Nelson, NZ

“Some beautiful paths can’t be discovered without getting lost.”

Erol Ozan

I am really getting the hang of staying in hostels, which is beneficial for both my social skills as well as my for my wallet. So far on the trip, I had been spending several consecutive nights in a hostel, then switching to an AirBnb, then hosteling again, etc.

But my nights in hostels on the South Island had been so nice that I began staying in them for almost entire weeks before switching to a more private home for a night. It is all very dependent on the people I meet, and lately I’ve been socializing a lot. I seem to be improving as a traveller on this trip, and a big part of that is maximizing my time in hostels.

After my wonderful stay at the Juggler’s Rest in Picton, I booked a one night stay at another highly rated hostel in Nelson. I enjoyed spending time with people so much each night that in the mornings I would get up before check-out time and pay for another night; I did this for three additional nights. That’s one of the upsides of traveling on a flexible schedule; if I like a place, I can just stay longer. Of course, it doesn’t always work out, as some places get booked up in advance and then I have to leave, but I had been getting lucky lately.

On my first day in Nelson, I left late in the morning to enjoy brunch, and was well impressed by the food at the cafe I choose, DeVille. I had been on the hunt for a yummy brunch spot in New Zealand, and this place did not disappoint. I ordered a dish that contained a type of fried cheese called haloumi, which is apparently very popular in New Zealand and Australia. I don’t think you can really go wrong with fried cheese, and as you bite into it, it makes a squeaky sound in your mouth. Afterwards, I strolled around town and made my way to the top of a hill, called the “Centre of New Zealand”. From here, you get 360 degree views of Nelson, a lovely reward.

That evening, I learned that the hostel I was staying at was known for their chocolate pudding cake, prepared by the owner every day and provided for the guests between 8 and 9 PM. During this time, there is a no phone policy, so guests are encouraged to socialize with one another, rather than staring at their phones. I think it’s a great policy, and it is how I met so many people at this hostel each evening. Not to mention, the cake was delicious! I have no pictures of it because I gobbled it up as soon as I got my share each day.

Cable Bay

There were two people in particular with whom I spent the day exploring after meeting during pudding-cake time. The first was a guy from the Netherlands. In the morning we enjoyed brunch at DeVille (again!) before driving to do a short hike at a place called Cable Bay.

It was another one of those times where I did not appropriately prepare for the weather. I anticipated a short walk by the beach, but it was actually a steep hike to get to the lookout point, and my white shoes, cotton shirt, and jeans were not the ideal clothing choice for this. Additionally, we got rained on, and I had left my rain coat in the car.

We waited under some shelter for a bit until the rain stopped and then continued climbing the mountain. Post-rain, the air felt very fresh and we saw hundreds of sheep scampering up the mountain with us. It truly felt like a New Zealand experience; we were surrounded by the sounds of hooves and baaaaaahs from the sheep. 

That evening, I cooked my first significant meal at a hostel. I fried up some chicken and vegetables for dinner, something I had previously only done at AirBnbs. Something about being surrounded by dozens of people in a hostel never appealed to me for cooking, but it did not end up being as scary as I had thought. People were fun and sociable while cooking, and my Dutch friend was the life of the party. I was sad to separate with him the next day when he left town.

Abel Tasman National Park

There are lots of beautiful hikes to do around Nelson, between Kahurangi National Park and Nelson Lakes National Park, all of which contain some of New Zealand’s great walks. The New Zealand great walks are a group of popular walking tracks, with some of the best scenery in the country, that are maintained by the Department of Conservation. The walks range from 32 km (20 miles) to 82 km (51 miles) in length and take between 3 and 6 days to complete in full. Abel Tasman is one of the top great walks in the country, and the huts get booked up early in advance.

I was excited to explore Abel Tasman Park for the next couple days. There are no roads at the park and the only way to get to campsites is by walking or taking a water taxi. I had heard that kayaking is a great way to explore the golden beaches of the park, therefore I booked a full day sea kayaking trip. We began the morning by riding in a water taxi to the northern end of the park, where the kayaking tour would commence. The winds were quite strong, so while we waited for them to calm down, our guide made us some coffee over a camping stove. Even that coffee was amazing, and he frothed up some milk to add to it. They don’t mess around with coffee in this country!

As the wind settled, we got situated in our kayaks. There were three couples in our group, and then me. I got to be in the kayak with our guide, which that worked out well for me, because I barely had to do any work. I did not have to think about steering and could take many breaks from paddling, as the guide did most of it. We kayaked around a small island near the beach to look at some seals. Most of them were hunting and off the island, but we did see a couple of them on the rocks.

Kayaking along Abel Tasman Park, we saw all sorts of species of birds. We even caught glimpse of a little blue penguin fishing in the water. The combination of the gorgeous teal color of the water and golden yellow beaches made for a paradise-like environment. In the afternoon, we took a break for lunch at Mosquito Beach, where there were actually no mosquitos. 

I had lots of opportunities to take pictures both on the beach and on the kayak, but looking down at the screen made me a bit seasick. I really should learn my lesson when it comes to staring at little screens while on rocking boats! Nonetheless, my kayaking day was pleasant and I enjoyed the perfect weather.

The other friend I made at the hostel was a girl from Colorado, where I am from; my first time meeting someone from my state. Claire had plans to do the entire Abel Tasman walk, for five days. I did want to see part of the park from land, so I joined her for her first day of walking. We casually left late in the morning, since I had a car and could drive us, and started walking around 11. The walk was relatively flat, and we chatted the entire time. Her backpack looked incredibly heavy, she was carrying everything she brought to New Zealand with her!

As we walked, I learned more about Claire’s fascinating life. She told me stories about how several years back, she spent six months working in the Amazon rainforest, doing research. She told me about her encounters with various wildlife, terrifying thunderstorms, and lack of communication with the outside world for long periods of time. It sounded like a surreal experience!

Claire and I separated in the afternoon as she continued on the Abel Tasman walk and I rode a water taxi back out of the park. I took a break from hostels that night and stayed on a farm AirBnb, about 20 minutes away from town. I had been looking for a quiet and peaceful stay, and this place did not disappoint. I had a bit of a rush in the evening though getting some groceries 10 minutes before the store closed. In America, when a store is scheduled to close at a certain time, that is usually the closing time for the shoppers and then employees leave a little bit later. But here, the closing time was when the whole place would be locked up. When I arrived to the store, most of the shelves with fresh produce were all covered up and announcers on the intercom were telling people to leave so they could lock up right at 9 PM. I grabbed as much as I could before that time and was one of the last ones to leave, annoying all of the workers.

Nelson Lakes National Park

One day I want to return to Nelson Lakes Park to do some of the multi day walks here, because this park is gorgeous. There is a lake deep in the park that is considered to be the clearest lake in the world, Blue Lake or Rotomairewhenua, with visibility up to 80 meters (262 feet)! I wish I had time to do this walk, but this lake is not accessible in one day of walking, so I settled for another path, Mount Robert Circuit. On my way to the car park, a guy waved me down near the park to stop. By this point, I had not yet picked up a hitchhiker, but I was almost at the park and he seemed desperate. He had cut himself while rock climbing and needed some medical attention, and asked for a ride to his car so I took him. He was friendly and gave me some hiking advice, and I’m glad I stopped.

The fairly empty park allowed me to enjoy a quiet walk by myself for most of the time. I always get lost in my thoughts when walking in solitude for hours and it was nice to let my mind wander for a while. The alpine scenery reminded me of home, and I felt in my element there. The views at the top of the mountain were beautiful and I let myself take it all in.

-Anastasia