French Pass - last post from South Island

So here I am sitting on a jetty in Picton waiting to catch the ferry. Spent the last few days exploring French Pass in the Marlborough Sounds. Really slow differcult winding road all the way there (and back!) but made it with no drama. The wind didn't happen for decent flying but I got airbourne for a few sorties along the roadside slopes. About the same height as the Kaimai Ranges so pretty cold but very light winds.

Here's some pics - first up is Elaine Bay where I stayed a night next to a couple from Te Puke!

Next up is looking south down Squally Bay into Crosilles Harbour - mussel farms are in every part of the Sounds that I saw, grouped along the foreshore of the bays and inlets - there must be hundreds of them and after a while you realise they are a blight on the landscape (or is that seascape?)

And here's a shot looking down to Cissy Bay and the road leading to Bulwer. Beautiful views and magnificent country - mostly native bush but a lot of pine forests and some pasture too.

 This one is taken from French Pass road looking down Current Basin towards D'Urville Island...

And here's proof that it is a windy spot - this is how the trees grow...

So my South Island odyssey in nearly over. I've found very few flying sites - for various reasons - but after 4 months away on my tod it's time to get back up country for winter.

Nelson and a stop for breath

I've been in Nelson for more than a week now - stopping to catch my breath. Here's a shot overlooking the city I got after a steep walk to this vantage point from the Maitai Valley.

Whilst I was too-tooing about town, I came across this sign at Tahunanui Beach. Oh, please, tell me it's not true.....

Whilst I did spend two nights up the Maitai Valley at a nice cheap camp, I have been staying at Best Island the last few days and it looks like this each evening....

Nelson is a cool place - has a nice feel about it - not too big, not too small. I've been using the Richmond library for the last few days to post potential saleable photos up to a website - my last attempt at stock photography. But Nelson is a place I could live in - has this breakwater called Boulder Bank where this lighthouse is located.

Brightwater Flying

Met up with the Nelson RC flying guys and went two days to their preferred site - bit pathetic really - not very high, maybe 30m and affected by trees, but i did get some flying done. Here's a selection of pics mostly of their planes....

And a shot of the guys sitting in their deck chairs. They obviously preferred a site with easy access rather than one which was good to fly.

Kaiteriteri - Marahau

Kaiteriteri was a huge disappointment - yes it might have the nice golden coloured sands, but it has just been sacrificed to the plastic, tourist nonsense that makes the place a complete farce. I couldn't stay for more than a few minutes without feeling like a vomit. For the record....

But.... after leaving Kaiteriteri, the coastal road takes you to a magical unspoilt inland estuary where you can take pictures like this....

I know which place I'd rather see. And at the end of the road is Marahau - the gateway (well that's what they call it) into Able Tasman park. I tiny little hamlet where the water taxi service is based. A beautiful place.

Tata Beach - Wainui - Haywards Hole

Tata Beach was my first sight of the famed golden sandy beaches and yes it certainly looks spectacular. I got there very early in the morning with nobody around.

From here I headed further east to Wainui Falls. I lovely walk up to the falls through nikau palms and bush. This area was where the Nelson floods of maybe a year ago hit hard and lots of slips and flooded stream plains. The road around the coast to Wainui was peppered with one-lane sections where the road has fallen away. The falls were not particularly high but worth a look.

Got a pretty good shot of the inevitable rainbow that always seems to be at waterfalls....

This swingbridge would have to go down as one of the scariest I've been on. Not high, but only thin little metal treads holding the wirenetting on the walking deck, so I also got a shot looking down at my handsome legs to prove I was here.

Then back round to Takaka and back up the hill. This would be the longest slow hill trip in NZ. I timed it at 15mins continuously in 3rd gear (well, back to 2nd once or twice). At the top I turned down Canaan Road out to Haywards Hole. This road is too narrow for campervans and I nearly regretted this, having to pass two vehicles in awkward places. Haywards Hole is a spectacular chasm in limestone country where water used to flow into. The streams are now all underground, but you walk down the old streambed and then come upon this amazing site. Very dangerous place too.

That last shot is of one of the mysterious black ponds alongside the track. A weird place - not just the Hole or black ponds but the whole fluted, tumbled Karst landscape is unusual.