B and G in New Zealand: Tasman Part 2

We are continuing our 5 week stay in the Tasman / Golden Bay area on the top of the South Island.

Split Apple Rock

G on water taxi with Pitt Head in background, Abel Tasman National Park

Cleopatra's Pool (an Anchorage walk)

Pitt Head (another Anchorage walk)

Pitt Head

Te Pukatea Bay (near Anchorage)

Waiting for our return water taxi in Anchorage

Valentine's Day, Tinline Bay, Abel Tasman (our own private beach - for a while anyway)

Valentine's Day, Tinline

Sunset from our deck

Tide pooling at Kaiteriteri just below our cottage.

Entrance to cave , Riwaka Resurgence

We visited the Riwaka Resurgence Secenic Reserve. Takaka Hill, which towers above the Reserve, is covered with marble rock that has been shaped by thousands of years of rain carving the rock. When the water drains off the large hill (actually a small mountain) it makes caverns inside the mountain. The Riwaka River begins inside Takaka Hill. This park is where the river emerges (or makes its resurgence) from the hill.

Riwaka Resugence

Riwaka Resurgence

Tasman is an agricultural area with great summer vegetable and fruit stands. This is our first papple (pear + apple) - very juicy and sweet.

We took a day trip south to Nelson Lakes National Park. We hiked the Loop Trail. We saw and heard many bellbirds, had visits along the way from robins looking for a meal as we disturbed the leaves as we walked the trail, and we saw a pair of karariki - bright green long tailed paraketes.