand is a gathering place for families, kite surfers and sunbathers alike. We walked for what seemed like miles on the sand spit, watching minnows play in the tidal pools. The water was warm, shallow and clear, perfect for swimming or snorkeling. We lay in the sand for most of the day, soaking up rays, reading our books and watching a lone kite surfer try to get enough wind to skim the gentle waves.   The next day, we borrowed bikes again and attempted a mountain biking trail near the lodge. We followed a quiet country road out of town, along a stream and past parks and fields. To access the mountain biking track, we had to carry our bikes across a narrow wooden bridge. The track, listed as ‘easy’ in the guidebook, started out fine but soon became much less than ‘easy’. The path was rocky and narrow and the trees closed in around us. We climbed enormous hills and had to walk our bikes to the top. As Josh plummeted down the steep track in front of me, the words ‘travel insurance’ and ‘traumatic brain injury’ flashed in my mind. Knowing that I couldn’t enjoy this wild ride, I suggested we make a b-line across the nearby golf course and take the equally scenic (but safely paved) road back home.   We got to chatting with the owners of the Almond House, Fiona and her husband Paul, and discovered that they had purchased the already established backpacker lodge 3 years ago and moved into the main residence with their 3 young children. The house is set on a quiet residential street about 20 minutes (walking) from Nelson city centre. After several repairs and updates, when the backyard, swimming pool, self-contained accommodations and separate kitchen were up to their standards, Fiona and Paul started to realize that their growing family needed more privacy. As luck would have it, their friends, who owned the home next door to the lodge, decided to take off and sail the world and approached Fiona and Paul to rent their home in the interim. Their family moved into the house next door and converted the main Almond House into dorm accommodations with a kitchen and living area.  Fiona related that the business requires a lot of work and upkeep, but she is very happy with the way things have turned out. She said that she’s constantly amazed at the way her children have adapted to and love life with visitors and tourists – they’re able to learn all about the world without ever leaving the backyard!  On our last night in Nelson, we met Paul and one of the Almond House backpackers at The Sprig and Fern, a local pub. The atmosphere at this popular watering hole was unique and delightful! On tap were tons of locally brewed beers and ciders as well as plenty of New Zealand wine. There were giant chalkboards painted above the bar that held funky quotes, random facts and brain teaser games. One of these was designated as the ‘Buy Your Mate a Beer’ board, where the bartender lists brews pre-purchased by customers for their friends. The cider and beer didn’t make an early morning bus ride to Picton any easier, but at least this trip was only 2 hours!  In Picton, we visited the uber-small fishing village and at the stayed at the Sequoia Lodge. This was a more traditional backpacker lodge, but they did have a few unique twists including: a giant chess board in the courtyard, a hot tub and (Josh’s favorite) free homemade chocolate bread pudding, baked fresh every evening, drizzled with chocolate sauce and served with a generous dollop of vanilla ice cream! Good thing (for our waistlines) we only stayed one night in Picton before catching the ferry to the North Island.