Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Able Tasman day trip

Wow. Wow. Wow.

Last weekend we got to experience the natural wonder that is the Able Tasman National Park. The 'Jewel in the Crown'. This is a truly amazing natural wonderland; the pristine beauty of this coastline is absolutely breathtaking! Simon's dad Colin, and partner Misoo joined us.



We caught an early morning Water Taxi from Marahau up to The Anchorage, beside Torrent Bay. Thanks Aqua Taxis!


Note to self: The DOC cabins and facilities at The Anchorage are fantastic. Next time stay overnight!


Approaching The Anchorage.

From The Anchorage, we joined the Able Tasman walk, returning to our starting point at Marahau village. This part of the track took us 4.5 hours. It was an easy undulating walk, passing 5 beaches and plenty of waterfalls.







Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Things we love about Nelson No.2

The Pelorus River

Halfway between Blenheim and Nelson, where a bridge crosses the Pelorus River, there is a beautiful scenic reserve that has some of the most accessible examples of mature native forest in the Marlborough region.





Native tree species in the reserve include matai, kahikatea, rimu, totara and miro, as well as several varieties of beech. The forest undergrowth is rich with ferns, epiphytes, mosses and lichen.



A bit of history...

The valley was the site of a massacre of the Ngati Kuia and Ngati Apa tribes by the Maori chief Te Rauparaha, who came from the North Island coast, west of Wellington. The first Europeans to arrive in 1843 found a few remaining Maori people producing flax for Te Rauparaha. The original route to Nelson went through the reserve site and over the Maungatapu Saddle. Later, the path that the road follows today was discovered, and a bridge was built across the Pelorus River around 1860. The Pelorus Bridge location was set aside for a future township, but in the early 1900s this was changed to preserve the area's natural beauty. The present bridge was built in the 1950s.


The clear waters of the Pelorus River