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July 8th-10th July

To find the nearest accommodation was not easy. We wanted to look at some in the Golden Bay, the sunny area near the Abel Tasman National Park. Many hostels have closed in the winter but there. Understandably, the guide says, in the region was not much going on. Is ... On the way to the only hostel that still has a room for us, we stop at Hawkes Lookout, enjoy the view and the sunshine.
The next stop is Harwood's Hole.

Lunch at the campsite, cold but sunny ;-)

We do lunch at the campsite before we walk through the woods to reach the largest hole in the southern hemisphere. Harwood's Hole is so big that you can not even look down properly. In short, the journey is the reward - in fact we liked it better in the forest.

on the road to Harwood's Hole ...

have also taken the steep little side trip to the lookout point yet ... and see for yourself:

Hilltop at Harwood's Hole

It has never been fairly strenuous scrambling to a lookout. In the woods we have had no idea how high we are!

Further, the winding roads going over the hills - it feels really far away from being shot.
The small hostel near Takaka is very cozy and nice owners. You can tell immediately that they themselves traveled a lot. In the lounge, hang maps of the world in which their motorcycle tours are located, and we get great tips on how to spend the next day. We decide to sleep off but for now and then a leisurely breakfast. To sit in the sun, the mood lifts a lot and makes us hope that the winter in New Zealand but is not so nasty. A perfect day to watch the Waikoropupu Springs, with 90 000 liters of water per minute, the largest freshwater source in New Zealand.

Pupu Springs in Takaka

Not far away, we take a look at an old power station. Then it's on to a real Golden Bay beach with lovely shells and more at the "Attention Penguins" sign over the old ship of Jacques Cousteau, which was converted into a cafe.

ship and Café

Since - as so many here - has closed in winter, we look for another place where we in the afternoons a cup of coffee to round off. Too bad that the next day goes on. Only one day Golden Bay, but saw a lot!

The next day Mark's birthday. There is a cake, a gift, a candle and we are in euphoric mood. We will visit soon the sheep discover (and exceptionally they do not run away from us!) Behind the hostel and an old-developed living below Something with wheels turn.

seems someone else to live.

It is really dark early here, so we have noticed have not before.
Shortly before departure we come to the join out to talk about the delicious coffee, the hostel provides to the guests. The small sign "Totally Roasted" reveals the source: a coffee roasting plant just around the corner. But somehow there seems not to vote was ... Our comparison tells us that the coffee we drink comes from another roaster, to which they have changed recently. There are several reasons, for example, that look at the owner of Totally Roasted a diagonal, if you buy 5 kg of coffee, but they were not a factory, or that after more than 8 years are still unknown as a permanent customer appears, or no cup of coffee gets offered while you wait. But perhaps the more crucial harsh tone against the customer, the roasting of the nickname "Totally Rude" has (that is totally outrageous / rude) is introduced. There are probably already got people in the local bar, which is about the tone complained and have proposed the renaming, and then the whole place just nodded knowingly and confirmed that the name is quite common throughout the region.

We are now in Golden Bay. Have found a hostel in Takaka, where we can live for 2 hours a day Lend free. The Kiwiana has reopened yesterday after three months of winter break, guests can not look. The weather is quite volatile, sometimes a lot of water comes from the sky - now we just sit on the terrace in the sun. One can see from here, mountains, whose summits until recently were covered with snow. Spring is mainly due to the flourishing Cherry and magnolia trees can not be overlooked anymore. By the earthquake, we have not noticed, but the media reports about nothing more than the chaos in Christchurch. The situation there is worse, because there are still aftershocks. More than 100,000 houses are damaged and the city has been blocked because the large commercial buildings are in danger of collapse. In addition, the city is flooded because of the many broken pipes. There is no fire like Sogut, since there are no gas lines. The houses have their own gas bottles. The power supply is restored and the extent of assistance rolls, especially in the form of tankers with drinking water. Of course there is also a political hot topic: Many homes are not insured and the state only helps to $ 100,000 damages. Other houses were on the ground had not really allowed to be built. Also in the neighborhood is a lot going on, because the epicenter was located there. However, the area is sparsely populated. Blessing in disguise and almost a miracle for all is that there are no deaths and few injuries. Only the water is now more are ill because they have not scoured and it is not clear what all has flowed into the drinking water. Despite everything, it goes on and the cleanup began. The floods in Australia have already taken over the sovereignty on television. And we are glad that we have but decided against Christchurch. We nearly ended up there that is.