New Zealand: Golden sands, turquoise waters and the mother of all coastal walks!

They say that Nelson receives more sunlight hours than any other part of the land of the long white cloud. Having battled through the biblical rains of the west coast, the break in cloud came as some relief.

Arriving on a Saturday was an added bonus. Nelson central square plays host to the local farmers market. A wealth of food trucks vie for space - serving up some of the best grub we encountered on the southern isle. Wrap shack was the choice and it didn’t disappoint. A sumptuous BLT wrap was just what the doctor ordered.

Beyond the farmers market, the quaint streets of Nelson offer a pleasant stroll. Our favourite find was a small little hole in the wall - fairly similar to an ATM, but pouring delicate flat whites and unrivaled latte art! A small city, Nelson’s appeal is in its community as much as anything else. Friendly folk are keen to engage and do their part in making this one of the coolest places to visit. Shops, cafes and warehouse style restaurants kept us entertained for some time.

Having sufficiently exhausted our laundry budget and showered after probably too long in waiting - we closed the doors on the POD destined for the Abel Tasman. Guide books, locals and fellow travelers are all quick to recommend this esteemed National Park. After only a matter of minutes - we were caught by much the same bug.

Turquoise waters, golden sands and more water sports than Muslims in a mosque - this place seemed to have it all. Captivated by the first beach we stumbled across, we chucked the little pod in a parking bay, gorged on some rice cakes and headed for the Great Tasman Trail. Along the coastline - a flat trek twists and turns it’s way through unbeatable coves, sandy beaches and rugged headlands.

At times, rivers intercept your path , their crystal waters enticing you in. Free of people and only the seabirds to compete for space - this made for quite a location to soak the feet and freshen up! Whilst kayak tours and sailing trips are a plenty here - perhaps soaking up the beautiful nature along this coastal path is by far the best way to explore the beauty of this place.

Getting late, it was time to hunt a place for the Pod to sleep. With New Zealand’s reputation as a place to camp rising around the world, stricter rules are being enforced on where and when you can camp. Gone are the days of pitching up and sleeping anywhere - rather certain areas are now the only choice. With limited availability in the park itself and with our budget depleating with every passing minute - we headed out to nearby Moutere and Rabbit Island to bed down for the night. Rolling waves crashed on the beach, a stones throw from our boot.

0600 and the sunrise broke our sleep. Egg butties on the beach, some start to another glorious day. A quick pit stop in the sand fly infested long drop and the wagon was rolling once more.

Sweeping through vineyards and Californian style homes, you had to pinch yourself to remember we were cruising in NZ not Malibu. The coastal path continued to wind towards its conclusion - with Picton at its head. Along the way, the pod rolled through Havelock - a small fishing town which claims to have the worlds best muscles. As in muscles from the sea - not strongmen!

2 kilos of the most ridiculously tasty muscles, dunked in white whine and Thai green curry, we thought it best to keep on moving. Havelock, besides the muscles is also the gateway to the Queen Charlotte Drive - an exquisitely beautiful rural track that weaves its way through local farms along the coast. As we peaked and troughed our way along - we were given the most amazing view of Aussie Bay. A shallow bay with a sandy beach, palms anchored in the shores and a small camp ground where the waters broke - it would have been offensive had we not stopped.

Rice cakes for dinner - the view for desert. What a place to spend the last night on the South Island. 05:45 and the wheels were set to drive...Picton the next stop. Picton is the juncture at which the north and South Island connect. Large vessels cross the Cook Strait every day - ferrying everything from tourists in campers to livestock on the move.

The cook straight is regarded one of the most wild crossings given its exposure to the elements. Having jumped on the Bluebridge ferry - in what can only be described as positively hiddeous conditions - it must be said - nerves were somewhat elevated.

However, as the girl pulled out of the harbour, both port and starboard sides of the thing in complete mist - the waters seemed pretty calm. The real shame I suppose is that it is meant to be pretty awesome on a clear day - the furthest we could see was the window ledge! God knows what the shoreline looked like.

In a booth of 6 seats, Zoe and I were joined by a Ghandi loving, green peace supporting hippie with her partner Ross. A three hour journey seemed to fly by as they shared their stories with us. Both widowed young and with heaps of life experience - goes to show - my first impressions of the ‘crazy hippie’ were in vein ey or perhaps it goes to show the most impressive part of New Zealand - it’s people. Warm, humble and with great humor - surely they’re what make this place so appealing.

So there you have it - the South Island well and truly conquered. Now let’s be having ya northy!