Last three days on the South Island: from Kaikoura to Nelson, from Nelson to Picton

Destination for the night: Nelson. Another long day of driving ahead of us but we stop at Ohau just 25 km north of Kaikoura to see the largest seal colony in NZ, ca. 2500! The more we looked at the rocks the more seals we could see. Seals "unplugged": doing the backstroke, sneezing, snoring, climbing up rocks, climbing down, and sun bathing – naturally.

Drove along a beautiful coastal road till around Wharanui – mountains (avg. height 1200 m) to one side, clear blue water on the other.

Arrived at Picton and parked at the quay – Interislander ferry in the harbour – WOW! I-Site informs us that London Quay has several cafés – grab some lunch just before closing time. Take the Queen Charlotte Scenic Drive towards Nelson. Low tide but still great views over the Strait, very green. Lots of "fern trees".

Wend our way to Havelock, famous for its mussels. The "town" is a lot smaller than we expected. Only 4:30 p.m. and the bakery, cafés, shops, restaurants closed – except for one cafeteria where you can get ice-cream. Good enough, need some energy. The worst is ahead of us – twists and turns and more twists and turns through yet another mountain range. Long stretches along the way with dense pine forests completely covering the hill tops – others cleared for logging, big business.

Arrive at the city of Nelson around 6 p.m. – had not expected it to be so big – everyone with their own home and garden, sprawling up and down the hills that meet the Tasman Sea. Population: 46,437.

Find our apartment up in the "heights" with some difficulty. As advertised on the holiday home site, our apartment is only a 10-15 minute drive from the center of Nelson – that is, if you know your way through the labyrinth of windy steep hills! Finally settled, we get our first glimpse of the Tasman Sea.

Wake up to the ever-present sound of cicadas. Day trip to Abel Tasman, about 60 km from Nelson. Stop at the I-Site in Motueko to get more information. The little hike we thought we might take turns out to be 12.5 km. Don't think so! We buy insect repellant just in case, as strongly advised by the woman at I-Site – sandflies are nasty and prefer humid bush, like Abel Tasman. Drive to Kaiteriteri then continue on to Marahau, drive along another very windy road – speed of 80 km posted at some points, crazy! Narrow – have to keep an eye out for oncoming traffic plus cyclists. Reach Marahau and the beginning of Abel Tasman (or at least one of its many tracks). Have lunch on the beach under a shady tree. Perfect. Decide to drive back to Kaiteriteri and actually go in the water – what a concept! It was fantastic. Blue, clear, maybe 20 degrees? – hard to tell, but felt good! Lots of kayaks and paddle boards.

Next time invest time and money in water taxis to reach the various beaches in the park. Book in advance at I-Site!

Our stay in Nelson was far too short – but we knew that already. At least it gave us a taster. And, since our accommodation was perched up on a hill, we didn’t get a chance to explore Nelson itself, so getting accommodation in the center of town – within walking distance of cafes, restaurants and shops – may be a good idea. Obviously depends on what you want.

Back track to Picton through the windy roads over the coastal mountain ranges that surround Nelson. Continue on to Havelock – Saturday morning – there is life!

Arrive at Picton at 2 p.m., ready to check-in at the Admirals Lodge B&B. Picton is very small, population 4,500. Since we had a late lunch, we aren’t hungry until later, decide at 8 p.m. to see what's happening in town – no cruise tourists, hardly any locals, all quiet. Manage to get some soup at a local tavern, but wondering whether we are keeping everyone up – bartender starts to lock up around 9 p.m. Good night, Picton!