There aren’t many locations in New Zealand that make me query my option to reside in Wānaka, however Golden Bay undoubtedly did. Warm, sunny, and most significantly, low cost, Golden Bay piqued my curiosity as someplace I may simply reside comfortably. I’m simply unsure I’m hippie sufficient to suit the native standards, however extra on that in a minute.
After ending the Heaphy Track outdoors of Takaka, I caught the shuttle from Golden Bay Air to the airport, the place I rented a automotive. These are the fellows who manage the logistics and flights across the space. Takaka is roughly a million miles and $500 value of petrol away from Wānaka, so after I heard you would lease a automotive there, I assumed it will be probability to lastly discover an space of New Zealand I hardly ever go to.
I’ll preface this by saying that the time period “airport” is a stretch; it’s an workplace with just a little runway, which I can’t bear in mind if it was paved or not. These are small airplane flights. It’s so chill and simple, precisely what you need on a vacation. The automotive was an outdated Honda that felt like you would take it anyplace. I rolled the home windows down and hit the street to Takaka, the salty, heat air reminding me I used to be in paradise. It’s a spot the place that everybody is aware of one another’s names. And all of their enterprise, too. Love it!
The very first thing it is advisable learn about Golden Bay is that it’s like stepping again to the 90s. Which is saying one thing as a result of the remainder of New Zealand additionally appears like a step again in time.
Every few streets, there are fruit stands with honesty bins, and nobody is in a rush to do something. It’s such a pleasant feeling. Golden Bay is an space on the very tip-top of the South Island. It’s one of many sunniest areas of New Zealand and is dwelling to some epic unbiased growers and farms. In reality, a lot of the high of the South Island is like that. I’m scripting this as there may be frost a centimeter thick coating my energy invoice is within the triple digits. Why Wānaka, why?!
Golden Bay is a large bay that stretches from the highest of the Abel Tasman National Park all the best way out to Farewell Spit, a 26-kilometer-long sandspit. It types nearly an ideal “C” form and is without doubt one of the extra distant locations to get to in New Zealand. You need to need to go there; it’s not on the best way anyplace.
The solely instances I’ve been to Golden Bay have been round mass whale strandings with Project Jonah. Farewell Spit is a large hotspot for whale strandings, normally mass strandings by pilot whales. There was an enormous one seven years in the past with over 400 whales. We don’t actually know why they strand right here, however there are numerous theories round the truth that it has big tidal flows and really gently sloped sand across the spit with deep water on the opposite aspect. No matter the explanation, it’s a whale demise entice.
You guys know this can be a matter near my coronary heart after I got here throughout my very own whale stranding alone on Rakiura/Stewart Island years in the past. A horror of a reminiscence that’s helped form my work and impressed me to focus much more on conservation, particularly round marine mammals.
Massive fucking bummer, I do know. But hey, I used to be tremendous excited to be up in Golden Bay and NOT be round useless and dying whales. Win-win!
Takaka is an hour away from Motueka on the coast and the gateway to the Abel Tasman National Park. But it’s important to drive over a mountain to get there. Golden Bay and Takaka have remained comparatively remoted, principally as a result of it’s a large ache within the ass to drive over. Lovingly referred to as Takaka Hill (New Zealand is nice at each naming issues and minimizing them concurrently), it has a whole bunch of very sharp turns and steep dropoffs. Zoom zoom!
But truthfully, you’re high-quality, and there are guard rails and tons of pull-offs and passing choices, one thing I want they might do to the Crown Range, an identical mountain street connecting Wānaka and Queenstown. With nearly no secure passing areas, it normally means you’re caught behind vacationers in campervans going 50 kilometers below the velocity restrict and never pulling over to let the 20 vehicles queued behind them move. Christ, it’s SO annoying.
But I digress. The street was broken years in the past in a storm and for the longest time (4 years!!), there was an extended part down to at least one lane, so that you needed to wait perpetually at site visitors lights to go. One native put up an enormous signal subsequent to it counting the variety of days the roadworks have been happening. I gotta be trustworthy; I do love a petty battle in opposition to paperwork.
But just like the locals say, it’s only a hill; recover from it.
I’ll allow you to in on just a little secret: it’s well worth the drive out to discover Golden Bay. Or fly in from Wellington or across the Heaphy with Golden Bay Air. It’s a particular place that also feels native and chill.
I made a decision to remain in Takaka for 3 nights, one evening at a bach by the ocean after my 4-day tramp, the place I decompressed, ate a shit-ton of fried meals, and showered for an hour. Sigh. Nothing is best than a sizzling, greasy meal and an extended bathe after being within the bush for days.
The subsequent few nights, I stayed out at Rustic ReTreet, a comparatively new Canopy Camping glamping website simply outdoors of Takaka. Spoiler alert – it was like stepping right into a fairytale. I like staying in these sorts of areas for thus many causes. Unique, cozy, and delightful, they’re mainly a vacation spot in and of themselves. You may simply keep there and be completely content material.
As a touring homebody, you possibly can in all probability see why these locations enchantment to me—and lots of others, too—which is why they’re tremendous standard.
I may really feel my breath depart my physique as I sighed, strolling as much as the doorway of the Rustic ReTreet.
