Motueka and Kaiteriteri

We spent the night of the 19th in Motueka (which is such a fun word to say) with the intention of hiking to sinkholes and caves around Abel Tasman National Park on the 20th. On the way to the first hike Hart got a migraine, so we spent most of the day at a rest stop which Hart has renamed Migraine Lookout. It was a perfectly lovely day for me -- I read a couple of books and had a nice view over the town and bay. We had reservations for a kayaking trip from Kaiteriteri (another fun word to say) the next day, so we headed down when Hart felt better.

Set on a beautiful beach, Kaiteriteri is just south of Abel Tasman National Park and was a pretty hot spot on Saturday night. The main part of town consisted of a huge holiday part and a couple of restaurants that backed right up to the holiday park. We were afraid it would be loud all night, but many of the bus tours left after the sun set and the majority of the noise came from a bar called the Beached Whale.

I have been looking forward to paddling in New Zealand since we decided to come here and the kayaking trip lived up to my expectations. Since moving to Seattle, I've discovered just how much I love water. When I see it, I want to be on it and as close to it as possible. Kayaking is the ideal solution for a non-swimmer like me because you actually sit in the water with the boat keeping you mostly dry. We saw the gorgeous shore from the water and took a break at a private beach with some neat caves. This was all fantastic, but nothing could beat the feeling of being out on the water. Oh, and neither of us had any motion sickness.

After kayaking we ate some outstanding fish and chips, and then we hit the road headed west. We're planning to drive up to Karamea on the west coast this afternoon to explore some caves.