Day Trip To Golden Bay

On Monday we went a little further afield, to Golden Bay.  The drive took us from sea level, over the Takaka Hill at 2500 ft. ASL, and back down to sea level again on the other side - the only way to get to Golden Bay by road.  On the Nelson side, the road winds slowly up the side of a long valley, but on the other side, descent is a series of switchbacks down the side of the hill.  Fredda was not sitting on the cliff side of the car, but she was still holding on for dear life, as we wound higher and higher up the hill, and the vertical drop off the side of the road got larger and larger.  She was particularly impressed by the lack of guard rails.

Our first stop in Golden Bay was Takaka, a town of 2000 people, with a mixture of artsy stores and cafes.  The photo below is a mural painted by 48 people.

Mural in Takaka

After a coffee and sweet to calm everyone's nerves, we headed up the East side of Golden Bay, and stopped for lunch at "The Grove", a short but interesting walk amongst large rocks and a variety of native trees.  The picnic tables were both in use, so we (Marlene) carried our lunch up to the lookout point, which is halfway up a cliff, and accessed through a fissure in the rock.  Nice views over Golden Bay and Farewell Spit from the lookout.

Trail Through Rock Fissure at The Grove

We continued up the East side of Golden Bay, as far as Wainui Bay, and at one point the road passed through a rock.  Near the Tata Islands we stopped for a walk on the golden sandy beach, which gives the bay its name.

Road Through The Rock

Beach With A Glimpse Of One Of The Tata Islands

I also liked the traffic warning sign on this street near the beach.

Golden Bay Traffic Warning

On the drive home we stopped to pick up fresh corn and watermelon at a roadside stall, and made it to Richmond before the organic butcher shop closed.  Dinner was barbecued sausages and fresh corn....hhmm. 

All in all, a great day out.