Friday marked the beginning of our Kiwi Experience tour of the South Island. We were collected just after 7am from Nomads and taken to the ferry terminal for the 9am crossing to the South Island. It was a 3 hour journey and so we did not reach there until midday. The cruise down Queen Charlotte Sound for the last hour before docking at Picton was beautiful but I did not get any photos.
Once we were reunited with our bags we met up with the rest of our bus and new driver for the journey to our first stop, Kaiteriteri. It is an extremely small settlement right by the Abel Tasman National Park, unfortunately an area we did not have time to explore. Our drive there took us through the scenic Malborough region which is famous for the various types of Sauvignon Blanc produced there.
The beach at Kaiteriteri was exquisite with gorgeous golden sands which stretched around a small bay. It was peaceful and we had a stroll, taking photos and enjoying the views.
Our evening was quiet and we watched a film and chatted to some of the other travellers before heading to bed.
On Saturday we left Kaiteriteri and headed to Westport, our next stop. We stopped for lunch at a beautiful lake, I think Nelson Lake but my memory fails me, and there was the opportunity to jump off the pier for a swim. However, the eels were a little bit off putting and so we sat on the shore instead. It was here that a duck sat on my lap, trying to steal my sandwich, and I nearly died of duck induced happiness.
During the bus journey to Westport our driver, Dan, got us to play a speed dating sort of game allowing us to meet all the other travellers on the bus. It was an easy and fun experience and led to the formation of some wonderful friendships.
Westport is another extremely small town and there was not a huge amount to do. After dinner the whole group headed to the beach for a bonfire and a leisurely evening. We were there for about three hours enjoying the bonfire and toasting marshmallows. It was also here that Ida taught us some sign language, the majority of which I hope to remember!
After a lovely evening we headed back and spent the rest of our time watching Shrek with the girls in our dorm. Bliss.
Until next time.
A x
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