NZ trip 2014 - Day 15 Motueka - Nelson

Today we will go Nelson, plan to go visit Animal Farm at Upper Moutere. http://www.animalfarm.co.nz/ but too bad, when reach only know that they not operating in winter. So need to find other available farm around.


Journey to Nelson

Moutere Inn - Oldest bar in New Zealand

We randomly driving around and reach Upper Moutere town, but too bad the bar only open in lunch time. 2 Hours to opening time, so we decided not to wait and search for other animal farm available.

We just drive around but still fail to get a animal farm that open for public.

http://www.moutereinn.co.nz/

The Moutere Inn is located in Upper Moutere in the Tasman District of New Zealand. It is New Zealand's oldest pub to remain operating in its original building. While there are a couple of older licenses still operating, none of them are operating from either their original location or building.
The Moutere Inn was established in 1850^[1] by Cordt Bennseman, a German immigrant. The building has remained largely the same apart from the original verandah being lost when the main bar was extended in the 1960s.
The Inn now specialises in a continually changing range of craft beers, real ales and wines from around the Moutere area. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moutere_Inn

Random private Cow Farm at Upper Moutere

Feeding the cow.

Journey to Nelson

We give up of finding animal farm as all close in Winter.

We found some hut that selling fresh grape juice, we stop and try to purchase some. When get in, can't see anyone around, just grab and put the money into the red money box there. NZD 10 for 2x1L.

Nelson City

We stay at The Prince Albert Backpackers & Bar 

http://theprincealbert.co.nz/

Lunch of the day, we cook when reach. Not yet have lunch.

The Center of New Zealand - On Botanical Hill

The Centre of New Zealand on Botanical Hill is one of Nelson’s most popular walks. The starting point is the Botanical Reserve, over a footbridge from the end of Hardy Street, or you can start at the Nelson Visitor Information Centre and follow the Maitai Walkway to the Hardy Street footbridge. Take a look at the interpretive panel at the bottom of the hill for some views of Nelson over the last century, and the history of this ‘Village Green’.
To reach the Centre of New Zealand will take 20-60 minutes, depending on your age, speed and fitness. The main track is suitable for sturdier push chairs and buggies. At the top take a seat, enjoy the stunning view and pick out the features of Nelson’s geography from the information panels.You can go downhill on one of the other tracks on the Botanical Hill, or opt to head along the hillside to Walters Bluff. A good summer option is to take your togs, walk down the eastern side of the hill to Branford Park, have a swim at Black Hole and take the Maitai Track back to your starting point.
The name reflects the work of John Spence Browning the Chief Surveyor for Nelson in the 1870's.  He used the top of the hill as a central survey point for doing the first geodetic survey of New Zealand when earlier isolated surveys where combined.  A survey in 1962 located the centre of New Zealand at 41deg. 30min S., 172deg. 50min E., which is a point in the Spooners Range in the Golden Downs Forest. The survey did not include the Chathams.

http://nelson.govt.nz/recreation/recreation/parks-and-reserves/centre-of-nz/ 

After that, we go to Botanical Reserve 

Kauri Tree

The Center of New Zealand

Sunset view of Nelson city from The Center of New Zealand

Another side of the view, 

We take around 40 mins to reach the top, so when we reach back to the botanical garden, the sun already set. we get back to hostel to have our dinner.

End of Day 15

Day 14   Home   Day 16

NZ trip 2014 - Day 14 Motueka - Marahau - Abel Tasman - Motueka

Abel Tasman Day. New Zealand smallest national park. Good weather in the morning, hope the weather in the noon will be good as well.

Journey to Abel Tasman Centre, Marahau

The journey will be 17.6 KM and need just 23 mins to reach. Lucky do not need to cross Takaka Hill highway, one of the most challenging road i ever encounter in New Zealand.

View on the journey to Marahau

Low tide in the morning, all the boat, yacht and etc like on land.

Water Taxi.

Abel Tasman tour start

Abel Tasman Golden Future Conservation Tours. One of the best tour around, we consider lucky on that day as we are the only customer around,  so we have the whole boat. The boat need to use tractor to pull the speed boat to the sea.

http://abeltasmangoldenfuture.co.nz/

Here is where the boat go into the sea.

Split Apple Rock

Split Apple Rock is a geological rock formation in The Tasman Bay off the northern coast of the South Island of New Zealand.
Made of granite, it is in the shape of an apple which has been cut in half. It is a popular tourist attraction in the waters of the Tasman Sea approximately 50 metres off the coast between Kaiteriteri and Marahau.^[1]The rock sits in shallow water at low tide and is accessible by wading. It is also a point of interest for the many tourist boats and pleasure craft which operate along the shores of the Abel Tasman National Park.
The cleft to produce two sides of the 'apple' was a natural occurrence. It is unknown when this happened and therefore the cleaving of the rock has attracted mythological explanations.^[2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split_Apple_Rock

The mist is coming from the sea, is like chasing from behind.

Dried Sea Urchin

Seal swimming around at Frenchman Bay.

Seal swimming around video.

Auto Rat Trap, new generation that can kill rat automatically. To reduce the mouse population as the rat keep eating bird egg.

Rats are introduced pests which threaten the long-term survival of native species. They include the Pacific rat/kiore, ship or common rat and Norway or brown rat.
Kiore, introduced by early Maori voyagers, predate rare weta, snails, frogs, lizards, tuatara, birds and bats, as well as other insects and the flowers, fruits and seeds of plants.
Ship rats and Norway rats also eat any small animals and plant material, including the adults, eggs and chicks of many rare birds. More info: http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/threats-and-impacts/animal-pests/animal-pests-a-z/rats/

Where we have lunch, under the rain.

Tour guide advice not to feed the bird as this will destroy their natural life. If keep feeding them, they will lose the skill of finding food them self in wild.

Weird mushroom. White Ileodictyon cibarium.

Ileodictyon cibarium - Ileodictyon cibarium is a saprobic species of fungus in the family Phallaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand (keep your eye out JT ;) ), where it commonly known as the basket fungus or the white basket fungus, alluding to the fruiting bodies that are shaped somewhat like a round or oval ball with interlaced or latticed branches. While the immature volvae are edible, the mature fruiting body is foul-smelling and covered with a slime layer containing spores on the inner surfaces.

http://www.theearthgarden.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=431 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ileodictyon_cibarium

Abel Tasman jungle tracking. Stew, our tour guide and owner of the Abel Tasman Conservation Tours.

First time see where a rainbow end. wonder the treasure box is there? Let go find it.

Low Tide in the evening cause the boat unable to reach the shore, so Stew need to use tractor to pull the boat back to the shore. He need to run on the knee high extremely cold sea water to get the tractor.

Selfie with Stew.

After long Abel Tasman tour , we drive back to Motueka and cook dinner. Rest early as well. 

End of the Day 14

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