We're pretty lucky to live in New Zealand. I can't really deny that nor can I find much to complain about. People I talk to who have never been here know how beautiful it is here. It has that reputation and it is well deserved. Here is a quick Top 5 list that I put together. I really could have done a Top 20 or a Top 100 and it wouldn't have been complete. It's really quite relative, so don't be jealous. Everyplace has it beauty spots and beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say. That comment excludes Worcester, of course , that place is just a shithole really.
1. Wharariki Beach : At the top of the South Island west of Puponga lies my favourite spot. It isn't even close really as this spot is far and away my favourite. It ticks all the boxes for me. It is a wild west coast beach that is immense in scale and wild in weather. We were only here for three or so days but it's always stayed with me. When I go to a beach I often get bored. I like to beachcomb, climb rocks, explore rockpools and caves etc. Wharariki has all of that sort of stuff. It's at the end of a dead end road in an isolated part of the country off the tourist track so it's never going to get busy and it's a twenty minute walk to get to the beach anyway. You can only get there at low tide and you shouldn't swim in the ocean because of the rips. These are actually all plusses for me. You can see in the photo that at low tide you get these tidal pools for swimming anyways so that's not a problem. There is also a local seal colony and when I was there, I was sitting on a rock above a pool where two seal pups from the other side would swim past and check me out. Nevermind, that everytime I got in the water they would get out it was still great fun. To top it all off, there are massive beds of green lip mussels that you can even score yourself a feed! Really hard to beat that for me.
Kenepuru Sound/Portage : We actually spent more time here, about three months or so, because we had summer jobs at a resort. We pulled up for a beer at the bar because it was so beautiful and it was a nice day. We loved it right away and when we got talking to the staff and found out that there were jobs on offer well it didn't take us too long to decide, even though we had only really just arrived in the South Island.
Tairua : It's about 45 minutes up the coast from where we live now but, we've always gone here in the summer wherever we've lived. Mrs. Finndego's aunty has a bach here so it's always an easy choice. It's a small beach community that's just really easy going and I love it everytime I'm there. It has a nice inner harbour where the kiddies like to go and a great ocean beach where I like to go.
Sailor's Grave : Actually just over the hill from Tairua, it's a really nice beach that's a bit more secluded than Tairua. Whenever you go to the beach in New Zealand the biggest issue is the sun. It's just so harsh that the burn times can be as less as 10 minutes so you need cover. Sailor's Grave back's onto a cliff that has overhanging trees that provide good cover. We found a little path that leads down to a secret part of the beach that's cut off from the rest because of a rock outcropping and we've been able to spend the whole day there all by ourselves. We've had many a good day here. Yes, there really is a sailor buried there that drowned of the beach many years ago.
Abel Tasman National Park : There were so many places vying for the last spot but I don't really have any problem giving to Abel Tasman. Golden beaches , crystal clear water and some great bush make for a great spot. The weather wasn't great when we were there but it only enhanced the beauty of the forests that edge onto the beaches. We spent a whole day walking along a portion of the walking track that runs north to south through the whole park and every time you'd come around a corner it was a WOW! moment. Truly great spot.
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