Hello and welcome to this week’s instalment of the mrlukeniktravels blog, this week from Motueka, New Zealand. As I write the sun is streaming through the window and it is beginning to get warm. The summer is in full swing here, bearing mind it is the equivalent of July in the northern hemisphere. There are lovely, locally grown soft fruits to savour but no Wimbledon to enjoy with them! I suppose that is the result of having a year-round summer for this year. Oh and, for those whose are interested, it is pronounced Mok-tew-eh-ka. I’m gradually getting the hang of pronunciation.
After a very enjoyable time in Nelson, including bumping into some familiar faces, I have travelled along the coast to Motueka. There are yet more sandy beaches and mountainous backdrops here. These views are certainly very different from what I am used to seeing back at home! During an afternoon stroll along the beach yesterday I even managed to spot an eel swimming up a stream on the beach. Unfortunately, it was too fast to get the camera out to get a picture. My other attempts at wildlife photography have also had limited success, black bears making a nerve-wrecking subject (for me!). Perhaps somethings are destined to be experienced rather than recorded. With the Instagram generation coming to the fore, it seems this sentiment seems to be under threat.
During my time in Motueka I am taking some time to look to the future and make plans for the next stages of my trip. Once I reach Christchurch in a month’s time I shall pick up a car to travel the bottom of the South Island. Public transport there is more scarce so having a car for a month will help enormously. There is so much to see and do there I’m trying to work out a provisional route. For me it is important to be flexible, but also to have enough of a plan not to miss things too. Of course, glaciers and mountains will feature, as well as some more Lord of the Rings/Hobbit locations too. These happen to also be stunning scenic locations in their own right. My thoughts are also beginning to turn to my next destination, Australia. The nomadic lifestyle necessitates researching and planning whilst on the road. Whilst having my nose in books and eyes at a computer screen isn’t fun, the payoff will hopefully made it worth it! What can be more exciting than looking to the next stage of this trip I am undertaking!?
Another advantage to being in this region of New Zealand, apart from the scenery, this local produce. This area is renowned for soft fruit and produce. In fact, whilst writing this post I am munching on some locally-grown cherries- delicious! The surrounding fields contain apples, pears, cherries and, of course, kiwifruit. Being in New Zealand, it is very important to use the term kiwifruit to avoid confusion. In many countries, including the UK, kiwifruit is usually shortened to kiwi. Here, however, Kiwi (note the capitalisation) usually means a New Zealander or perhaps the enigmatic national bird. A kiwifruit is what you eat. Talking about buying and eating either a Kiwi (a person) or kiwi (the bird) might get you into all sorts of trouble!
That is all for this week’s blog, next week I shall be beginning a trip down the east coast towards Christchurch. As usual, in between now and next time there is my Twitter feed @mrlukeniktravel for news and general witticisms. If you enjoy, hopefully, pleasing pictures then my Instagram is @mrlukeniktravels. The weather is due to cool over the coming days so I shall be out and about more in this beautiful region. So for now and until next time, stay safe and travel on!