First attempt to walk the Abel Tasman...

Okay, confession time. Even we got some weather to deal with on our holiday. Our last day in nelson would be best described as ... well stormy. Howling wind, strong wave. Of course that didn't stop us to board a boat and get to walk in Anchorage bay. Picnic up under the rain in the wonderful DOC hut. We walk to a deserted charming little beach. Cleansed from the sky from  every angles (yes collected sand).Don't we love it when you climb on a water taxi and the lovely shipmate (barefoot) hands out straight away "towels" (apparently safer than your usual paper bag for seasickness...). Mano really enjoyed the wave surfing of the boat. I merely decided to take a much lighter lunch. Rachel said that the captain was really being gentle on us. Of course, Captain Calm was barefeet and sipping a cup of tea, not even secured to the deck. Your regular mug.

But hey, heroic-me braved the weather and took ONE picture.
Seriously, if that's what it looks like when it's awful weather, isn't that beach straight from heaven?

Through the Pelorus

We left the Charlotte Sounds

...to get through to Nelson via the Pelorus bridge,

here's the Pelorus River, who gave ma a lovely pair of earrings.

 

Mieux?

Glad to know you're safe and sound resting from this long trip :-)

Overdue

So I was supposed to take a pic of us three in the middle of paradise. Here's for you Arnaud :-)

One sunny day on the Queen Charlotte track

The Queen Charlotte Track is one of the great walk of NZ (un petit frere du GR 20). Winding around the coastline of the Marlborough Sounds.

Starting bright and early to get dropped at Resolution Bay.

 This is a private property that tolerate us walking people.

The rest of the garden and the house definitely match.

 Rachel in the morning sun :-)

 Two of the numerous views. Amazing.

We were supposed to be finished walking round 12h30.

We reached Furneaux Bay around 15h... because we could not take our eyes of the numerous views.

 Picked up at Furneaux Bay.

Yep one can do the orange and purple ice cream. Something like choco-orange/liquorice.

Interesting melange....

Heading South

 Second ferry crossing for Mano (first was the Channel about 9 years ago...)

 Picton, South Island

Grove Arm of the Charlotte Sound, Marborough

Te Papa - WOW exhibition

The World of Wearable Art is quite an NZ phenomenon, I think there are exhibitions every year.

The game is to built clothing made of wearable material such as paper, wood, tin, feathers.

I did not write odwn the individual names, but below are some examples:

wood:

 felt cloth:

 woven flax:

 unsure...

 metal sheets:

 wonder if this one was part of the theme where each garnment had to be flipped over to reveal another one. A bit like the concept of a reversible jacket. One greendress when pulled up reveal pea pods :-)

 Our favorite:

 Tinkerbell?

 Side display: the March Hare

 And the beautiful princess shoes

These costumes are displayed in real life during something like a "ballet". Some short extracts were shown and it is quite mesmerizing. If you are curious, take a visit there.

Te Papa Wellington - 2

Te Papa also has a section on the Pacific Island in general, retracing their voyages,

different islands, different peoples, differents tatooes.

 Love the "bolduc" necklace

And an impressive interactive display to taste the Pacific Island's music.

This table enable each "player" to command one instrument.

Lots of fun!