The drive from Blenheim to Nelson only took an hour and a half. After checking in at the Tahuna Beach Holiday Park we found our site and had lunch. We decided to head for Able Tasman National Park. Unfortunately, we had not researched it ahead of time, so we pulled up our Apple Map and selected the icon and headed out. The map took us up route 60 and over the mountains toward the Golden Bay. The route was very twisty and winding and we never did find the park visitor center. But it did take us across the northern most portion of Kahurangi National Park where we stopped at Hawkes Lookout and hiked out to the overlook. Then we continued on down to Anatimo where the road turned into gravel. But our Apple Maps said there was a way back along the coast. So, we headed up the gravel road and into Abel Tasman National Park where we lost cell phone coverage and our Apple Maps. We eventually figured out the road was going to be a dead end and the only way back was the three hour drive back over the mountains the way we came. On the way back down the gravel road, we came to a narrow part of the road with a rock wall on the left side and a steep drop off with no guard rail on the right side. David took us a little bit to the left to avoid the berm on the right side and the motor home tilted to the left and we hit a protruding rock from the wall. It took out the left mirror and two of the windows on the left side of the motor home with chunks of window plastic everywhere. There was not much we could do except pull the inside shades on the windows and keep going. When we got back into cell phone coverage, we called the Wilderness Motorhomes emergency number. After a few questions, they told us to email them pictures, which we did immediately, and head on back to the RV Park where they would contact us in the morning. We managed to make it back to the RV park before sunset. While setting up, we met our neighbors, Murry and Sharon. We had a great time talking with them and solving the worlds problems. They are from Hamilton, north of Auckland and are down in the South Island on holiday. The sunset from the beach was incredibly beautiful and we counted our blessings that things had not been worse.
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| Kahurangi National Park , Hawkes Point sign |
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| water carved rocks along the trail |
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| View from Hawkes Point |
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| View from Hawkes Point |
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| View from Hawkes Point |
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| Tidal flat, Able Tasman National Park |
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| Tidal flat, Able Tasman National Park |
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| Tidal flat, Able Tasman National Park |
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| View from Legion Saddle, Able Tasman National Park |
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| Damage to our motor home. Both windows gone. |
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| Sunset at Nelson Beach |
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