White Wine and Kayak Time

​On the 13th day of our New Zealand trip, we rolled out of bed, gathered our suitcases and groceries, and whizzed across Wellington in Rachel’s pre-scheduled Uber. Checking in for our morning ferry was a bit like checking in at an airport, minus the security. Thanks to the early sunrise, the waiting area in the ferry terminal was already blasted with sunlight at 7:15am.

​The Blue Bridge ferry that would take us across the Cook Strait to South Island was surprisingly large, with an escalator going up several stories from the dock entrance to the passenger area. We snagged a table near the windows at the front, then backtracked to the café for a flat white. There were multiple outdoor viewing areas along the sides of the boat, and a large patio in the rear. I watched as the Wellington skyline disappeared behind us and planes took off above us.

​During the last hour of the 3-hour journey to Picton, we left the open ocean behind and threaded through the narrow passageways of the Queen Charlotte Sound. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the views were spectacular in every direction. The water was a cheerful blue, with smaller boats hugging the shore as our enormous vessel powered down the center. We passed the entrances to many sounds, catching glimpses of secluded coves in between the folds of the mountains.

​Picking up our rental car in Picton turned out to be a major hassle. After getting off the ferry, we were bussed to a temporary terminal to pick up our checked luggage. Then, we were told we missed the bus to the rental car area (a bus we didn’t even know about). While Rachel stayed with the bags, Vincent and I walked 20 minutes across town to the Budget rental office. At the Budget rental, a cheerful Scottish lady gave us our keys and suggested a few scenic stops, but it went downhill from there. Our first delay was inspecting the wrong vehicle for a few minutes (the plate was only one number different). Our second delay was discovering a broken fog light on the actual car and coaxing the Scottish agent away from the busy counter to verify. Our third delay was getting the other agent, who was more tech savvy, to amend the pre-inspection and send a confirmation. By the time we returned to pick up Rachel and the bags, we were frustrated and ready to get out of there.

​Thankfully, it was only a short 30-minute drive to the peaceful rows of vineyards in the Marlborough wine region, home of world-class sauvignon blanc. We started with a tasting at St. Clair, a highly awarded winery. Even though we didn’t have a reservation, they were able to seat us at an outdoor table made of two barrels, one of which contained a bird nest. Several bugs were delivered to this barrel while we basked in the picturesque courtyard. Rachel and I ordered flights, while Vincent was the designated driver (you’re the best!) but the waitress accidentally brought three flights. You can imagine our surprise with a battalion of 9 glasses showed up! We tried a methode traditionnelle (similar to champagne) and two sauvignon blancs – the Wairau Reserve and the Pioneer Block. Both had bright fruit flavors but were a little too dry for my taste. Afterwards, we frolicked in the vineyard, as one does.

​Driving through the valley of vines with sunny mountains in the background reminded me of Santa Rosa. We stopped for a second tasting at Forrest, which provided a whopping 7 wines in their flight. Six were whites, and all six were fantastic – rose, sauvignon blanc, chenin blanc, pinot gris, petit manseng, and a blend called “PRP” that was made by accident. The seventh, a pinot noir, was supposed to be served chilled but had warmed up and tasted sour. The menu had some very simple descriptions of the flavors that were spot on. The flight and bottles were very reasonably priced -- only $11 USD for a bottle of rose.

​The drive from wine country to the coast was very scenic, with taller mountains compared to the North Island. We stopped at the Pelorus River, where a memorable chase scene from the 2nd Hobbit movie was filmed. Our new rental car, a Mitsubishi Outlander, handled the roads fine but Vincent had a soft spot for the RAV. About an hour and half later, we arrived in the beach town of Nelson.

​In Nelson we stayed at an AirBNB with a great view of the harbor. Vessels of all kinds, from kite surfers to enormous tankers, meandered across our view. Inside, the second bed (where I slept) was a Murphy bed that folded down from the wall. The kitchen was a bit small – we had to unplug the microwave to plug in the portable stove due to a shortage of outlets – but the hosts provided milk, cereal, and a whole loaf of bread. Speaking of the hosts, they were super nice and stopped by to say hello multiple times. Vincent found out they were a long-time Nelson family that used to look after the lighthouse. When Rachel left a jacket behind, they kindly packaged it up and mailed it to one of our future AirBNBs.

The first night, we were exhausted from the early morning and ferry/car journey. However, the weather forecast only guaranteed us one more warm and sunny day. So we stayed up late researching tours, and after much deliberation, booked a full day’s adventure with Marahau Sea Kayaks.
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A second early morning. We drove an hour north along the coast to the tourism hub of Marahau, conveniently located on the edge of Abel Tasman National Park. The tour started later than expected, so we had time to chill at a café. I munched on a scone and sipped a coffee, enjoying a rare meal out. We tried customizing a potato and spinach dish for Rachel but it ended up not being vegan, a big disappointment.

​The first portion of the tour was a water taxi into the heart of the park, which is largely inaccessible by road. To our surprise, the vehicle that picked us up was a boat being pulled by a tractor. We clambered into the boat and were driven to the beach. Then, the tractor backed down a ramp into the water and released the boat into the ocean – passengers already included. Why this elaborate method? The high tide and low tide around Abel Tasman have a notoriously wide range, meaning the boats can’t reach the jetty at low tide. The solution is a fleet of tractors that can wade into the water to pick-up the boats from the shallows. It was amusing to see the enormous tractors driving through the water, pulling the suspended boats and belching smoke like some kind of amphibious Mad Max spinoff. Though our guide warned that occasionally the tractors are left parked too long and “drown” in the high tide.

