Our travels

23rd March 2025 at 17:34 - Damian

We're finishing up our two-month top of the South kayaking trip. It's a great time of the year to explore the area being outside of the school holidays and the weather has been brilliant.

All up we kayaked 235km over 16 trips. No aches or injuries. If the weather is right it's a lot faster than tramping and we can carry more gear. We found that we averaged around 6km/h paddling and we weren't in a hurry.

Sally's favourite was Queen Charlotte Sound and mine was Able Tasman.

The van looking all sunsetty and kayakey at Marfell's Beach (where we didn't actually kayak).

22nd March 2025 at 13:57 - Damian

For our last two nights in the top of the South we're back at Momorangi DOC campground. It's our second-favourite DOC campground in the South Island.

On Monday we cross back to the North Island and meander home with a stop at Lake Karapiro to watch the finals of the Maadi Cup (go Charlotte and Andy!).

Our digs for the next two nights.

21st March 2025 at 15:24 - Damian

We've based ourselves at Nikau Cove DOC campsite near Portage in the Marlborough Sounds.

Today we paddled to Te Mahia for coffee and a slice. 20km all up.

Near Portage there's The Gap which we were able to drag our kayak through saving a few kilometres paddling.

I dragged a line with a hex wobbler and snagged 6 small kahawai but kept none of them. I'm not great at fishing and my heart's not really in it.

"The Gap" shortcut between Portage and Nikau Cove

Map of our route between Nikau Cove and Te Mahia. To the right is a little blat we did when we first arrive to check out a mussel farm.

19th March 2025 at 19:13 - Damian

After Marahau we stayed a night at a POP between Riwaka and Motueka before crossing the Whangamoa into Rai Valley and stayed three nights at the Pelorus Bridge DOC campsite.

The best DOC site we've visited so far: nestled in a native bush reserve with river swimming, kitchen facilities and even free hot showers.

From there to Elaine Bay with the intention of kayaking but stymied by the weather. Beautiful spot to spend a night though.

Waterfalls on one of the bush walks in the Pelorus Bridge scenic reserve

View from the top of the Trig K walk at Pelorus Bridge. 6.2km

Our parkup for the night at the Elaine Bay DOC campsite

Beach at the end of the Piwakawaka walk near Elaine Bay

14th March 2025 at 14:47 - Damian

Another overnighter to Bark Bay on the Abel Tasman. This time from Marahau north. Similar distance to last time at ~19km. Beautiful weather and plenty of interesting coastline to poke around in.

We've loved every minute of the Abel Tasman area and this time of year just past peak season is perfect.

Sally getting into the kayak after a stop at Anchorage in Torrent Bay. Nice clear water

A cave that we couldn't get through in the kayak. Pretty sure we left some plastic scrapings in there though.

Map of our path there and back. About 4km shorter coming back in a more direct route.

12th March 2025 at 15:42 - Damian

Kawaupaka (Little Shag) in Marahau at the start of the Abel Tasman track

11th March 2025 at 11:16 - Damian

Yesterday we returned over the Takaka Hill to Marahau. Caught up with Viv and Brent (and his brother and wife) for lunch.

This morning a quick 11km jaunt in the kayak to Kaiteriteri and back taking advantage of the high tide and glassy conditions this morning.

It's looking choppy the next couple of days but we intend to do another overnighter to Bark Bay when conditions improve.

A nice little archway south of Kaiteriteri

Split Apple Rock with the morning sun behind it.

Route from Marahau to Kaiteriteri

9th March 2025 at 18:35 - Damian

Although it's nice to explore off the beaten track the state of the van causes me 24 hour anxiety. I long for a water blaster!

A very dusty van.

9th March 2025 at 18:24 - Damian

Maps of our paddles today in the Whanganui Inlet and Lake Otuhie.

10.5km paddle at high tide in the Whanganui Inlet

4km paddle up the Kowhai River to Lake Otuhie.

9th March 2025 at 18:21 - Damian

Today we explored an area we didn't know existed at the very top of the West Coast but only accessible from Golden Bay.

First up was an early morning kayak in the Whanganui (West Haven) Inlet. 10.5km of easy paddling.

After that we drove south as far as we could to the Anatori River for lunch of home baked Vogels then headed back north to the Kowhai River paddling to the Jurassic-looking Lake Otuhie.

Incredible terrain and about as end-of-the-line as you get.

