Weekend in Nelson

While orientation was great and full of field trips…there comes a time when you need to get away and do your own thing. Hence the very appropriately timed 3 day weekend where 20 Americans are set free to go wherever they please in New Zealand. My trip of choice? A road trip 3 hours north of Kaikoura to the small city of Nelson!

So myself, Halle, Paige, Sophie and Gabe drove our white Honda accord (affectionately named Cool-Whip Clarence) all over the northern part of the South Island.  After 3 hours, a long stop at New World (NZ grocery store), and many sheep sightings later, we arrived in Nelson. The hostel we stayed at, Accents on the Park, was perfect for the weekend – it was right outside of downtown so we could walk everywhere. When we checked in, Royce, the owner, exclaimed, “ah, the harem room!”. Gabe was a good sport throughout the weekend and handled being with all girls very well. Here’s the group pictured below!

(L to R) Halle, Paige, Gabe, Sophie, Kristen

There was a beautiful cathedral right next to the hostel that overlooked the main street of Nelson.

If you look closely at this picture, you might get a laugh.

 

We heard a lot about Nelson’s Saturday market, and it didn’t disappoint! Tents were set up with local craftsmen and artists, and of course, delicious food stands. I’m enjoying a falafel while wearing my first NZ souvenir (you would have loved it Dad, Erik, and Scott!)

 

Next up on Saturday’s agenda was a walk to the geographical center of New Zealand! It was way cooler than I expected, and the view from the top of the mountain was spectacular.

My reaction to "Do something interesting Kristen!" haha. My hand is exactly on the center of NZ!

View from the top

 

Then we picked up CWC and drove down to Tahunanui beach. Honestly it’s the most beautiful beach I’ve been to. The sand felt like I was walking on flour, and the coast itself stretched so gradually in the water that you could walk far out in just an inch of water. The way the sun hit the water, and the view of the mountains was “breath-kidnapping” as my friend said. We enjoyed some chocolate, cheese and crackers on the beach. Quite sophisticated, I know. And I even made a definite life decision – someday I will own a dog. My cat-loving family just gasped at my treason. But some friendly dogs came over to me and were incredibly passionate about playing fetch, and I thought to myself, “this is the life”. Playing with my dog on the beach would be just awesome. Worthy of a catchy Colbie Caillat song.

As if the weekend couldn’t get any better, we drove an extra hour north to Tasman Bay National Park. The roads to get there were ridiculous – winding around the mountains. But the adventure was worth it! When we got there the tide was really far out so we walked for ages out on the beach. We even found a little island (below) that we thought we could have lunch on. However… the tide came in MUCH quicker than we thought. And we ended up abandoning our beloved island, hiking up our pants as high as we could, and making our way back to mainland. Fortunately we found some cool rocks to sit on, and we devoured some PB&J, the meal of the weekend.

On our short-lived island.

 

Lastly, I think one of the best things about New Zealand is you’re almost guaranteed a beautiful drive no matter where you go. There’s only one main road that connects the main cities (making directions a no-brainer), but the routes are all along beautiful scenery that makes the journey as good as the destination. Pause for dramatic effect.

It was enjoyable to be back at the Convent and to be reunited with everyone and exchanging stories over a very loud dinner table. With Monday morning came the beginning of class! More on that another time. So next blog post will be about Sustainable Community Development and a re-cap of this upcoming weekend homestay with a local Kiwi family! 

Much love to you all!