Good footwear is essential

Well what is it between me and the weather.. in the most fantastic location in The Old Slaughter house in Hector and it lashes out of the heavens all night and this morning. Not being able to see your hand in front of face in one of the best locations ever is not good. Added to the fact that if you were paying attention to the last rambling, that I had to hike up the hill to the hostel there has to be a down side... I had to walk down the ruddy hill in this rain and fog. I had of course left my shoes in the car and the only footwear was a pair of flipflops. When you add this struggle with your food and overnight bag and throw into the recipe for good measure a long evening chatting with the German couple Catherine & whoever! (I can never remember his name and he is in the new hostel tonight as well so I keep saying "hiya boy"!) There was also Cedreric from Switzerland. We finished the wine.. Cederic and I.. well you cant leave a small drop and anyhow I would have to cart it down to the car. Went to bed at 00.30 to the sound of crashing waves and rain lashing off the corrogated iron roofs. Slipped up the steps outside to the bedroom cabin and then of course because of the wine had to  take a trip down again to the loo. Note to self.. as well as the ears I will have to get the waterworks checked out on my return too. Work early to the sound of the rain bucketing down again so I went for an early breakfast. Met with David the kiwi owner and definately have met my my NZ equivalent re crank of the year. He also bitches to the local council regularly and is the bane of their lives.. we were definately separated at birth but had a great laugh at comparing notes. He discussed the house and the things that also happened to him when he was constructing it 15 years ago. Apparently the area can get about 4 inches of water in 2 hour downpour so one night after such an event, half the hill decided to give way and destroy the house at the lower level and wash all the new house building materials out to to sea so that someone in the Antarctic now has a cosy wooden palace. He lost everything inthe flood and nearly bought the farm himself. He was trying to get out and the quadbike turned on him and he was up to his eyes in water literally. Anyhow as he said he got loads of help and his son ensured that he got up off his backside and start again. I for one am delighted he did so as he has one of the most uniques places that I have ever stayed in. There was a huge procrastination re moving out this morning and I just said go for it now and be done with it. I left with David giving me a huge bear hug and sending me on my way. It was madness really.. I slid my way down the bloody path and kept falling out of the flaming flip flops. Can I tell you there is no such thing as decorum as sliding, falling swearing and sloshing your way down an decline of 45 degrees and falling out of the dangerous footwear. I was thinking there were all having a laugh looking out over the verandah at me so I kept stum and my dignity........ well anyway until I was just out of sight and earshot.
By the time I had got through Westport, the day had improved dramatically and the sun shone beautifully. I was delighted as I was going to do the Ocean Drive to Punakaiki Pancake Beach and the fantastic rock formations. SOmthing like the the Giants Causeway at home is definately memorable but my only gripe is that there were too many tourists.The Tasman sea is amazing and each bay and beach looks like a surfers paradise. Some of the places you pass on the way include.. Foulwind and Woodpeckers bays.. some one was def having a laugh naming some places here. Still though I am finding increasing difficult to remember some of the bloody place names.
Got to Greymouth by 14.00 to pick Andrew my "1st cousin once removed" who is going to keep me company and an eye on me for a few days till we get further south. He is looking fantastic and in great form from his hiking, walking and time in Oceania so far. I have been yapping since I met him so I think that the time that he will spend with me will be his penance for the next year! Got our shopping for dinner and another 3 litres of vino and headed off to Hokitika to our hostel called the Birdsong..hmmmm I wont comment on this name... I am in Fantail room.. yikes. and the decor leaves a lot to be desired. Picture this if you will... A huge mural of 2 fantail birds (brown) nesting on an orange wall.(huge eyed birdies that keep starin at ya no matter what part of the room you are in.) Add to that the wine coloured curtains and the floral blue bedspread and maybe this is why my head is beginning to ache.Thank you Lord I am not in Andrews Puketa themed room!. Just inside where the lightswitch should be in my room some bright spark decided to put the fire alarm break glass thingy there instead. Now you add one tired driver who has had a skinful trying to get themselves to their leaba  late at night could result in 30 people careering through your room out the door to the road outside.. Oh yeah I forgot to mention that there was a door to the outside from Fantail room which was the main FIRE EXIT !.
Andrew and myself went off to have a look at the Hokitika Gorge ( very nice and very few tourists ..horray and again got savaged by the sandflies and then back for the long walk up the beach opposite the hostel. Got a few pics of guys out rugby training on the sand..huge guys and now have no surprise as to why the Kiwis are so good at the game. Delicious meal of NZ lamb and now writing this up. Now to a game of Trivial Persuits and the competitivness that ensues.. Andrew and Alice watch out!!
By the way we were having a dicussion re rude nationalities....I have a list and will let you know with my reasons why over the next few blogs! Watch this space but all I can say is that I will not be popular in several countries in the world..... or maybe several continents!!

