Golf with a view and Pupu

10th to 12 March 2013

Enjoying a relaxing few days at Pohara beach in golden bay, near to the Northerly most tip of South Island. 

Sunsets over Pohara Beach. Just a few meters from our cabin!

Played our first round of golf on this trip to New Zealand at the local golf course. Luckily we’d borrowed a set of (men’s) clubs from our camp site as when we got to the golf club there were no officials, just an honesty box. So we put our money in the box and enjoyed nine holes in glorious sunshine. Much of the course overlooks the sea. Suffice to say that the view was a whole lot better than our golf!

Views from the Golf Course

We’ve explored the Golden Bay coast a little but didn’t make it as far as the “Farewell Spit”. This amazing spit is about 43 kilometres long and full of bird life and other natural wonders. However it will have to wait for our next visit. 

There’s a strong feeling of community here in Golden Bay with some colourful murals done by the community and various cafés and other shops raising cash for it. Feels a bit “hippy-ish” but very pleasant. 

You never know what’s around the corner in this country! We stumbled across the Te Waikoroupupu (Pupu) Springs. These are the “largest springs in Australasia and the world’s clearest water”. The water is amazingly clear, beautiful and bountiful. The springs produce 14,000 litres of water per second. That’s enough to fill 40 bathtubs!

Pupu Springs

We’re nearing the end of our trip to South Island. Over the next couple of days we will be heading back to the ferry and will travel back to North Island on Friday. It’s been such a memorable few weeks and would certainly recommend it as a holiday destination.