Kaikoura/Marlborough Nelson - Abel Tasman - Golden Bay Upper West Coat
This region features some of the most stunning and unique coastal areas.
At Kaikoura the mountains come right up to the sea. In the bay is a permanent colony of sperm whales. Whale watching by boat and helicopter as well as swimming with the dolphins are available. Out on the peninsula you can get really up close and personal with the seals. Be careful, you might step on one! Just up the road a piece is a major seal colony at Ohau Point and a little further a short walk up to a waterfall where seal pups love to play.
Marlborough offers two distinct attractions. First of all, Marlborough is New Zealand's premier wine growing region. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is the world standard for this varietal. Winery tours are certainly available. Secondly, the Marlborough Sounds are an extensive network of sea-drowned valleys created by a combination of land subsidence and rising sea levels. The steep, wooded hills and small quiet bays of the sounds are sparsely populated, as access is difficult. Many of the small settlements and isolated houses are only accessible by boat or unpaved road. Good fishing abounds in the Sounds for blue cod, gurnard, groper and New Zealand Rock Lobster or crayfish.
Just over the hill from the westernmost Marlborough Sounds is Nelson, the sunniest town in New Zealand. Located at the bottom of Tasman Bay, Nelson is the gateway to some spectacular real estate - Abel Tasman National Park and Golden Bay.
Abel Tasman National Park is the second most visited spot in New Zealand with a spectacular coastline that just doesn't stop. If you are up for it, you can walk the entire length of the Abel Tasman coast. For me, the 3 hour return trip from Totaranui to Anapai will suffice. Water taxis can take you the entire length of the park.
Just over another spectacular hill is Golden Bay, the top of the South Island. The "capital" of Golden Bay is the town of Takaka, population 1149 (2006). The remoteness and sparse population is one of the many beauties of this area. Featuring land access to the top of Abel Tasman plus Farewell Spit and Wharariki Beach at the top of the South Island, Golden Bay represents wild New Zealand at its best.
The Upper West Coast actually begins at Cape Farewell, but most of the coast above Karamea is either privately owned or part of the world famous Heaphy Track. There are no roads which traverse this part of New Zealand. It is one of the wildest, most remote regions of the country.
By leaving Golden Bay via Takaka Hill and Motueka and then working your way over to Westport is the only significant access to this region. North from Westport one reaches Karamea, the Oparara Basin and Scotts Beach...out of the way but worth the trip. The Oparara Basin in one of the finest features of the Kahurangi National Park. For a million years the Oparara River system has been at work sculpting the 35 million-year-old limestone basin into an intriguing complex of caves, arches and channels.
After this diversion one heads south to Punakaiki. The 20 km or so from the beginning of Paparoa National Park to Punakaiki is one of the top 10 most stunning drives in New Zealand. Beyond Punakaiki you are not done. After a short 20km breather, the rugged west coast above Greymouth is breathtaking..