To pee or not to pee?

Maybe I should not be so smart and write this up mid afternoon... After you left me last I was sitting on a log on Farewell Spit with a very uncomfortable feeling in my shorts. I had just posted the last blog when along the beach comes one of my fellow backpackers... a long haired rocker called Jorgen the  German. He was the guy who nipped ahead of me the day before and nabbed the washing machine just before I got my 2 loads in there. Hence why I was pegging it out at 11pm. He is forgiven though..  Anyhow I said “hi” to him and we ended up chatting for nearly an hour. Another fascinating person who of course has a tale to tell. The jammy so and so lives in his car mainly in NZ for three months and then saves up from his job as either a record collector or agent.. what ever that is for the other nine months. He said he like spending time to himself and just walking. He is also a bit like me in that litter drives him nuts.. He had three pieces of plastic in his hand the sum total of the amount of rubbish on a 10 mile stretch of sand. Again Ireland bow your heads in shame. His favourite artist and band was .... wait for it... Yeah Thin Lizzy and Phil Lynott and will make a pilgrimage to Ireland some time to worship at his heros birthplace. He gave me his e-mail fairly quickly and of course I was obliged to give him mine back.. Oh oh me thinks I may have a long haired lover from Luneburg looking for a few free nights kip!

Went from that beach to a lake about 10 miles away from there.. the name escapes me and sunbathed for 2 hours in the evening sun.. I was passed by a total of 5 cars in that time and NO one else on the beach.

Got back to the Innlet and got chatting with a roguish Frenchman called Yves and a kiwi called Richard, both cyclists who were separately spending their hols biking all over... the crazy fools!!!!! Both of course as fit as anything and comparing their distance and speed averages.. There were ruddy doing more distances than I was with 4 wheels.I am shamed to say that the 3^rd x 3 litres is almost gone but I swear your honour I was assisted greatly in this one!

Up early to do the 5 hour trip to The Old Slaughter House Hostel in Hector north of Westport. Meliss is behaving herself but did go into a few hissy fits again today and was “re-calculating” while I decided to do a few un scheduled detours. Went from Innlet to PuPu Springs near Takaka. (there is an unfortunate way of naming places here) The springs are reputed to have the second purest water in the world after the antarctic with an artisan well spewing 21000 litres out per second. It was incredible. Beautiful morning as well so I was really blessed with my visit. However there was a drawback.... One thing with all that gushing water I felt a bit of a need to release a few litres myself.. Coffee is definately my enemy and I could not bear to head into the composting toilet in Innlet Hostel prior to leaving this morning. In this Pupu, they are paranoid about any contamination of the water and there are warning notices everywhere not to touch, wash, swim, pets or children also not allowed to be left unleashed etc in it. This also was the first palce that I did NOT encounter a public loo so I had to scarper behind a few trees...... well away from any watercourse and other passing gawping tourists ( I am a responsible environmeltalist/ non exhibitionist after all!) and hope that there were no security cameras!

Drove through the most incredible scenery to get here like gorges and mountains and then was welcomed into the area of Westport which had a sign saying “Welcome all..” Population 6000.... yes that was thousand and not hundred thousand in an area about 30 miles wide and about 70 miles. The area of the West Coast has only 1% of NZ population in a land area of 9%. The south island only has 1 million people.

 Just out of Westport I saw a sign saying beach lots for sale so took yet another detour.. I happened on another incredible beach Carters Beach and there was just me and a fisherman on it.  I walked 5 miles and he was the only other one there in that time!. Another incredible landscape with lots of trees embedded into the sand. Loads more pics taken to bore ye with.

