After Franz Josef, i drove north to Motueka, which is a small town next to the National Park Abel Tasman - named afer the Dutch explorer that was the first european to arrive in NZ in 1642. i would spend 2 days there.

it s a well known park for its golden sandy beach / its fascinating rock outcrop and its unmodified estuaries. people come here for long weekend break of walk or sea-kayaking!

on the first day, i enjoyed a walk through the park for few hours, stopping in very quiet and secluded beaches where you can wonder with no-one around. during that day i went to a garden where local artists exhibit their wooden sculture! it was really interesting! and the owner of that place was fun to talk too as he was explaining to me that after years of 9-5 job /? married with children, he now?was able to live his passion! and he loved it!

on the following morning, i organised myself a day of sea-kayaking where there was only one swedish girl and our guide?- it would prove to be a great day out with some really nice weather!

we took a water taxi that gave us a really scenic view of the coastline and which dropped us in Bark bay, 20 km away from our return point - Kaiteriteri. it would be a long day of kayak but well worth it - as we would see lots of seals - and i got few picture of them as we got closed to them and they came and swam around our kayak! they looked so cuddly! LOL especially the small ones! but we didnt dare getting that closed! LOL

we kayaked to the split Apple, a well known rock formation with lots of stories on its formation - from a dragon egg to an man made sculpture...al fun to listen to.

after a nice day, i was happy to make my way to Nelson for the night to enjoy a good night sleep as my shoulders were killing me after that full day! i would spend 2 days there where i encoutered some really rude people - customer care seems to be unknown to some of them! from the barmaid at my hotel that was just an old grumpy cow,  so i started to be blunk with her until she calm down and forced a smile - to the local barber that gave me a lecture when i only atried to make conversation by asking her if she had a quiet day as she was seating in a chair reading a woman magazine at 11am and had no customer - she then turned around and complained to me that everybody says that to her and she is entitled to some break time - LOL - another grumy old cow - so i left before she gave me a hair cut! LOL

glad to say though that was unusual as i met some very friendly people along the way!

after Nelson, i went to Picton where i would cross to the North Island - but not before i spent a night in a interesting backpacker place called the Tombstone! because of its location next to the cemetery, it had themed its place with skulls / coffin shaped doors...LOL that was different but so confortable and cheap too!