February 01, 2019
Today's destination was Takaka, in the vicinity of Abel Tasman National Park (about 3 hours 40 minutes total drive time). We planned a scenic drive through the Queen Charlotte Sound area with short hikes and stops at many view points.
The Palmira Lodge provided delicious croissants and chocolate muffins for breakfast, which we ate on the patio outside of the kitchen.
We checked out of the room and drove to Karaka Point. There was a 10-minute walk to a gorgeous view of Queen Charlotte Sound. I was so impressed with how green the hills were. We had another beautiful weather day with partly sunny skies.
Next we took the Queen Charlotte Drive and made stops at Governor’s Bay Track and Cullen Point Track. Governor’s Bay was a short steep walk down to a very small secluded beach: more beautiful views from there. Cullen Point was a hike to an overlook which needs some maintenance to remove some overgrown trees.
The road to Havelock was twisty the entire way, but it was not narrow so the drive was okay. It was worth it due to all of the beautiful views. I could definitely come back to the Queen Charlotte Sound area and enjoy spending more time there.
Next stop was the Pelorus Bridge Reserve. Underneath the bridge across the river was where a movie scene was filmed for The Hobbit: dwarves escaping in barrels down the river. We took a few short hikes to visit the river and a giant Totara tree.
Afterwards we drove to the city of Nelson and visited the New World supermarket to stock up on groceries and dinner fixings for the next three days. This may be the last large town we see for a while, so it made sense to reload the chilly bin.
Next stop was Hawkes Lookout which had great views over the mountains, forest, and ocean in the distance. Heinrich drove this section of road which turned twisty and had some delays due to road construction. We arrived at the Golden Bay Motel in Takaka shortly after 4 PM.
We had an apartment with a full kitchen for the night. It was a quiet spot with a grassy area and playground out back. We had chicken with honey mustard sauce, rice and salad for dinner.
In the evening we filled up with gas and drove to an area named The Grove. This was a 30-minute walk through a series of limestone outcroppings. We found small caves and arches, too! It was a fun area to explore.