Got to the Old Slaughter House around 6pm and the deal is you have to drop your car in the carpark and David the Kiwi with his German wife Ina will come down the track to collect your gear on the quad bike and you hike up the hill. The hostel is all wooden on stilts and david said he got the idea when he was in Ireland on a five week holiday and stayed 5 months. I never saw a place like this at home so I think he was taking a bit of poetic licence. What can I say but THE most incredible view looking out west and the setting sun. I am now writing this sitting on the verandah and listening to the waves crashing  100 metres below and being savaged by the fecking sandflies.. I will have more lumps on me than a pubscesent teenager with acne!!!

One last thing... I got to read the GB Weekly last night.. (Golden Bay Newspaper) There was a full page on crime in the area since the previous week. Some of the crimes included a guy who was taking the dust caps off tyres of cars.. A French guy who never paid his DOC ( Dept of Conservation) fee for staying in a mountain hut for one night.. about €15! And finally the most dastardly of crimes... the police were looking for a guy who was moving traffic cones in a car park for the laugh! He is still on the loose!

Can we swop some of our guys for these please??

Wharnaki Beach Sunset, Seals Tonga Island and Hi ho Bianca away!

Sandflies or sand?

Visualise this if you can..... I am currently sitting on a tree stump on Farewell Spit on the northern most tip of the South Island. This place goes on for about 25km but I only walked about 5 km up and heading back now but needed a chocolate break. I think I must be the only one who is walking this today equipped with lap top , 2 litres of water, half a fruit farm and various amounts of clothing just in case. It will be my full workout for a week both cardiac and endurance!

Anyhow this beach is the weirdest I have seen in a long time. For the first couple of kms there are fir trees growing right down to the sand and the sand littered with wind blown fir cones. You then get to a scrub land area composed of gorse and furze and then there are just dunes which stretch for 20 km. North and in areas up to several hundred metres wide between the two bodies of water.  

I hiked my way across the dunes which reminded me of Saudi but the fact of it there was the delight of seeing the sea on both sides. In Saudi there was no water! In addition, before I forget to mention it there was  two tide lines of shells forming a path of about 1 metre wide and stretching for the full 20km length of the rest of the beach.

Had to get off the dunes cause the cross winds and the resultant sand storm was sandblasting my freckles and I’d say I lost the top layer of skin from my ankles.

I decided to stay in the Innlet primarily beacuse I put on a huge load of washing yesterday.. (yes I did need all the clothes I packed Kev) and only got to put it on the line at 11pm. I had no intention of being the travelling Chinese laundry today with my smalls waving in the breeze out the car windows as I travelled South. I never heard such glee when I announced this morning that I was staying a second night.. NO it had nothing to do with my magnetic charm or my sparkling personality ....It had to do with the fact that the two French woofers had one less room to clean! Now before any of you get a little upset at my terminology, please note the following.. Woofers are folk who stay in the hostels and do some work or chores for their nights accomodation or even meals etc. Apparently there are grades of allowances depending on the work that you do... eg in Hopewell Julia ( another German but about 18) used to do the laundry so she got her meals thrown in as well as the accom. Really brill idea and should be utilised more widely.. I could do with a woofer to do the most lovable of jobs.. mainly ironing.... and they can stay forever! Hmmm now there is an idea!

So this morning was spent chilling trying to find a good reception spot for my internet and it kept crashing.Some parts of this country are really remote There was one square foot of a location that the signal wavered from poor to none so I had to keep the laptop VERY VERY still. Of course I went outside that sq. foot zone frequently cause of the onslaught of the fecking sand flies who attacked in droves when you least suspected it. Literally you get attacked by about 20 at a time and all I say is thank God for yoga. The little bastards were able to bite my instep, back of knee and behind my ear all in the first attack. My injuries are not from the little buggers but from my own hands slapping this bod everywhere.. The flexibility I have is wonderous! I was like a gorilla on speed with the arms and hands flailing all over the place!!

Anyhow this is a day to me and a complete chillout before the long drive tomorrow through one of the “the top 10 coast drives in the planet” according to the bible. No doubt there will be a few hundred photo opportunities lurking all over. Destination is a hostel called “The Slaughter House” between Westport..( yes there is one here too) and Greymouth.

