Marlborough Sounds, Abel Tasman & Punakaika

Picnic breakfast on the ferry crossing to the South Island
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We picnic breakfasted on the ferry crossing to the South Island and on arriving in Piction drove along a lovely scenic route past the Marlborough Sounds to Abel Tasman National Park. Once again we split trips - us for a days kayaking along the coast of the park, while Bette took a boat cruise up the coast for a walk and a relax. Kayaking was a great way to see the park with its beautiful golden sandy beaches and numerous bays.

We decided to hug the road down the West Coast heading for the Glacier region. Along the way we stopped to admire the rugged coastal scenery. We spent a night in a fabulous hostel in Punakaki, on the edge of a national park. It was more of a lodge retreat in the rainforest than a backpacker hostel. It was really homely and beautifully furnished and they baked fresh bread and muffins everyday. We could have easily stayed there for alot longer. The well known feature of this coast is Pancake Rocks, just down the road from our hostel, and we saw them at high tide when they are at there most wild, the blow holes and the waves crashing dramatically against the rocks.