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Nelson, South Island, New Zealand

From Blenheim we headed across to Nelson to visit a friend for a couple of days.  My first visit to Nelson, one of New Zealand’s oldest settlements which competes with Blenheim to win the title of New Zealand’s sunniest town, we had planned to visit Abel Tasman National park which is New Zealand’s smallest national park but is famed for it’s fabulous golden beaches, crystal clear waters and amazing granite outcrops.

Rabbit Island

But we arrived in Nelson on Friday afternoon to clear blue skies so headed off to pretty Rabbit Island, a popular beach of golden sand stretching for 13 kms backed by trees making a public reserve, with plenty of picnic areas and barbeques. The tide was out so the beach seemed HUGE as the water receded so far.

Alas, the following day we woke to a dark, low sky laden with rain and after calling the Abel Tasman National Park visitors centre we decided to cancel our water taxi which would have taken us from Marahau to Anchorage.  So, what to do instead?… WINE, of course!

Woollaston Estate

Our friend works at Woollaston Estate vineyard in the Moutere Hills, a stylish, modern winery with tussock roofed buildings helping the 18 metre high buildings blend into the scenery, where wine production is assisted by gravity and the winery and vineyards are certified as sustainable.

Oh, yeh, and it produces rather nice wines under two brand labels – Woollaston and Tussock, Wollaston being the premium label.  We made off with a Riesling and a 2008 Sauvingon Blanc.

Woollaston art

Woollaston art

The owners share a keen interest in art so there is an art gallery as well as tasting room and courtyard where you can enjoy a tasting platter of local produce or bring your own picnic and sit on the picnic lawn and enjoy it with a glass of wine!

Split Apple Rock

By this time the weather was picking up a little so we headed to the extremely busy Kaiteriteri with its amazing orange golden beach but decided to keep going and search for Split Apple Rock beach which we found successfully thanks to our friend’s good memory.

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Split Apple Rock

Split Apple Rock

Such a beautiful spot!  Golden beaches scoop round, keeping watch and sheltering Split Apple Rock, an apple-like grantie boulder which has split in two pieces it almost looks like a work of art that has been placed there! In the distance the hills of the Richmond Range frame the picture postcard scenery.

Kayakers paddle into the bay to take a closer look of the rock, as well as small cruises but for the most part we had the beach to ourselves – bliss!

Certainly this has made my anticipation for a “proper” visit to Abel Tasman National park increase considerably and I can’t wait to return to the area to discover the beauty of this park soon!

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