New Zealand Holiday - Week 5 - Motueka to Golden Bay and Collingwood - 24th February to 4th March

 Good as Gold - A trip to Golden Bay.

The Courthouse Cafe

Golden Bay was probably the area I was most looking forward to visiting and it certainly did not disappoint. The road from Motueka to Takaka winds its way up and over the mighty Takaka Hill. TW was dreading it but happily she was OK. We pit-stopped at the rustic Mussell Inn for coffee before heading on to the little town of Collingwood where we had 5 nights booked at the Potters Cottage. It was simple and basic but it seemed very appropriate for the area. Happily the area is unspoiled and pleasantly rural. Cooking facilities at the Potters were very limited and we made good use of the hot plate and saucepan that we always carried with us.

Our Potters Cottage was located right next door to the lovely Courthouse Cafe. 

We had a celebratory arrival lunch of very tasty smoked fishcakes before checking in to the Cottage. Probably our nicest lunch in NZ. TW really liked the Ginger Bear. 

The Potters worked and sold their products in a studio just behind our Cottage. 

The gate to our hideaway in Collingwood

Ginger Bear for TW at the Courthouse

The Tide is in at Collingwood

St Cuthberts Church in Collingwood

Tide is out in Collingwood

Up the hill above our cottage there was an old wooden church, St Cuthberts, that was worth a look-see. Potters Cottage is only a stones throw from town so we were in a very convenient location. The tide was out when we took our first walk and the coastline wasn't looking at its best. However, we were to discover later that a short distance to the South, at Milnthorpe, there was a beautiful beach. Collingwood Town is quite small but it has a well stocked Supermarket and a pub so we were quite happy. What else do you need?

Collingwood Coast

Our first excursion was to Farewell Spit to the North. We parked in the nearby Car Park and walked along the sheltered inland sea. Black Swans have made it their home. Swans love the vegetation here and there were literally hundreds of them. We tried not to disturb the sand flies that were sitting on the sea weed! We continued along the bayside beach until we cut inland across to the wild ocean side of Farewell Spit. It was like chalk and cheese. A long wide sandy beach stretched all the way to infinity. We had a lovely breezy walk in the sunshine before turning it into a circular walk by following a track through bush and a sheep farm back to our little car. 

Swanning it on Golden Bay

On the beach Farewell Spit

The All Blacks - Oyster Catchers at Farewell Spit

At the start of Farewell Spit

Style and steps - walking back through the sheep farm

We had hoped to find a Kiwi cafe on the drive back to Collingwood for a nice lunch. We did find one at a campsite but it looked to be both closed and not too appealing so we headed back to base for lunch in the Cottage. After a brief siesta we had an interesting walk up behind our cottage to the Old 'Settler' Cemetery and a Lookout. Quite a steep walk through bush to get there but worth it. Nice post boxes and Poo for sale along the way.

Bush walking

Lookout - there's a tourist about!

Lookout view from the old Cemetery

Where there's muck there's money

The Langford Store 

TW at Salisbury Falls

Salisbury Falls

This region is quite thinly populated so shops and cafes are a rarity. We did find an interesting coffee stop on the way to Salisbury Falls. The Langford Store was very rustic but we enjoyed a good visit. We chatted to a cyclist from Cambridge in the North Island and also a couple on e-bikes that were going to Europe for the Olympics in the Summer. Salisbury Falls was quite pleasant although we didn't venture into the water. Our e-bikers friends also turned up. After heading back to base for lunch at Potters Cottage we investigated Milnthorpe Beach. We had a bit of a dip in the ocean, very pleasant in the late afternoon sunshine. The e-bikers were there as well of course. In fairness they had recommended it to us.

Time for a dip at Milnthorpe

Lengthening shadows at Milnthorpe Beach

Milnthorpe Beach

Wharariki Beach in the North was our next target. To get this stretch of paradise we headed North in the direction of  Farewell Spit before turning left onto what became a dirt road. This was a really big walking day! We walked through sheep pasture on the Greenhills track to get to the beach but unfortunately the tide was in and it was impossible for us to get down to the beach. So, we found a shady spot and had lunch before heading back to the Car Park for a drink at the Cafe. Suitably refreshed we headed back to the beach by a more direct route. We bumped into the chap from Cambridge that we met at The Langford Store, it's a small world up here. By this time the tide had turned and the water had receded so we could walk along a fantastic series of beaches interspersed with rocky outcrops and caves. It was absolutely stunning. We clambered up the rocks and wandered back to our car on the Greenhills track. Note to self - check tide tables before going to Wharariki!

Wharariki Beach - a video

Heading towards Wharariki Beach

Where sheep gently graze and gaze

Feeling that our initial visit didn't sufficiently do justice to  Farewell Spit, we returned on our final day in Collingwood and set off along the coast towards the lighthouse. The walk against the breeze was refreshing, but the exertion from the previous day's march was still in our legs, and regrettably, we didn't reach our destination. Perhaps we will, on another occasion? There are tours from Collingwood on special buses to explore Farewell but we did not fancy the bumpy ride and being inside a bus for several hours.

Some great post boxes in Collingwood

We were sorry to leave Collingwood as five days was not nearly enough. We had such a great time and it is so idyllic. We headed back in the direction of Nelson but not before making a couple of stops along the way. 

Tata Beach

Tata Beach Video

Our pit-stop in Takaka was delightful and we discovered a charming cafe named De-Lish for some coffee and cake. We chatted with amiable cyclists once more. On this occasion, they were cheerful, elderly sisters who were big travellers. They liked to do house swaps. We also spoke to the cafe owner who had spent  time a Berkshire racing stables.. Takaka's relaxed and slightly hippie vibe was just perfect. Next, we headed to Tata Beach, a spot we adored from our previous visit. Back in 2012, it was earlier in the season, but this time, with the sun beaming and the water invitingly warm, we couldn't resist a dip. It was wonderful!

It was now time for the lengthy ascent over Takaka Hill and down to our next accommodation near Appleby, a new suburb in the Richmond area. Securing any lodging can be challenging during this season, so last-minute options were off the table. We would have loved to stay in Takaka had we not already secured a booking with Airbnb. Nevertheless, our new lodgings, Cosy Appleby Cottage,  situated in an annex to a new house, was perfect and the availability of a washing machine very much appreciated. Unusually, the washing machine was outside on the terrace.

Cosy Appleby Cottage served as a very convenient base for the next couple of days. We popped into Richmond for a stroll and it appeared much busier than we recalled. The town has grown significantly over the past 12 years. We enjoyed our customary coffee in town at Ambrosia before making our way to Mapua Wharf for lunch at the Smokehouse. The fish and chips were delightful, eaten straight from the paper and very reasonably priced.

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