[Sam B]

Just had a fantastic holiday in Abel Tasman, really recommend it, it is not over-rated! We drove down through the North Island, stopping for a day at Tongariro National Park, went up Ruapahu on chairlift - v spectacular in an ugly lunar landscape sort of way. Also v cold!

Then we spent a night in the YHA in Welly - really liked Wellington, it seemed compact and cosmopolitan and cool, with plenty of green in sight. Started to think "hmm, maybe I should have taken that job in Wellington after all..."

Then over to S.I. on ferry. Marlborough Sound is so beautiful that my eyes kept thinking they were looking at a cheesy oil painting, they couldn't take it in! (This is particularly the view on the drive between Picton and Havelock).

Abel Tasman was just fantastic. Especially for bird fans like our family as we saw a kaka in a tree up a mountain. Great. We also walked some of the coastal path, kayaked, took a water taxi - the costs soon mounted up. It's not a place that you can do very cheaply actually, as kayaking and water taxis for a family of 4 is pretty pricey.

One thing to be aware of if you go with kids - it is a great place for kids, but you are very limited in terms of kayaking. Most companies will not take you at all. We could only find one, based at Kaiteriteri beach who would take us, and that was just a half day trip round a small area. But it was enough. Well, it cost enough at any rate!

Anyway, I'm going to try to put some photos in, but J has gone to bed, so I may have to do it when he wakes up in the morning as I struggle with things like that.

BTW, the ferry back to the N.I. was v rough, and the boat was listing the whole way. I spent the whole time sitting next to the lifeboats so I would be first on. But we made it.

[Sam B]

Grrr, getting really angry trying to do these photos. Shall return in the morning with reinforcements.

[katandbob]

BTW, the ferry back to the N.I. was v rough, and the boat was listing the whole way. I spent the whole time sitting next to the lifeboats so I would be first on. But we made it.
:laugh :laugh :laugh

Glad you had a good holiday, look forward to the pictures

Kat:nice1

[andreamatt]

Great post Sam

Lovely to hear of your impressions of Welly, and the Abel Tasman. We hope to go kayaking there soon - but I think our children are younger than yours (almost 9 and 6)?

Great news about your house too.

Will be looking out for your photos...

Andrea

[Sam B]

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t118/brydons_2007/DSC_1844.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t118/brydons_2007/DSC_1820.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t118/brydons_2007/DSC_1840.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t118/brydons_2007/DSC_1808-1.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t118/brydons_2007/DSC_1797.jpg

I wish I knew how to make the photos actually be on the page!

[Sam B]

Andrea - my children are 10 and 6, not much difference. Children cannot really kayak there until they are 18!

[Jo Jo]

Oh wow, that looks beautiful - definitely on my list of must visit places now.

To upload pics into the post, scroll down to the "Additional Options" window and click on "Manage Attachments" - this will bring up a window where you can upload pics directly from your PC. There is a size limit on the pics - this appears in a table in the aforementioned window. For jpegs it is 620 x 280 pixels.

[Kim39]

Nice pic's Sam. Little chuckle came from me when you mention sitting next to lifeboats, me i'd be sat in them:eek:

To upload the pic to the post just copy the last option on the bottom of the photo....IMG code.... and paste into the post.

Kim

[Sam B]

Right, I'm going to try it....
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t118/brydons_2007/DSC_1844.jpg

[Sam B]

YES!!!!!!!!! YEEHARR!!!!!

I can't tell you how happy I am I've finally learned to do that - and I didn't even cry or scream!!

I'm going to post some more!!!

[Moorf]

On our kayak trip (half day) up at Abel Tasman we had a couple with a 4 year old with us. The instructor had their young daughter in his kayak. As we had friends with us who had a 1 yr old baby and who were keen to kayak we asked what the age minimum would be - he said he'd taken out kids as young as 2. The company we used was Golden Bay Kayaks in Pohara.

Young children don't paddle, or have paddles. they sit up front in a double kayak and enjoy the view! :nice1

[Sam B]

Right, now I've learned how to put photos on....
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t118/brydons_2007/DSC_1761.jpg
(View of Marlborough Sound)
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t118/brydons_2007/DSC_1787.jpg

[Sam B]

Hee hee, this is fun...
Here are some views from the mountains above Abel Tasman, 2nd one is me contemplating life, the universe etc.
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t118/brydons_2007/DSC_1866.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t118/brydons_2007/DSC_1894.jpg

[Sam B]

Were people with children allowed to do more than a half day trip with your company Moorf? We should have looked harder, that's annoying, because we really wanted to kayak out to the little island with the fur seals. Oh well.

[Marie P]

Hi Sam ..........what lovely photos .........amazing colours .

Well done on getting the photos on finally .

Chat soon .

Marie x

[Moorf]

Not sure about the full day one Sam, but they were allowed on the half :yes

The little girl got a little scared though when the guide said we were off to see the Stingrays - I think she was a bit of a Steve Irwin fan :uhoh

Lovely photo's... the coastal scenery really is stunning there.

[thezorbster]

Stunning pictures Sam. Just got back from our reccie trip and although we stayed in Nelson, we didn't manage a trip to Abel Tasman as we didn't think anyone would take our daughter age 4. Wish we'd tried harder now! We did look at Kayaks for sale though and saw a family one so it will be on the shopping list when we eventually make the move.

[Sam B]

Yes, we've been looking at kayaks on Trade me - think we may go for it after we've built our house!

[Carey]

We kayaked with our 2 girls aged 8 and 11 and the 3 yr old could have gone on OH's lap, in a double kayak but he changed his mind at last minute and as Igot a cactus thorn in my knee the day before and couldn't bend it, I watched too! Anyway we hired kayaks for $10 an hour at Pahia, in Bay of Islands nr Russell, very easy, very casual, not strict on time at all, very freindly chap who let the kids play aournd in the shallows afer our paid time was up. I guess round Abel Tasman its more popular so they are stricter?

[Ana&Steve]

Sam, I like the pic with you guys on the wood porch, it looks like you're suspended right over the valley with nothing else holding you up!
Ana

[Sam B]

We were! Well a few wooden strutts, not much else.

[liamnrach]

SamB

These piccies really reminded us of our trip to Abel Tasmin in Jan 06. We found the most fantastic walks and views that really took our breath away....

When I work out how to put pictures on I shall post some on this thread!! The photos always come up as 'too large (kb) to post'

AAAAAAAAAaaarrrrrhhhh!!!:wah

Liam n Rach