In this page, you will find informations and advices we can give, based on our experience
North of the South Island - South Island
The north of the South Island is full of places to visit. We spent 4 days there, as we made our way to the north-western tip of the island: Golden Bay, shaped like the head and beak of a kiwi. Before that, we drove along Queen Charlotte Drive and stopped off at the famous Split Apple Rock. Unfortunately, the fickle weather didn't allow us to visit Abel Tasman National Park.
Golden Bay
1,5km one way - 30 min
1 to 2 hours
Free
Wharariki Beach
You're bound to know this rock and this beach, having already seen it on Windows wallpapers!
Wharariki Beach is an immense beach of fine sand without the crowds, thanks to its isolation. The beach's reputation is due to its "arch rocks": Archway Islands. You need to move to the left of the beach to observe these arches. From the top of the dunes at path level, the perspective is different. At low tide, these rocks offer a pretty reflection on the wet sand. As is often the case, the best times to take photos are at sunrise or sunset. The best time to camp is at Wharariki Beach Holiday Park (see bottom of page).
Access : after following the coast and taking Route 60 to Collingwood, follow the Collingwood-Puponga Main Road and then the Wharariki Road (a passable but unpaved road) to the Archway Cafe parking lot. Then take the path leading to the beach. The path passes through beautiful meadows where sheep graze (see Puponga below), then after passing through forest, the sand on the path announces the approach of the beach.
1km one way - 15 min
30 minutes
Free
Puponga
Puponga is the name given to the coastal area between Farewell Spit and South Wharariki Beach. From the parking lot, you cross this part of the coast to reach Wharariki Beach. These are magnificent hills where flocks of sheep graze peacefully. They take on beautiful colors at sunset.
Access : on the path leading to Wharariki Beach.
200m one way
30 minutes
Free
Cape Farewell
It takes just a few metres to reach the viewpoint of this Etretat-like arch. It's possible to gain a little height by heading off to the right. As with the whole bay, you'll be almost alone here.
Access : from Wharariki Road, follow Cape Farewell Lookout Parking. Feel free to open the gate (and close it behind you) to get to the parking lot, which is on private land where sheep graze.
1,6km one way - 20 min
Elevation gain 130m
1 hour
Free
Pillar Point
A short path climbs gently to a lighthouse and a viewpoint over the Tasman Sea. This continues to a second viewpoint, this time over Farewell Spit and its long strip of dunes and beaches, the "kiwi beak" of Golden Bay.
Access : from the Wharariki Road, park in the small parking lot with the "Pillar Point Track" sign.
Loop of 6km - 1h30
1 to 2 hours
Free
Farewell Spit
Farewell Spit is the strip of land that juts out into the sea for 25 km and represents a kiwi beak. But you can't go all the way to the end of this beach (unless you pay an excursion fee), as it's a protected nature reserve.
Several hikes are possible along the first few kilometers of this area.
For our part, we combined Spit Track and Fossil Point Track. The walk begins on the inner beach, which isn't very interesting. The sea is far away, but we can see a few birds. The trail then enters a forest, again without much interest. Finally, we arrive on the other side of the kiwi beak, on a long beach of fine sand. We continue on to the cliffs of Fossil Point, then return to the parking lot through lush green meadows grazed by numerous sheep.
Access : from Wharariki Road, take Freeman Access and park in the Triangle Flat parking lot.
Loop of 1km - 30 min
1 hour
Free
Te Waikoropupu Springs
Pupu Springs are sacred to the Maori and can be visited on wooden pontoons. These transparent waters are the second purest in the world. It's a pity the weather wasn't on our side when we visited.
Access : from Takaka, take the Pupu Springs Road.
Queen Charlotte Drive
No hike
Depending on wish
Free
When you arrive by ferry on the South Island, you get a glimpse of the Malborough Sounds: scattered islands and fjords to the north of the South Island. It's possible to explore this area by boat, kayak... For our part, we simply drove along Queen Charlotte Drive, the road that runs along the coast between Picton and Havelock. The few viewpoints accessible offer lovely panoramas of the mountains and fjords.
Access : Queen Charlotte Drive between Picton and Havelock.
Split Apple Rock
No hike
30 minutes
Free
We didn't have the weather on our side for the visit to Split Apple Rock. From the road, a short forest path leads down to the beach. The clear sandy beach and turquoise water are mangificent, even in the rain. The cut apple is right in front of the path, but you have to move off to the right to see the clean cut of the rock.
Access : from Kaiteriteri, head north on Riwaka-Kaiteriteri Road then Kaiteritere-Sandy Bay Road. Turn right onto Tokongawa Drive and park on Moonraker Way.
Nelson
No hike
30 minutes
Free
Nelson's Christ Church Cathedral (our only stop in this city during our stay) has a very special architecture! Gothic in style, its steeple rises to a height of 35m. From the parking lot, it looks like something's missing! But when you walk around it, the steeple at the back seems out of all proportion!
Access : in Nelson.
Lodging
We have tested :
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Copyright Magali and David BELLEC