​The water taxi ride itself was a highlight. The skipper briefly stopped by a rock that looks like an apple cut in half, and pointed out a few shags (cormorants). But en route, he heard a radio report about a pod of dolphins and offered to take us there. He took a shortcut around a small island, so we were the first boat to arrive on the scene. It was an impressive pod of bottlenose dolphins, probably somewhere between 10 and 20. We were struck by how large they appeared as they swam alongside the boat. We oohed and aahed at their playful leaps, following them for a few minutes before giving another boat the chance to get close. It was a delightful and unexpected wildlife encounter, and one of my favorite things from the whole day! (video link)

​The water taxi dropped us at Torrent Bay, the starting point of our hike. The “track” (as they call it) went up a hill with views overlooking Torrent Bay, and then continued north along the coastline towards Bark Bay, which in the New Zealand accent, sounded a lot like “Back” Bay. On the hike, there were pretty ferns and plants above that almost distracted me from the frequent irrigation channels that were a tripping hazard below. We also saw plenty of birds – a wild kaka (brown parrot), a few olive-green bellbirds, and numerous wekas. The wekas (flightless wood hens) roamed the periphery of the trail, pecking at the ground, and occasionally walked on the track itself, seemingly unafraid of us. The trail crossed a suspension bridge that bounced under our collective weight (eek!) but had amazing views over a wide, shallow river with a dazzling rainbow of brown, yellow, and blue.

​I went on a side quest, hiking down to Sandfly Beach while Vincent and Rachel continued on the main track. I found a beautiful brown weka feather and carried it for good luck. Sandfly Beach was largely deserted, with a few parked kayaks the main indication of human presence. As I hiked up a small dune, I heard the squawks of an oystercatcher wading in a pool of water on the other side. Somehow, I knew it was trying to warn me from approaching its nest. What I didn’t realize was the location of the nest – to my left at the top of the dune. I finally spotted the nest right as the oystercatcher started flying directly towards me, and I scurried off in the opposite direction.

​The hike down into Bark Bay was dazzling. The crystal waters below were a light shade of blue. When I arrived at the camping area, I had to look for Rachel and Vincent for a while before I found them huddled in the corner of a cooking hut with some other tourists. Apparently, the seagulls and wekas had brazenly gone after everyone’s lunches, including a sneak attack from underneath a bench. Even from the shelter of the structure, a persistent mallard stood uncomfortably close while I ate my PB&J.

​The next stage of the Abel Tasman adventure was another water taxi, with some additional “passengers” – our kayaks! After the passengers were on board, the guides stacked the kayaks sideways and tied them down, completely obscuring the view out the back. We headed south and were dropped off at Observation Beach, where the kayaks were prepared for the journey back to Marahau.

​Our guide was a local Nelsonian named Joey. At first he seemed a bit flustered, but once on the water, he was totally relaxed and friendly. He told us all about the history of Abel Tasman National Park and the local ecosystem. He didn’t seem bothered when some of the kayaks deviated from his instructions and went off course or charged ahead. As the odd man out, I got to be in the front of his tandem kayak, which was especially nice because the sea kayaks were steered using a foot-driven rudder that the person in the back controlled. While everyone else figured out the rudder’s learning curve, Joey effortlessly navigated our kayak alongside the shore for some great up-close views.

​The water was a bit choppy, so it was a real adventure. Thankfully, the kayaks had skirts that prevented most of the water from getting inside. We crossed the ocean to look for fur seals on a small island, then returned to the mainland and continued alongside the main set of beaches. The seals were good at camouflaging in the rocks, but we saw one fumble its way up and down a perch. Joey also spotted a few stingrays in the water below, but they didn’t linger. It was a real treat to be on the water on a sunny day in such a beautiful place.

​The final stage of the kayak journey was a pleasant surprise for everyone. We banded our kayaks together into a raft, and then hoisted an enormous sail that caught the wind and carried us back to shore. It gave everyone a break from the paddling and was quite the sight to behold! Everyone exited the kayaks, stiff and sore, and hobbled back to the tour agency, some walking barefoot if their shoes had been soaked earlier in the day. A free t-shirt from Marahau Sea Kayaks was a nice gift to end the tour.

​We picked up Thai food on the drive back to Nelson and enjoyed our noodles while overlooking the bay. It was a marathon day of boating, hiking, and kayaking but it was also one of the most memorable days of the trip! Abel Tasman National Park has a lot to offer, both on land and sea.

What followed was a much needed “recovery” day. We were completely out of fresh groceries, and a bit of a disheveled bunch – Vincent wasn’t feeling well, Rachel and I were still exhausted. But teamwork prevailed, and we made it to a Countdown for an enormous shopping trip, including special items for our belated Thanksgiving meal. A video chat with family gathered for Thanksgiving in Cupertino was a nice chance to see everyone despite being on the opposite side of the world. Since our kitchen in Nelson wasn’t equipped for an elaborate meal, we postponed our feast. Rachel made a Mediterranean lunch, and I made a pesto dinner. We rested and drank lots of tea. The sunset over the harbor was particularly pretty.
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Our time in the Marlborough region and Abel Tasman coast was a strong first impression to the South Island. These were some fast-paced days that took their toll, but were worth the push!