Wednesday 7 January

We headed off first thing in the morning towards the Abel Tasman National Park stopping en route for the obligatory cup of coffee. The Daily Press newspaper reported the earthquake and said that it was now officially recorded as being at Coleridge, near Arthur’s Pass at a magnitude 6 with a depth of 5.12 km at 0648 on 6 January. Apparently the earlier report of it being at Methven was because there was a tremor there just before the quake. This now put the quake, known as Wilberforce, about only 100 km from where we were “sleeping”.

We stopped for strawberries, apricots and other fruits at a roadside farm shop who had a very efficient method of dealing with difficult customers

and then at the i Centre in Motueka to get maps and information

 before going a few kilometres on to Kaiteriteri for a trip to the beach. A lovely spot with a salt water lake that emptied with the outgoing tide causing great fun for the kids and older swimmers alike on a lovely sunny day!

After a few hours of sun and sea we went to find a camp site for the night stopping on the way to book our water taxi for the following day.

A good camp site with yet another innovative way of providing sleeping accommodation this one having five Swedes on board—three chaps and two girls.