We have two days and nights to fill in between leaving Kaikoura and arriving in Nelson. Can anyone suggest a route/activities/accommodation? We then have 3 nights in Nelson followed by another day and night to fill before getting the ferry from Picton to Wellington.
golfnutgirl
1
retsbew
Nelson lakes national Park is excellent - beautiful day walks!
And Marlborough Sounds have nice walks too - between Nelson and Picton.
3
darcygirlnz
Hanmer Springs is a nice town to stop a night. Hot pools, walks, good mountain biking if you're into that. If you don't mind moving from place to place a night in Hanmer and then a night in St Arnaud (nelson lakes) could be a good way to use up these two nights.
4
golfnutgirl
Sounds good to us - do you think we need to book accommodation for mid-December? We have booked a fair bit of the accommodation for this trip but prefer to be "flexible" for some of the days.
5
erinf456
I'd definitely suggest kayaking the sound, and if you can make it up to Golden Bay its totally worth it. The Nirvana hostel is the best place to stay in Golden Bay by the way - the owners know all the secrets of the region. I would also definitely suggest booking in advance for December - I'm sure there would be SOMETHING available between Picton and Nelson, but if you don't want to deal with the hassle, book ahead
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