Not all Who Wander are Lost
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    • Our Trip to New Zealand! 1/2020 - ??/2021 >
      • Whangarei, NZ
    • The Places We Saw! 8/2018 - 8/2019
    • The Places We've Been! 9/2002 - 10/2017
  • Home
  • Who We Are
  • Our Adventures
    • Our Trip to New Zealand! 1/2020 - ??/2021 >
      • Whangarei, NZ
    • The Places We Saw! 8/2018 - 8/2019
    • The Places We've Been! 9/2002 - 10/2017

Tasman Bay and Motueka Valley

In 1642, Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to encounter what would eventually become New Zealand, having stumbled on Golden Bay, on the northwest end of the South Island. Of course, the Maori had already been there for three centuries . . . We, for our part, arrived on the South Island on February 13th, after a pleasant ferry trip from Wellington to Picton. This part of New Zealand, we came to understand, is the sunniest part of the entire country, and is home to several amazing parks, in particular the Abel Tasman and Kahurangi National Parks. The Motueka Valley, where we stayed, is a verdant and serene farming area fed by the Motueka River, which winds through its length. Motueka (or Motuweka more properly) means "Weka Valley" in Maori, and the valley is home to loads of wekas, cheeky little flightless birds that roam through the underbrush and are more than happy to steal your lunch or watch if you leave them unattended.

As it turned out, this was the ideal place to land, quiet and sparsely populated. We stayed in a lovely house on a working farm just on the foothills of the Kahurangi range, and this place became our refuge when New Zealand shut itself down in response to the coronavirus. And while we didn't get to explore quite to the extent we'd intended when we arrived, we gladly basked in the warmth and security of this gorgeous nook nestled in the hills of a truly spectacular country.

​We stayed on a quiet farm nestled at the feet of the Kahurangi National Park, the second-largest national park in New Zealand, surrounded primarily by sheep, cows, and deer. From here we had access to two national parks and the sweep of the Tasman Bay to our east. What we enjoyed above all else was the beauty and serenity of the area, and the kindness of the people.
Our house nestled in the foothills of the Kahurangi Range. The house has a sizeable garden, grape arbors, and several different kinds of fruit trees surrounding it. We made use of the abundance!
Just down the road a piece, a pleasant walk, was a walking bridge crossing the Motueka River.
Once the country went into lockdown, we walked over this bridge over 80 times, as part of our twice-daily walks around the area.
Fortunately, the views from the bridge are quite spectacular.
To the southwest, one could see some of the lower peaks of the Kahurangi, which had snow even March (early fall in NZ).
We loved the changing color pallet and mercurial mood of the land around us.
A constant companion on our walks around the New Zealand countryside has been the flax plant. This iconic plant was and is one of the mainstays of the Maori lifestyle.
The Motueka Valley is well-known for its vineyards and the grapes here are plump and luscious. These we picked from vines right outside our house.
This handsome fellow ruled the flock from the pastures abutting our house.
Even after having visited Scotland and Ireland, we've never seen more sheep than in New Zealand. They're a very effective weeding agent among hops vines . . .
The weka, for which the Motueka Valley is named, is a charming little rascal. One of the myriad flightless species in the country, this wee scoundrel will steal your watch if you're not careful!
Kahurangi in one translation means "treasured possession"; it truly is a treasure. Home to several endangered species, this verdant gem encompasses over a million acres.
It also acted as standin for several Lord of the Rings areas, including the Dimrill Dale and parts of Rivendell.
Takaka Hill borders the outskirts of the Kahurangi National Park, though it's not a part of it.
It's known for its landscape of karst, basically limestone that's been carved by wind and weather into fantastic shapes.
It's also known for some stunning views of the vales and hillsides of this part of the coast.
We got one opportunity before lockdown to visit the Abel Tasman National Park. We chose to do it by kayak.
We took a water taxi to Awaroa in the north and paddled down to Bark Bay, taking in the rugged coastline and magnificent beaches, watching manta rays comb the beach in one stretch of sand.
Our paddle left time for us to explore along some of the hiking trails through the park . . .
. . . Finding our way to lovely little rills, tiny waterfalls, and gorgeous foliage.
Nelson -- named for Horation Nelson -- is a good-sized city on the eastern shore of Tasman Bay. We first discovered its pleasures while playing around in a park near the local beach.
But we soon discovered its beauty during a visit to the Queen's Park in the city's center.
Encompassing the Maitai River, the Garden was opened in 1892 to celebrate Queen Victoria's Jubilee year.
The Gardens include a memorial to the Boer War and numerous picturesque bridges spanning the river.
It's a quiet, contemplative space whose colors and serenity lead the mind to quiet thought.
We also enjoyed a short hike up Botanical Hill on the edge of Nelson to experience . . .
. . . the Centre of New Zealand!
This 1968 monument memorializes the designation of this spot as the center from which all geodetic surveys of New Zealand were conducted in the 1870's.
Mapua is a tiny hamlet along the Tasman Bay, about halfway between Nelson and Motueka. It's mostly a gorgeous spot to stop for a drink and a meal, and also to grab the local ferry over to Rabbit Island . . .
. . . where one can take an endless walk on a quiet beach.
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