Oh oh I now have a very uncomfortable feeling in my shorts....ants in me pants I think!! Tar raa till I go fish em out!! False alarm ...it was sand in my crankshaft.

Quick PS... thanks to one and all for the comments and delighted that some of you can now see that I am capable of full recall of events.. this is why I have to do it daily!! Otherwise NNOoooooo chance! Ciara B your notebook is a treasure!!

As you also know cause I have stated it before.. I cant answer the comments as much as I would love to because the technology is beyond me!! I do appreciate them tho.. Keep em going. Have a brill Sunday.

Chaffing & Cliffs

Just when you thought it could not get any better you get a day that tops the day before. I was booked to go on the kayak tour of Tongo island the seal santuary in Abel Tasman.. I was up at the dawn and again met the incredibly unfriendly French party staying in Keruka Lodge..they were “oh non alors” over the brekkie and obviously talking about me....so I held stum until I left. You know that they are talking about you cause they not so secretly point and then drop their voices when you come in the door. They were prob saying.. “its only a Paddy and he wont understand us”.. So they were a little more cocky this morning and talking out loud.. I was picking up the odd phrase... and just on the way out the door I cheerily said “Bonjour, ca va.. tu va bien? Vive la France!” in my flawless french accent  and saw one of the girlies nearly choke on her banana.   Served her right.

Took off for Marahau to catch  the Abel Water Taxis to bring us to Tongo Island for our seal watching...The best set up I ever saw..Our instructor ( and believe you me, we nay I needed one!) was Mikey.. a kiwi with dreadlocks and really lovely.As we were waiting on the rest to arrive, I was introduced to a fellow kayaker called Bianca from Berlin.... a lovely woman who had worked with Greenpeace for 10 years and now in her new job of rural development is shortly off to Vietnam for work for 2 years. We were deep in conversation when we got attacked by the early rising sand flies who tired to devour us for their breakfast. A few others (people.. not sandflies) arrived and we were ready to go..In the car park you are put up on the boat on the trailer.. then a tractor brings the full works and you in your lifejacket on the boat, on a trailer, up the road to the beach and you are released into the crystal blue briney. The high speed taxi boat then took us to Onetabuthi Beach....an incredibly beautiful stretch with golden sands and the clearest blue sea. There were eventually 8 of us in the group with Mikey, and Bianca and myself chose to paddle together.. I think she regreted it within about a minute! I was at the back and had control over the pedals to direct the rudder left and right.. Now this should not be uncomplicated, but anyone who knew me when I tried windsurfing in UCC  24 years ago can testify that I was the only one ever blown UP the creek in Oyster Haven while the rest had to be rescued from the open sea.... in other words my sense of direction re anything nautical leaves a lot to be desired. Bianca will be cannonised for her patience.. Every 10 seconds she would say in a very level calm voice... “Der, we really need to go right to avoid those sharp rocks” or “Der you are directing us straight for impact with the oncoming high speed water taxi”.  She already had the jitters re paddling on the sea after  the tsunami in Japan and the possibility of tidal surges. I certainly was not helping matters!

 Well all I can say is that we had the most fantastic morning. Mixture of nationalities in the group and again I was the eldest. They do tend to give me condescending nods and smiles and you know they are thinking.. “oh God, will we be like him at that age??” Mikey the lovely kiwi instructor did say that he was worried about me multitasking in that I was talking AND paddling at the same time. I should really only try one! A not very subtle way of telling me to keep my trap shut as I was scaring the seals around Tonga Island which were in abundance. It was magical.. they frollicking around in  the crystal water not a few metres from the kayaks.... cubs and mothers all in the blazing sunshine. Fantastic..!

Paddled back to Onetabuti Beach for 1 and had our lunch there on the sand in the sunshine.. all included in the price and I scoffed my face..including a huge chocolate brownie! Not a good idea again with the high speed taxi back and then travelling for the afternoon to my hostel called the Innlet on Golden Bay and Farewell Spit.( most northerly part of the South Island). On the way I stopped in Takaka to get petrol as I was down to vapour in the tank and also to ask them where to get my car washed. It was really ridiculous at this stage as the dust on it was making me filthy any time I touched a part of it or opened any of the doors or boot. The lovely ladies in the gas station said ..”Mate no such thing as a car wash here hay, but hay you could try the boat wash in Pohara” Not a bad idea so I headed off the 8kms to there.