Whanganui Inlet early morning heading toward the bar. After that the tide started headIng out again and was fairly strong. But we're strong, too.

View south from Anatori beach. 50km south of here is Kohaihai where we stayed late last year at the end of the Heaphy Track.

A rare white heron spearfishing beneath the rocks surrounding Lake Otuhei

The little river leading to Lake Otuhie was pretty overgrown and potentially damaging to our 20-year marriage.

8th March 2025 at 18:04 - Damian

We ended up spending a week in Totaranui (minus the two days kayaking to Bark Bay). It's a great spot and we'd definitely go again for a similar amount of time.

From there we relocated around Golden Bay to Pakawau Beach.

This morning we walked 8.5km from Wharariki Beach past Cape Farewell to Pillar Point lighthouse and back.

Cape Farewell

Sand dunes

Angry-looking piwakawaka from yesterday at Labyrinth Rocks near Takaka

3rd March 2025 at 18:32 - Damian

They've just installed a brand spanking new wringer! I didn't know they were still being made. Such a practical solution for a campground without power.

A new, old-school wringer

3rd March 2025 at 12:38 - Damian

Our route from Totaranui to Bark Bay and back. Around 18km each way and an easy 3.5 hour paddle before lunch. The water can get a bit feisty around the headland but we had perfect, glassy conditions both mornings.

GPX of our route.

3rd March 2025 at 12:30 - Damian

Bark Bay DOC campsite is idyllic. There were a few walkers, one other kayak and a small tour group there for the night. It's a sandy strip of land between the sea and an estuary which fills and then empties with the tides.

Flush toilets and a kitchen area. Fancy.

We'll likely come back here from Marahau in a week or so. Bad weather is forecast for Wednesday.

View of the beach at Bark Bay. That's our kayak resplendent in red.

High tide at Bark Bay means Abel Tasman walkers have to go the long way around if they don't want to swim. We walked around and then swam back. This is looking from the track back toward where the campground is and, beyond that, the sea.

Lost starfish. I was not allowed to pick it up.

This morning's sunrise from Bark Bay.

3rd March 2025 at 12:20 - Damian

Yesterday morning on the way from Totaranui to Bark Bay we managed to get in to Shag Harbour which is quite hidden and only accessible at high tide. Someone at the campground had told us about it and we'd have had no idea it was there otherwise.

A shag in Shag Harbour. Look at the colours around the eyes! They're usually very flighty and this one let us drift quite close.

The kayak just squeaking through as the tide came in at Shag Harbour.

A stingray munching on something exciting the rising tide gave access to.

Looking back out of the entrance to the bay as the tide came in.

3rd March 2025 at 12:11 - Damian

More seal shenanigans this morning. The crying noise in the background is pups hidden in the rocks in a kind of nursery.

On the way back from Bark Bay to Totaranui in the Abel Tasman.

A seal perhaps eating something off the rocks beneath it before swimming away.

2nd March 2025 at 06:49 - Damian

Beautiful morning for a kayak!

Looking south from Totaranui before setting off to Bark Bay for the night.

1st March 2025 at 10:14 - Damian

Last month I accidentally bought 12.5kg of mixed seeds (thinking it was flour with mixed seeds in it) and so have been playing with a bread recipe to make a Vogel's clone. It's pretty good! And we're making good inroads into the jams we over invested in late last year.

Our go-to card game has been gin rummy but in the last couple of days we've been learning cribbage. I had fond memories of playing that with nana but couldn't remember anything of the rules. It's quickly becoming our favourite.

Homemade Vogel's. Tastier than it looks.

They have old wringers in the Totaranui campground. Nostalgia overload.

1st March 2025 at 10:07 - Damian

After a couple of days in Nelson where we visited Eddyline Brewery and caught up with the Aunties (plus uncle and cousin) we drove to Totaranui where we'll base ourselves for the next week.

A long, dusty, winding drive in but well worth it;
It's absolutely beautiful here.

We had planned to kayak to Marahau and back (four nights) but the weather is looking rough Wed/Thu and so we'll paddle to Bark Bay tomorrow, camp there the night and return. We'll do the other end later.

View north from the campground in the evening.

25th February 2025 at 14:32 - Damian

This morning we kayaked around Lake Rotoiti in Nelson Lakes starting in Kerr Bay. 22km.

Heading south on the lake

Map of the route around Lake Rotoiti. 22km in 3:45. Average about 6km/h.

Lots of eels wanting to nibble our toes as we launched the kayak.

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