Onward

Yesterday we made the crossing on the ferry from Wellington to the south island. The crossing took about 3 hours and was relatively uneventful. After arriving, we got off and hopped on a new bus and headed out. We made a few stops along throughout the day for pictures, groceries etc. We arrived last night in the Abel Tasman National Park. The park is named so because it was the place where Abel Tasman (A Dutch explorer), first anchored off the shore of New Zealand and tried to make contact with the locals. Which brings us to...

HISTORY TIME WITH HUGH: When Abel Tasman first discovered the south island of New Zealand, he anchored just off the shore and sounded a horn from his ship, as was a European Maritime custom to greet people on shore and in other ships. The signal is intended to show that you mean no harm. What Tasman did not know was that the sounding of a horn meant there was a battle coming to the Maori listening ashore. He sent out a greeting party who were subsequently slaughtered on the beach. Abel Tasman left New Zealand, never having set foot ashore. Imagine, had he simply not blown the horn, New Zealand Might well have been a Dutch colony instead of British. Funny how history works like that, eh?

Most people spend two nights in the Abel Tasman because of its native beauty, but I am more interested in the southern end of the south island, so I continued on today. We drove down the west coast, stopping for photos, to see a New Zealand Furry Seal colony, and to see the pancake rocks and blowholes. Tonight we are staying in Barrytown, a tiny village on the west cost. Tomorrow we continue on to Franz Joseph. There we'll do a glacier hike.