Now maybe its me and my recent exposure to nudity, but today just as I was going through Pohara and I did happen across the local Cycling club which was having its annual Cycle in the Nuddie Day!!.. My eyes were out on stalks as I watched a fairly large group of all shapes and sizes with some hilarious body paint and others with nothing but a flower, or a smile pass or a face cloth covering the essentials etc.. but the one thing I can say is that most of them were looking a tad uncomforable on those sharp saddles. I’d say the ire was only rampant that night.

 I was too late for photos as I nearly crashed the car trying to manouver the camera out of the bag and get a few shot and also nearly wiped half their cycle club out in the process!! Anyhow I reluctantly went to the boat wash and got  the car looking less like a ploughed field and made my way out of Pohara....

But guess what?? I got the the naked cyclers on their RETURN journey.. yippie..so I got loads of pics! For those of you interested I will be setting up private viewings at extrordinary prices when I get home!! It was all really good humoured but I can assure ya.. no Brad Pitts or Angelina members in that club but a fair few Darby and Joans.

Got to the really lovely Innlet Hostel in Golden Bay at 4pm and yes believe it or not  I met the non talkative “lesbian” from the Hat Trick Hostel from Hell..when she saw me she said..” Hi.. I know you from 2-3 days ago”.. I have an apology to make though..... she is German .... not Dutch but is lovely and maybe not even a lesbian! ( She did speak of a boyfriend this evening while stroking her freinds face....maybe bisexual?)

I ended up going with Matan an Israeli on tour to the Cape Farewell lookout with the most amazing cliffs that would put the Cliffs of Moher to shame. I am still in awe the fact the cows were munching grass on the precipice and not toppling over. They seemed oblivious to the 150 meter drop to the ocean below and wait for it... no fencing electric or otherwise! We went from there to Wharariki Beach, one of the most incredible beaches I have been on. We got there just at sunset and all I say is wow and wow again. I have only about 200 pics to prove the beauty of the place and the sunset. The beach has sea stacks and sea arches cut into the stack and incredible fine sand and yet again a spotless haven. We eventually got back to the hostel @ 20.30 for something to eat and break into the 3^rd 3 litre wine box I have bought since arriving... Bliss... sitting on the verandah outside my room looking at the stars. Then into the fantastic common area to be sociable with Matan, the girls and a few others here before writing this and then heading for my leaba!! Happy weekend Yawl!

UPDATE.. oh my God!!!!! I am so wrong re the girlies from Germany.. they are SISTERS as in ....SIBLINGS!! I just got the run down from one of them on her way to the loo..!! Yikes... me, my radar and overactive brain!!!

Well able for Tasman but not for Hat Trick Hostel

As predicted the night was a wash out...I eventually got to sleep at 1 am when the TV was eventually switched off and someone thumped up the stairs to bed and toe jam. Well then I fell into a coma when I was abruptly wakened at 05.30 by... please note Cork Corpo.. a road sweeper that I thought was gonna join me and the Chinese sneezer in my bedroom! That must have been the wake up call for all in sundry, because it was then the din began in earnest. You try sleeping with a crowd of delinquents stomping and swearing all over the place trying to get ready for their 7 am pick up by some bus to somewhere. Anyhow, you add Hans the German hollering to Helga (obviously his better half) Vhere ist mein shampoo? And she bellows back.... “Zee shampoo is on de bet!” Added to that a continuous flushing of the toilet for over an hour and then the collective stomping down that shaggin stairs and out the door. The building literally was vibrating for about 10 mins after they left.. but a wonderful silence prevaded. I of course did not get back to sleep and then decided to head for the shower and kitchen. There were three in total there.. me, a rude Dutch lesbian who was in a pout with her gf and refused to say hi and finally a very austere Austrian probably in his 70s who thought I was really completely bonkers to be paying more than $20 ( 10 yoyos) for car hire per day. I decided not to tell him the truth of the cost or he would have been put off his museli with hot milk.. Definately a hostel for the delusional.

