One giant leap for freedom!

We are safely in the North Island and starting our travels up the east coast which is full of authentic Maori culture. We are just at the start of the coast after visiting our friends back in Plimmerton, the starting block of our New Zealand adventures.

Before leaving the South Island we spent our last few days in the Golden Bay and Abel Tasman area on the north coast. After a visit to the magical Takaka we rested at the highly recommended and renowned, Mussell Inn, just outside of Takaka. We continued our research, tasting their local, organic beer and ales, yum. We had a handle for you all!

Farewell Spit, the northern most part of the South Island was stunning and very, very windy. Cape Farewell looked out onto amazing cliff formations, arches and a lot of sea! Coastal views were ace.

The photos of Angie and I throwing ourselves down huge sand dunes was at Wharariki Beach, a few km from Cape Farewell. It was seriously windy which helped us feel like we were flying over the dunes and come out covered from head to foot in sand. The wind took the top layer of sand over the beach, like a film in fast forward.

The beach was awesome; massive sand dunes, limestone arches, caves and islands and the cherry on top, we were joined at the sea edge by some very inquisitive baby seals. No zoom used in the photo's, these dudes at one point were 2 inches from our feet, splashing about and looking up at us with their huge marble like eyes. Totally amazing experience. We've been warned a lot about safety with the seals and the damage they can cause, there might be a whole world of blubber with these bad boys but they can
move fast and squash you with one blubber bounce.

How embarrassing would that be..."I'm sorry to say Mr and Mrs Dykes, your daughter has seen seriously injured by seal blubber!"

Where there's baby seals, the mother is always close. We were really lucky this time and big mumma was chilling on some rocks at a distance, really not interested and contented with someone else doing the baby sitting. We stood watching them play around our feet until we thought they were eying up our toes and we backed away.

Before getting our ferry across from Picton to Wellington we spent an evening in Abel Tasman National Park and visited the spectacular Wainui Falls. We've seen a lot of waterfalls on our travels but this one definitely has been the most powerful, the sound was awesome as the water thundered down.

We've spent a lovely few days back with our homies in Plimmerton! Exhausted, the South Island adventures had caught up with us and a well needed rest in Moana Lodge before heading up the east coast. Again we were greeted with such warmth and kindness. Helen and John who helped so much at the start when I was ill continued their endless generosity by arranging for us to stay at Moana, in the best room, totally free. An offer we were not going to refuse-hot showers, double bed, sofa's, a kitchen and fantastic company. Everyone there seemed pretty impressed that we had lasted so long in the back of Vinnie and were still smiling. Also, I think, Helen did not want us around their hostel, putting off fellow travellers with our smell!!


We stuck around for a couple of days, spending time with Stef and Amber, friends who work at Moana and who we spent Christmas with, wandering around Wellington city, particularly seeing more of the Te Papa Museum and having some needed down time at a Buddhist Monastery near Wellington.



We've still not completed Te Papa museum, it takes a life time to complete. There's a really cool exhibition on Pacific Islanders, Pacific Islanders culture and settlement in New Zealand. There is a huge amount of art exhibitions there which we only just touched on. One we looked at, 'Art that's not meant to be framed' was awesome. Artists exploring culture, identity, social construction, sexual orientation and gender. Lots and lots of feminist artists, Alexis Hunter, feminist photographer, is amazing. Her exhibition explored the objectification of women. Try and Google her if you're interested. I've not tried so there may not be any information on her?

I'll leave you with our first stop along the east coast, Castle Point. Quiet and off the tourist track, another gorgeous coastal area with great views up the East coast, amazing fossilised low level reef and great coastal walks.



Looking forward to absorbing the Maori culture first hand, I'll update on all our adventures when we meet again! Take care and sending all my love. Missing you dudes as always and think about you lots xxxxxxxxxxxx

Thanks so much for my letters Sarah, love you. When are you coming to see us, come on then, come on then!!! xxxxx