Our travels

19th March 2026 at 15:15 - Damian

Done! We've just arrived back home in Auckland after just short of seven weeks on the road with Ally and John.

6744km all up and mostly staying at DOC campsites with us in the van and Ally and John in their tent.

We had a luxurious three-night stay in Hahei at the bach just before heading home and it was nice to wind down with all the mod-cons such as showers and flush toilets.

It was wonderful to show the country off to visitors and to see everything afresh through their eyes. We're very fortunate.

https://travel.peterson.nz/nz.html

A map of New Zealand with the route we took as well as the places we stayed

16th March 2026 at 07:51 - Damian

We've spent the last two nights at Totara Flat DOC campsite near Thames and yesterday walked up The Pinnacles. Perfect weather once again.

John recreating a photo I took with his son Andrew back in 2013

Ally ascending one of the ladders near the top of the Pinnacles

A long exposure of a waterfall on the walk up

16th March 2026 at 07:40 - Damian

Rangiora AKA Bushman's toilet paper

The Purex-like underside of a Rangiora leaf

14th March 2026 at 12:50 - Damian

12th March 2026 at 09:01 - Damian

On Monday we drove to Castle Point from our base in Mt Holdsworth. Beautiful as usual.

View back over the lighthouse and rocks

John walking up the steep track at Castle Point

A couple of seals playing

12th March 2026 at 08:57 - Damian

Kerosene Creek near Rotorua. So nice bathing in hot water after weeks of chilly sea and river dips!

Sally, John and Ally in Kerosene Creek

11th March 2026 at 21:25 - Damian

A duck with a very dirty beak stole a drink of my wine so I've had to filter the grass, dirt and duck slobber out of it. Interesting terroir.

A coffee cup with a small sieve and paper towel filtering wine

9th March 2026 at 08:06 - Damian

Clareville Bakery. Still the best bakery in NZ IMHO.

Lamb, onion, rosemary and vintage cheese pie

7th March 2026 at 14:23 - Damian

Pelorus Bridge

Damian and John jumping off rocks

6th March 2026 at 20:04 - Damian

We think it may have been caused by this steel rule which was found on the road amidst the debris of the delaminated tyre.

A buckled and bent steel rule

6th March 2026 at 17:08 - Damian

We had a rapid, unplanned tyre delamination at 100km/h near Nelson. What John calls "type 2 fun... fun after the fact".

After picking up the debris on the highway and a bit of a struggle with seized wheel nuts we managed to replace it with the spare.

That's not right

5th March 2026 at 19:53 - Damian

Day 4 and the end of the Abel Tasman. Done! What a beautiful walk. We had excellent weather every day and the whole track is stunning.

Finished with a couple of pints at The Park Cafe and a huge burger and ice cream cookie at The Fat Tui.

Us at the end of the Abel Tasman

John, Ally and Lynda discussing the finer points of burger construction with the proprietor

A ridiculous ice cream cookie. Delicious but I feel sick just looking at the pic

5th March 2026 at 19:46 - Damian

Day 3 of the Abel Tasman. Bark Bay to Anchorage. There's a long low tide crossing that saves around 3km walk but it wasn't until later in the day so we went the long way around. Stopped for a dip in Cleopatra's Pool.

Our silhouette crossing a swing bridge.

View south over Torrent Bay. The low tide crossing is the small bay in the top right

Ally and John swimming at Cleopatra's Pool

5th March 2026 at 19:27 - Damian

Day 2 of the Abel Tasman. From Awaroa to Bark Bay. Stopped at the lodge in Awaroa for posh coffee first thing in the morning, nicked some sugar sachets and carried on to the lovely Bark Bay.

Onetahuti Bay

Bridge over estuary in Onetahuti Bay

2nd March 2026 at 18:54 - Damian

Day 1 of the Abel Tasman starting at Totaranui and staying at Awaroa Bay hut.

Looking back over Totaranui

A not-very-well native gecko

A dinosaur

2nd March 2026 at 10:02 - Damian

2nd March 2026 at 08:51 - Damian

I've been waiting a year to try Scotty's Baguettes in Marahau. Did not disappoint with the big breakfast. Handmade baguettes, too.

A huge, oily baguette

2nd March 2026 at 08:30 - Damian

After Mt Cook (almost a week ago!) we drove to Rangiora to stay with Matt and Lyndal where we had a good old catch up with extended family and did a load of well-overdue washing.

From there we drove to Pelorus Bridge stopping for a puncture repair in Amberley and a dolphin experience for Ally and John in Kaikoura. Spotted a HUGE pod of dolphins to the south of Kaikoura -- literally hundreds.

Two nights in Pelorus. Mussels in Havelock.

Early start on Saturday morning to get to parkrun in Nelson. After shopping for the Abel Tasman, a chilly dip at the Riuwaka Resurgence and a night at a POP in Riwaka.

Last night after picking Lynda up from the airport we had dinner with Viv and Brent in Marahau. Lynda, Ally and John stayed in a cabin at the campground.