I got to Able Tasmen National Park for 09.30 and started hiking.. I decided I would try and make it to a place called Anchorage about 3.5 hours away and then come back.. So that would be 7 in total. It was a magnificent day and the place is only incredible. It is a coast track walk that you can leave every so often and go on to golden coloured sanded beaches with trees down to the sand and azure coloured crystal clear waters.

I was about 30 mins into the hike when you will be surprised to hear that I saw a full moon... no not the lunar variety but a wide arsed French girl who decided to drop her kacks and have a waz on the main path for all to see... well me anyway!!! The dope of a boyfriend was on the lookout ahead rather than looking behind so I got full view. It was hilarious.. I cracked a twig, which make her hike up her undies quicker than I would have thought comfortably possible and just carry on walking. Women are marvellous for multi tasking (walk chat and dress in double quick time all at once). I bet her knickers were all bunched up until she got the time and space to un-bunch!. The thing that made me chuckle to myself for more than twenty minutes after was the fact that she was about 2 mins from a proper loo!. The silly cow though had no shame though and we kept passing each other for the day and smiling and saying hi.. She knew that I saw it all but what she does not realise it that I will probably need therapy when I get home!!

 Anyhow, that was the only fly in the ointment so to speak for a wonderful day. Well maybe not.. there was a wasp that inadvertently caught itself under the tongue of my left walking shoes. Every time I moved, he was getting more and more squashed and what would you do if you were him in the circumstances?? Yes the bastard stung me ... just before I mashed him into oblivion. It was bloody sore and I thought this is gonna screw me up when out of the blue, a Florence Nightingale appeared... well two of them in the forms of Bettina and Urs.. a lovely Swiss couple I had met in Hopewell. Bettina had sting salve in her bag and so I plastered the area and got immediate ease. Hopewell gets a higher rating from me based on the calibre of client that were there as well as the fantastic facilities.

I carried on regardless and can I say what a buzz I was getting from the hike. It was fantastic.. I got close to Anchorage in 2 hours twenty when it said that it should take 3.5. I decided to take a detour and carry on regardless to Torrent Bay a further 1 hour 40 away.. Remember readers I have to get back this way as well!! Just before the last turn off to Torrent Bay I saw a sign to Cleopatras Pool. This was adding another km.

Can I tell ya that Cleo knows how to pick them! What an incredible clear pool with a natural slide carved into the rock area for ya to slip slide your way with a splosh into her inviting sparkling waters.. well yes apart from a party of fat loud older Americans who had their own special Kiwi guide as  a lackie setting up a feast of a lunch after the poor beggar had to carry it for miles for them. Added to Ms Frenchies full moon earlier, I had to contend with Mr 200 lb  American trying to discreetly get into his shorts without a towel and of course not hiding himself from the main track...  My second full moon of the day!.. It was enough to put me off my own lunch but I decided to bug them and sit there anyway!

I got to Torrent Bay at 1.30 pm and then had to just turn around and work my way back. Met a lovely Dutch guy called Cor who was also hiking on his own but we kept each other company for a few miles.

 In total and according to guide books I am proud to say that I walked a total of 33km today.... thats just over 20 miles to those still using Imperial measurement. I can honestly say I was on a buzz when I got back at nearly 6 pm hiking continuously since 09.30 and only about 10 mins for lunch. I saw a pizza place and bar just where I parked my car... Nothing for it but to reward myself with a large one and chill and chat to the waitress Catherine from the Cork Road in Waterrrrrforrrrd City.. She was rolling her Rs’ very well. When we started talking, her Kiwi colleague thought we were speaking Irish!

Anyhow a smug well stuffed and well satisfied Der made his way back to a fab hostel called Kanuka Lodge in Marahau, Abel Tasman National Park for a very comfy QUIET room for €22.50..( Lads we are being screwed at home!!) Melissa...you thought she had been banished or forgotten about?? Noooo her Royal Cowness tried to throw a spanner into the works by directing me about 4 km away up another unsealed road but I was too alert and spotted the address myself. Nothing was gonna upset me after this fantastic day......

