New Plymouth and Nelson

Hi there

I've just returned from a couple of weeks' holiday.  One week in New Plymouth and another week in Nelson.  The temp was never less than 24c and on one day in Nelson, the temp hit 29c, a March heat record.

On the 29c day in Nelson, I had booked to go on a day trip to the Abel Tasman National Park.  All a -tingle with excitement I waited at 7.30 am at the Tahunanui bus stop to be picked up.  An Abel Tasman Shuttle bus approached.

I waved happily, and the bus glided right on past me.

Huh?

I was forgotten, forlorn, standing there on the pavement with my bag stuffed full of bathing suit, food, sun block, sunhat, umbrella, and anything else one could think of to ensure a good day in the bush and on the beach.  Not that I was going to go bush adventuring (been there, done that, sprained my knee), but a day lazing on the Anchorage beach would be sublime.

I contacted the company and, yes, they'd gone to a different place to pick me up than the place that was written on my ticket.

I was given a free trip for the following day where the weather wasn't quite as nice, but I did get up close to dolphins which I believe are rarely spotted in the National Park area.

I was so ticked off at being left high and definitely dry that I stomped across the road to Tahunanui Beach and went for an 8 a.m. swim. 

Here's the view from the deck of my en suite cabin at the Belt Road Seaside  Holiday Park in New Plymouth.  I love Belt Road because it is right next to the Coastal Walkway which is a fantastic place to wander.

My New Plymouth trip

Hi there

Last week, I took off for a three night stay in New Plymouth, Taranaki, which is another one of my fave New Zealand places.  I love to stay at the Belt Road Seaside (Seaside?  How 1920's British is that?) Holiday Park.  The park is right on the edge of a cliff, facing the sea, and cabins have the most breathtaking views; I had an en suite.  I needed that shower after all my biking, swimming, walking.

Every day for three days I went swimming at the beach down the road, about a 15 minute walk away.  On day two, I hired a bike from the Park and did the coastal walkway (I walked it on day three).  The coastal walkway runs right beside the Park and is great for anyone:  walkers, cyclists, scooters, mobility scooters (senors can hire them free from the i-site office nearby), skaters, and wheelchairs.   I adored seeing all the different ways folk got along on the walkway.

The woman hiring me the bike lowered the seat for me.

"I don't think this is working," I said.  The last time I'd hired a bike, I could only get on and off by balancing myself beside a fence.  So, the woman lowered the seat again for me, down to its lowest setting.  It was still hard to balance but I could - puff, pant, puff, wobble-wobble - just reach the seat without the bike crashing down to the ground.

By the end of the day, I had a real sore bottom!  Getting on and off the bike had been a challenge.  I had to do it so often ... whenever I crossed a part of the railway track or stopped to let people pass, or saw a big hill in front of me (or what I classed as a big hill.  Other people would no doubt call it a slight rise).  I wobbled and puffed continuously.

below: part of the view from the deck of my cabin.

The en suite cabin

A view in another direction.

 And another....