A Lavender Interlude

After we left the town of Kaikoura, we went on a two-day hike along the coast and up into the mountains. Before we drove off for the hike, though, we stopped at Lavendyl Lavender Farm. The lavender here is in full bloom. It is full summer now. The lavender was alive with color and with bees. It was impossible not to be happy there.

The Kaikoura Coast Track

The Kaikoura Coast Track is a two-day hike which goes along a section of deserted beach, then up through private farm land to the mountains and forest. The people who own the land, and manage the hike, are fourth-generation sheep farmers who are conservationists and ambassadors. They have been managing the walkers on this hike for twenty two years now. We stayed in a beach house the night before the hike, and Bruce drove all of our gear except our day-packs up to another cottage. That was our destination for the day, a 13-kilometer hike.

We hiked down the beach for about five or six kilometers, then turned off to start inland. The turnoff was marked with a Fern Flag, and there was a shelter there, ideal for lunch. There was coffee and tea bags, and running water, and if you were so inclined, you could build a fire and boil water in one of the pots. If we had been in Argentina with Argentinians, we could have had mate, their national drink.

The trail climbed up to a lookout point, from which you could see north and south along the coast. We then entered forest land, and continued up mostly, with a lot of twists and turns through the trees and along the stream.

We chose Option B for the second day of the hike, which took us on the road back to the beach, rather than on a trail through the mountains, to return to the beach house. This shortened the hike by a few kilometers, and eliminated more of the steep ups and downs. Bruce again ferried all of our stuff back to the starting and ending point. It is a pleasure to hike with just a day pack, and end your day with a hot shower and a soft bed, plus have all of your stuff, including a bottle of wine and dinner, waiting for you.

Hanmer Springs

Having planned ahead for after the hike, our next destination was the alpine village of Hanmer Springs. It is a holiday town centered around the thermal springs right in the middle of the town. The town itself is in the mountains, and it often resembled a town in the Colorado Rockies. There are 22 different pools in the springs complex, all of them geo-thermal. It is a classic Kiwi holiday place. We soaked in the hot water and had fun watching all the New Zealand families reveling in the water wonderland.