Well apart from a FULL MOON with the partial eclipse by Uranus!

It pays to plan for everyones sake!

After spending a wonderful hour in the hot tub I followed that by a further hour swinging in the hammock and listening to the fishing boats humming along the sound. Then a meal and a lively chat and the 30 second game again and finishing the wine with James and Eric in celebrating his(Erics) birthday. Is 3 litres in two nights seen as being a bit of a drinking problem? I did share it though and not skull all of it myself. Tried at half past midnight to head off and see the glow worms up the lane and of course passed them merrily on (effects of the cheap wine). However I saw the most incredibly clear sky with the milkyway and all the constellations of the southern hemisphere.

The sun was blazing this morning and I was sorely tempted just to stay in Hopewell but I would put the rest of the hol in a state of flux. James and I both left together and said our goodbyes to the great folk and visitors of the centre. I would recommend the place to anyone. Def worth its 96% rating.. This though would come back to rue me later as you will see. I was completely spoiled! James led me along the dusty tracks for about two hours and we stopped regularly and chatted and then went for a tea in a beautiful Portage before parting ways just on Cullen viewing point outside Havelock. We will meet up again during the week once we have done our respective intermediate tours.

Forgetting that today was Thursday I had to do a rethink re Abel Tasman..It would be thronged on the weekend so I was best to hot foot it straight there and avoid Nelson. The Canadian couple (Joy and Bruce) in Hopewell had  recommended a hostel in the biggest town of Motueka near the Abel Tasmen park but the place was full and I tried the second best.. No prob getting a room. There was of course a reason for this or as I point out below a myriad of them. Let me briefly describe the scenario. I am now staying in an  "exclusive" ensuite double room downstairs in 2 storey portacabin. The walls are so thin that in the Chinese group two rooms below me along the corridor one of the girls sneezed and I thought I had her in the room with me! Added to that, the kitchen is upstairs and you have to pass all the dorms with the toe jam boots outside lined the respective rooms on the corridor.. I was being hit by various intensity of toe jamminess by the time I got to the door of the kitchen....not a good thing to give or maintain an appetite! I had veg for dinner and scarpered out of the badly equipped kitchen as quickly as possible. Anyhow the average age of the crowd shouting and roaring there was about 16 and all talking about how popular they were on facebook! Not one saluted and I did try about 10 times. Anyhow I was better of out of it. Its now 11pm and I have a Chinese guy in the hall having an animated chat with his wifey or someone.. Another guy is playing seasaw with the loose floor board in the dorm overhead, the toilet discharge pipes must be in the divisional wall of my room and on the other side is the staircase made of wrought iron and each heifer running up and down is shaking the house. There are a gaggle of nationalities outside my window all fighting for airspace in shrill voices and finally...( did I say finally already?) add to that combined din, the addition of the  TV that  some dozy eejit has up to full volume.. I dont think I will be getting much sleep.! This was DEFINATELY not worth the 80% rating.. either the voters were all stoned or delusional... or my final conclusion is that the owners were voting for themselves and wrote their own ratings!! Anyhow I will be sticking to outta town places in future with no pedestrian access. Yes you are correct.....I am a grumpy old man!

I was advised to try and use the Kaiteriteri Kayaks company to plan my Abel Tasman experience..I think the poor girl working there is checking hereself into a home for the bewildered this evening after dealing with me. I just did not know how I wanted to plan it but did know that I was NOT spending the night with 9 others in a hut on a bare mattress and paying $40 for the joy of it in the middle of nowhere... Nooooo thanks very much.. I am way beyond that! So I have decided on a long hike tomorrow and then doing a separate kayak trip on Saturday..about €90 for the half day honour of it. I better see some bloody wildlife for that money. I have booked obviously into a different hostel tomorrow night. Then with no overnighter in the park, I dont have to carry half a house with me and all the food I need and also the wet gear for the kayaking and of couse I wont have to endure the Hat Trick Lodge for a further 24 hours..Mul you are getting sense! Weather forecast is brill as my redder right arm will confirm after adding another rosy shade to it out the drivers window today. Next two days will hopefully help me balance it out a bit on the left hand side! I will say good night but I dont think it will be!