FLIP & FLOP'S ADVENTURE: Nelson to the North Island

NELSON

We spent a couple nights resting in this lovely town, nice restaurants, kitesurfing spots and the campsite was just a walk away from the beach.
We also treated ourselves to an evening restaurant meal (1st in NZ) and went to 'The Boat Shed'. Funnily enough, the waiter that was taking care of our table had worked in the same hotel as me for several years in London and we ended up enjoying several complimentary side dishes and desserts. Oh how this world is funny! Or as all the Brits would say 'what a small world we live in hey!'.

Nous sommes restees 2 nuits dans cette petite ville cotiere au nord de l'ile du Sud de la Nouvelle-Zelande. Nous sommes allees diner au boat shed, un restaurant gastronomique en bord de mer. A peine entree dans le restaurant Nathalie a reconnu le serveur qui avait travaille 5 ans plus tot dans le meme hotel qu'elle a Londres.... Le monde est vraiment petit ! Du coup... on a eu des plats et desserts gratuits ! Miammmm

Nat in the Sunset

Breakfast in bed! =)

ABEL TASMAN NATIONAL PARK

We spent a full day kayaking in the Tasman Sea. Unfortunately the conditions were rough and the boat that drove us out there was hence, rough. Poor Sophie ended up being sea sick on the boat AND on the kayak. Poor her, the first time in her life she had ever felt sea sick!

Nous sommes allees faire du kayak des mers pendant une journee entiere dans la mer Tasman. La mer etait completement dechainee. Pauvre Sophie a eu le mal de mer dans le bateau pour rejoindre les kayaks et sur le kayak !!!! Pour quelqu'un qui n'a jamais eu le mal de mer ! C'etait un bon debut lol

Ready to go

Self Portrait #1

Self Portrait #2

BLENHEIM/ MARLBOROUGH AREA

We went to a Food & Wine festival there in order to taste the Marlborough wines and food speciality of the region. There were interesting and I guess typical kiwi options such as 'Oyster Pie'...hmmm not!

Nous sommes allees a un festival des vins et de la gastronomie de la region de Marlborough. On y a trouve des choses interessantes comme des tartes aux huitres...

FROM SOUTH TO NORTH ( please skip this bit if you are in the middle of eating or feeling a bit queasy )
We booked onto the 7pm ferry that would take us across the 'Cook Stretch'.
Well, as we got comfortable in our seats, they announced there was going to be 'a mild swell', but all good, we were already 30 mins into the 3h30 long trip and all was fine, however, it was not long before the waves got bigger, much bigger. More and more people were heading to the freezing cold and wet outside deck for some 'fresh air'... But the whole boat suddenly turned into absolute carnage. Faces, white as snow everywhere zombying around the boat...mothers, dads, posh ladies, old grannies, larger builds, high heals, all dignity was put aside and all these poor people were hugging several 'sick bags', running to the loo, outside, and counting every minute before which they would be on firm land. Mummy, (Nat s Mum) I can hear you saying 'well how was my little baby feeling then?'... Well you would have given me several of those looks and pat on the leg as I too headed out and was exactly 'in the same boat' Ha Ha! What an appropriate joke! Sophie and I both spent most of the trip outside, in the cold and wet darkness.

DU SUD AU NORD
Nous avons reserve nos places pour le ferry afin de rejoindre l'ile du nord. Bien assises comfortablement apres avoir gare notre van dans le ferry. Le capitaine nous annonce en ce jour de pluie que la mer est un 'peu' agitee. Le debut de la traversee s'est tres bien passee, apres une trentaine de minute le defile de gens malade a commence.... La traversee dure 3h30.... et tout le monde semblait deja malade apres 30 minutes.... On voyait de plus en plus de gens courir prendre l'air... les enfants, les hommes, les mamies, certaines personnes plus distinguees n'ont pas etaient epargnees, Nathalie a passe une bonne partie de la traversee dehors au froiddddd. Sophie a eu la super idee de commander des frites sur le bateau.... Nathalie n'a pas reussi a les garder. oupssssy Mais on a survecu !!!

WELLINGTON/ TAUPO
We visited Wellington and went to the famous TE PAPA museum in the city and then drove midway to lake TAUPO and stayed in a DOC campsite.
Sophie spent all night imagining how we would 'Get away' if the old couple next to us in a tent who were getting tipsy with vodka and coke were to suddenly attack us lol..... didn't happen! lol

On a visite Wellington et le musee TE PAPA, tres interessant principalement les explications et images sur les tremblements de terre. On s'est ensuite dirigees vers le Lac Taupo et nous sommes arretees dans un camping au bord d'un lac.
Sophie a passe la nuit a stresser a cause de nos voisins qui avait bu un peu trop de vodka a son gout hahaha

TAUPO/ ROTORUA
Lake Taupo is the biggest lake in New Zealand and is actually the crater of a volcano. There are several hot springs around this region as there are so many volcanoes which create these.
We therefore stopped off at "secret" falls which was great! just a handful of people and a very hot waterfall joining a cold lake. The sensations were great. Normally if one is in the sea and feels a hot patch, one wonders eek, has someone just had a pee here and moves on, but here it was pure hot/boiling water, so great and relaxing!

Le lac Taupo est le plus grand lac de nouvelle-zelande, il s'est forme dans le cratere d'un volcan il y a des millions d'annes, Il y a pas mal de sources d'eau chaude dans la region. Nous nous sommes arretees au bord d'une riviere qui etait croisee par un courant de plus de 90 degres C. Pas mal du tout le chaud froid entre le lac et le courant chaud !

An interesting bench - To make us feel as though we were in Sochi =)

Kiwi speciality obviously, sheep hearts...

Great array of colourful ciders!

Nat at "Spa Road" Falls

Sophie posing

Chatting with Belguim and French people.

Waikite Valley Hot Springs

The steam is coming out of the stream and bubbling water coming from deep down

In New Zealand, 'Corner shops' are all called 'Dairies'

TAURANGA
From Rotorua, we headed to Tauranga. An unknown city to us, but actually quite big and a beautiful beach that offers great surfing and a nice medium size town centre. We actually said, the first city/town we have actually come across in which we would actually live. We also stayed at Pam & Ron's place. Pam is my Nat's english grandmother's cousin's daughter.. got that? LOL. Well, they welcomed us in their lovely house and we had a great evening socialising with all members of their family including 'chucks'.... i.e. chickens in NZ and sheep.

Apres Rotorua nous sommes allees au nord vers Tauranga. Assez grande ville cotiere. Nous avons passe la nuit chez Pam et Ron. Pam est la fille de la cousine de la grand-mere anglaise de Nathalie. Vous suivez toujours ? Ils ont ete supers, nous on cuisine un genre de pot au feu avec les legumes du jardin et nous on fait faire le tour de la ville.