Our journey to the South Island started with a picturesque ferry ride through the Marlborough Sound. The ferry carried both passengers and cars and was as large as a cruise ship. The ride started out smooth and then got pretty rough as we headed out to the Cook Straight but he scenery was breathtaking.
Views from the trip and our ferry.
Our first night on the South Island we stayed in a small town just outside of Abel Tasman Park. I was able to explore the gorgeous beach and then did a fantastic kayak trip through the coves in the morning.
The beach across from our lodge and me kayaking (Jon stayed at the hotel due to his hurt leg).
Where we stayed night 8, Kaiteri Ledge. We shared a good size 6-bed dorm with a bathroom for about $22 a night each ($44 total). There was a great pub attached that was popular with locals and offered a $15 fish and chip meal with a drink for back-packers. The crescent beach was directly across from the lodge.
View of the lodge and pub.
The next morning, we continued down the coast heading to Westport, a popular surf spot. Jon and I opted out of the surfing and paddleboards as it was raining again. During a brief stop in the rain we were able to do the Foulwind Walk, which is a magnificent path along a cliff on the coast. At the end there were a bunch of seals and the best carrot cake from a stand!
Images of the Foulwind walkway.
Where we stayed night 9, Bazils Hotel and surf school. We were lucky enough to finally be able to get our own room with a shared bathroom for about $45 a night. We grabbed the back-packer special at the local pub of a stone steak (steak you cook on a hot stone) with fries, salad and a drink for about $14 each with our new friends.
Picture of the courtyard for Bazils hostel. At night everyone conjugated here to socialize.
The next day was a long drive to our next destination but it was broken up by several walks. The first was the Truman Track which was a short walk down to a crescent of beach with sand made up of little tiny stones in a variety of colors. After that we hit the famous pancake rocks. The rocks were eroded by the sea to look like a stack of pancakes.
Truman beach.
Pancake Rocks.
Journey with Christina 