The South Island-A Little Slice of Paradise!

• May 8, 2018
• Antoinette Bodeau
• Activities
• Tags: adventure, New Zealand, South island, travel

This is my third visit to New Zealand and I can definitely say that it is one of my favorite places! In 30 years there have been many changes but the beauty still takes my breath away.

I flew into Nelson on the South Island to attend a yoga retreat in Takaka located in The Golden Bay. I had a wonderful 6 days at Anahata Retreat and stayed on in the area for an additional couple of days. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect for exploring The Golden Bay. I went with a new friend, Lynn, from the retreat to Farewell Spit which is located on the most northern tip of the South Island. We stopped along the way to explore remote beaches, browse artist galleries and made a stop at the famous “Mussle Inn” for one of their craft beers. We were too early for the music but apparently it is quite popular and there is often a year wait for musicians to get on the schedule.

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I headed back to Nelson and spent a coupe of fun days biking the extensive bike paths, visiting the WOW museum (World of Wearable Art) and just enjoying the sights and people I met along the way. From there I went to Picton, which is where the ferry crosses over to the North Island into Wellington. I went to explore the Marlborough Sound area and walk some of the picturesque Queen Charlotte Track. I walked two different days on two different sections of the track and was not disappointed!

I again joined my friend, Lynn, to “tiki tour” around the South Island. We headed to Westport on the west coast and went north from there. The road ends where the Heaphy Track begins; this is a 82km long walk/hike that ends in The Golden Bay, not accessible by car.  We stayed in a few different towns and experienced some fun accommodations. One of the places we stayed was a dinner, bed, and breakfast called “Rondo” inn. It was rainbow colored and very eco-friendly. They grow much of their own produce and served us an amazing dinner and breakfast.

We drove back over Arthur’s Pass which was a spectacular drive (minus the 4-hour hold-up due to a large truck crash-no one was hurt!) and ended our long day at Lynn’s house about 40 minutes from Christchurch in an area called Selwyn Huts. Selwyn Huts is a community comprised of about 100 old fishing huts, many refurbished and all with their own character (the people too!). I had four lovely days of relaxing, cooking, and walking and running along the river. We also did a couple of day trips; one to Akaroa (a French settlement) and the farmers market in Christchurch near Lyttelton harbor.

My South Island adventure ended with a few fun-filled days with another friend, Paul, from the retreat and his partner. They live in Christchurch and had so many stories about the 2010/2011 earthquakes that devastated this lovely city. It is SLOWLY recovering but has been very life-changing and traumatic for many.

Tomorrow I’m off to the North Island. I will fly into Auckland and continue my Kiwi adventure!

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