Our travels

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.

24th February 2025 at 14:39 - Damian

Some juvenile eels hiding under the concrete of the boat ramp in Lake Rotoiti in St Arnaud.

Baby eels checking out a paddle.

24th February 2025 at 13:55 - Damian

We arrived into our DOC campsite in St Arnaud to find our favourite bird waiting for us.

A serene Kakaruai (South Island Robin) watching us arrive.

20th February 2025 at 12:51 - Damian

Kaikōura Peninsula from the summit of Mt Fyffe. 1602m high and 8.8km walk each way.

18th February 2025 at 10:51 - Damian

Route from Camp Bay to Whatamango via Ratimera. 28.5km all up. At the upper limit of our fitness at this time.

18th February 2025 at 10:18 - Damian

Marlborough Sounds kayak: Day 3 of 3 (original plan was 4 days but today's weather was poor so we turned day 3 into a long day to avoid it)

Perfect weather paddling from Camp Bay to Ratimera (19km) where we stopped for a brief lunch and then onwards to the end at Whatamango (10km) to get in a couple of hours before the rain started.

Had a cool encounter with a baby seal.

We really enjoyed this little kayaking jaunt. We cover about the same distance as tramping but with less effort.

A seal pup checking us out. That was me saying "hello, how you doin'?", not the seal. In case you were confused.

16th February 2025 at 12:53 - Damian

Our route from Blumine Island to Camp Bay via Furneaux Lodge for an overpriced coffee and muffin. 19km in 3.5 hours.

16th February 2025 at 12:52 - Damian

Marlborough Sounds kayak: Day 2 of 4.

Choppy crossing from Blumine Island to Kenepuru Head but calm once we were sheltered by the land.

19km in 3.5 hours with a LOT of stopping for dolphins! See video.

Staying in Camp Bay DOC campsite tonight with lunch and dinner at Punga Cove. Which was nice.

Dolphins! So many. We spent a good 30 mins following them around. They were leaping out of the water every time I stopped recording. Some pups with mum and dad having a blast, too.

15th February 2025 at 14:14 - Damian

Marlborough Sounds kayak. Day 1 of 4.

Early start from Whatamango DOC campsite with glassy waters. Tide was out so a long trek with the trolley to get to the water.

The Interislander passed us just before we crossed the channel. They move a lot faster than us so timing is important.

It only took 3 hours to paddle 20km to Blumine Island.

So far the mornings have been calm and the wind picks up in the afternoon which suits our natural schedule.

So many jellyfish! Had to stop paddling so as not to break them.

Our route from Whatamango to Blumine Island. 20km.

The Interislander crossing in front of us.

14th February 2025 at 13:17 - Damian

We have a new winner; Rays Place in Havelock. $6 for "two scoops".

"Two scoops"

14th February 2025 at 12:19 - Damian

Stingray

13th February 2025 at 17:46 - Damian

Yesterday we paddled over to Lochmara Lodge. A 16km round trip. Glassy water on the way over in the morning but the wind picked up and it was a choppy (though thankfully tailwind) return in the afternoon.

Today we started earlier and did a 9km loop around The Grove and Anakiwa hugging the coastline. Saw a few beautiful stingrays including one that was having a good old time munching on something right on the shoreline of the camp. Lots of jellyfish, too.

Lunch at Lochmara.

View over Lochmara Bay from the Lodge

Glassy water near Anakiwa this morning.

Anakiwa and a couple of the Outward Bound boats.

Latest blog posts

Maps and more