New Zealand: Wellington and the Marlborough Region January 10th-17th

Winery sunset

Through spectacular scenery, a beautiful stop at the gushing Huka Falls and a coastal beach walk, we arrived in the capitol of New Zealand--Wellington.  The third largest city and southernmost point on the North Island, Wellington prides itself in being the home of Peter Jackson and filming place of many Lord of the Rings scenes.  Only fitting then that within minutes, we were told by many locals that the LOTR tour was an absolute must.  Although tempting, I somehow found it in me to refrain.  We arrived at our destination for the next few nights, the Museum Hotel.  Immediately, we dropped our bags and headed to the main drag for a delicious meal at Matterhorn.  Even miles away from the Maori village, Tim continued to get recognized for his wonderful “chief” leadership skills by members of our tribe. 

Sea kayaking at Abel Tasman--notice baby seal team!

We awoke the next morning with beautiful weather, ready to take on Wellington and the famed “red rattler” cable cars.  Somehow, we seemed to miss the station for the cable cars and opted to walk up the large hill instead.  It turned out to be a good mistake, as I appreciated both the beautiful views and exercise.  Our route took us directly through the  Botanical Gardens, with a plethora of rose gardens, endangered plants and old cemeteries.

Momàthe moment in my life may have arrived….I like gardens. Yep, I said it.

While in Wellington, we were fortunate enough to experience two top notch museums.  For arrived at our first stop, the Carter Observatory, ready to take in the Southern Skies.  With educational exhibits, a star show on the Southern constellations and a killer playground outside the facilities, it was a winner of a day.  Our walk down provided stunning views of Wellington and its harbor, as well as a stroll along Lambton Quay, the main shopping drag of Wellington.  On day two, we took a whole fifty steps from our hotel to the six story Te Papa Museum.  Beginning with a wonderful overview tour from our very friendly guide, Basil, we stayed for five hours enjoying the exhibits on the tectonic plates of New Zealand, the colossal squid, Maori customs, the controversial Treaty of Waitangi and more.  Due to fantastic behavior from my three young cousins, Basil offered us free passes on the 4D interactive simulator ride.  The kids got quite the kick out of my constant screaming and death grip on my arm rests, but another beautiful way to take in the extraordinary sights of New Zealand. 

Five story high sand dunes

With the silver bullet mini-van returned, we turned to the ferry for our next form of transport.  We hopped aboard the InterIslander ferry, for a three hour journey from Wellington to Picton, a small town on the south island.   Crossing over the Cook Strait, we took in the stellar views and completed a solid school session all before noon.  After loading our new rental full of luggage, we were only a minutes’ drive to the vines and one of the most important destinations in New Zealand—the Marlborough Region.  Famous for their world class sauvignon blancs, the region also produces a mean glass of pinot noir.  With hours of research, Tim knew just the spots and the rest of us followed, as we knew he would not lead us astray on this matter.  Our first stop at the Herzog Winery proved this point.  With stunning gardens, delicious food and multiple glasses of red midday, I was one happy girl.  Over the course of the next few days, we stopped at many wineries, although all around this may have been my favorite. 

Wharariki Beach

In between wine tastings, we managed to squeeze in a day at the Abel Tasman National Park.  We started our morning with a sea kayak to Split Apple Rock.  Of course, Tess and I were together and appropriately named our team the Baby Seals, followed by family kayak teams of the Elephants and Kanawha (Maori spirit).  Between the intense gear, easily maneuverable kayak and a fierce partner like Tess, the three hour kayak trip breezed by.  We grabbed a quick bite and within no time were taking in the air atop a large catamaran.  We were dropped off at a secluded entrance of Abel Tasman National Park and hiked a hilly six kilometers through rainforest, beaches and valleys.  Truly beautiful!

Julie Andrews moment!

The views could only be beat by our following day journey to Wharariki Beach and the Farewell Spit, the northernmost point of the South Island.  The magnificent drive began with a stop at Pupu Springs, the largest clearwater springs in the Southern Hemisphere.  After a delicious bowl of mussel chowder at the  Mussel Inn, we arrived at the carpark for the beach.  I was quite perplexed as there wasn’t a beach in sight, only sheep paddocks in front of us.  We took the signs for their word and climbed through the sheep paddock hills for twenty minutes.  I truly felt like Julie Andrews in “The Sound of Music”, not only with the scenery but my stunning voice J  The path led us down one final hill and into five story sand dunes towering beside us.  Finally, we were along the beach dotted with magnificent rock formations—a result of the powerful wind and wave action.   With a seal colony in the distance, we walked further and further down the beach, ensuring we turned around to take in the breathtaking 360 degree views.  It truly felt like I was at the end of the world!

Wharariki Beach

Wineries took up the remaining days in the Marlborough Region.   Megan found “heaven in a bottle”, I began to appreciate white wine a little more and we all ate and drank like gods!