Ten minutes out of Takaka, down some slim backcountry roads by way of picturesque farmland, I felt like I had stepped into the Shire. Many places from Lord of the Rings films had been filmed within the space. Bucolic and delightful, with delicate woodlands, fairly cows, and fruit bushes all over the place, it evoked a sense of nostalgia inside me. Not that I grew up with any of that, however I’m going to run with it.
Rustic ReTreet evokes a treehouse vibe however for adults. It sits in its personal little space away from their fundamental home, and it’s fully non-public and quiet.
Perched on a picket platform on the fringe of an oak forest, you’re surrounded by nature. It sits on the property of the great house owners, Janine and Simon, who constructed all of it themselves with timber milled from their land, and different repurposed supplies. Talent. I battle to place collectively IKEA furnishings (although, in my protection, there are quite a lot of steps).
There’s the primary constructing with the bed room subsequent to a lounge with a built-in nook to learn by the window. As a e-book girlie, I’ll all the time stan window nook for studying. There’s one other constructing with an open-air kitchen on one aspect and an open-air toilet on the opposite searching into the forest.
Above it’s a little secret second bed room with two single beds tucked in, surrounded by books. It is ideal for youths, however adults may completely slot in there, too. As somebody who loves being cosy and bundled up, I may have simply stayed up there and been comfortable as a clam.
There’s a hidden bathtub out on the deck, and the positioning is adorned with considerate touches and artwork. It is completely homey. I didn’t need to depart. But the climate was so good I knew I needed to take benefit and discover the realm. After an enormous lie-in, in fact. Screw mornings.
The Nelson-Tasman area, significantly across the Kahurangi National Park, is cave nation. There are heaps. The longest and deepest caves are right here, although why on Earth anybody would go in them is past me. Nothing good can come out of one thing that far down into the Earth.
I’ve carried out some vacationer caving right here and there, like across the Waitomo caves on the North Island and even over on the West Coast round Karamea (the opposite finish of the Heaphy Track). New Zealand is known for its blackwater rafting. This is once you float on an innertube guided by way of cave techniques at various levels of scary. Definitely kind two enjoyable.
I’ve spent quite a lot of time down there photographing glowworms (troublesome), and also you do begin to go a bit loopy after a number of hours in the dead of night. I don’t understand how correct cavers do it, however Golden Bay is dwelling to many caves of various levels of entry. There are loads of child caves which are accessible to vacationers.
Just down the street from Rustic ReTreet, by way of some paddocks and down some dusty roads, is the beginning of a path as much as the Rawhiti Caves. It was a correct grunt of a climb as much as the doorway of the cave. Slightly creepy as I used to be the one one there. You don’t go contained in the cave a lot; there may be an unbelievable opening coated in stalactites with a pleasant viewing platform.
With some daylight left, I drove to Puponga close to Farewell Spit and visited the super-famous Wharariki Beach. I can’t imagine I’ve by no means been right here. Or I’ve, and I don’t bear in mind.
It is without doubt one of the screensavers for Windows 10, or so I’m informed. I haven’t used Microsoft since highschool. There are a number of rocky islands, one with a pleasant arch that resembles an elephant. Depending on the wind and tides, I believe you possibly can typically get good reflections of the islands within the surf.
When I went, it was a howling gale, however it was stunning. The seashore is expansive and surrounded by dunes. Backlit at sundown, watching the sand blow round throughout the dunes was mesmerizing, like glitter—very very like the film Dune. The spotlight for me was some fur seal pups enjoying within the tidepools. I like watching them doodle round; they’re tremendous cute.
On my manner again to Takaka, I finished on the Mussel Inn for dinner. Guys, this place is famous. In the center of nowhere, there’s this stunning macrocarpa picket constructing with in depth outside areas that moonlights as a music venue. I sat inside by the hearth with one of many beers they brew themselves and a giant outdated pile of green-lipped mussels. Yum yum. It was pretty quiet because it was low season, however they did bust out on the piano for some singalongs. It was so superior.
My final morning, I spent having a pleasant brunch in Takaka earlier than heading out to the Te Waikoropupū Springs. These are the most important chilly water springs within the southern hemisphere. Pupū Springs are fairly unbelievable and are dwelling to a number of the clearest water on Earth; the water visibility of the springs is as much as 81 meters, as shut as you will get to pure water.
The springs are thought-about a taonga (treasure) by native Māori. No one is permitted to the touch or get into the water. A pleasant, simple observe circles the springs. It’s fairly exceptional; the blue is unreal.
Before I knew it, it was time to go to the airport and fly again to Karamea. There had been 4 of us inside a snug little airplane with Golden Bay Air. It was about half an hour’s flight to Karamea, the place I left my automotive after I began the Heaphy Track per week earlier. So a lot better than a seven-hour drive between the beginning and end of the observe. However, I did drive ten hours afterward again dwelling to Wānaka. Sigh.
The additional south I drove, the decrease the surface temperature turned. Maybe I ought to have stayed in superb Golden Bay a wee bit longer.
Many because of Golden Bay Air for serving to out with my transport prices. Like all the time, I’m holding it actual. Like you would count on much less from me!