A Headline One Year After “Lockdown – 2019”
The assumptive thought was “how long can this last?” It culminated in a 14 month odyssey across New Zealand – staying in 57 different places, hiking/walking 1,469.58 miles.
Sudden Stop in Nelson For 6 Weeks of Lockdown
On March 23 the government gave 48 hours notice before a mandated COVID lockdown period commenced. “Where you are in 48 hours is where you stay for at least 4 weeks.” We scrambled and found an AirBnB cottage in Nelson on the Monaco Peninsula for the duration. Our friends, Carol and Bill, with whom we had spent the past 7 weeks, worked to secure flights back to Colorado. We said goodbye…no hugs allowed.
Uncertainty aside, Nelson was a great place to comply with COVID Alert Level 4. Short walks to essential services (groceries, pharmacy), reading and watching 18 hours of The Hobbit and LOTR.
Across the street, Tasman Bay – tide in and out. Walking for exercise around the bay and neighborhood.
Tide Out 
Tide In
Sunsets on the Mudflats of Tasman Bay
Wandering Nelson After Lockdown
After 7 weeks Level 4 Lockdown eased on May 14th, NZ settled at a cautious Level 2, and we wandered around Nelson to see what had been in our backyard all along.
Neighborhood Patio 
Tahunanui Beach (city beach) 
Public Library – Stoke-Nelson 
Nelson Riverwalk 
Riverwalk Art
Hiking above Nelson to the Geographical Centre of NZ
Free to See Tasman
May 18 (autumn) we moved north near Abel Tasman Park/Split Apple Rock for a 10 day stay in Kaiteriteri. If you have limited travel time, Tasman is the perfect place. We returned in spring for another go.
Kaiterteri Air Bnb 
Tasman Bay View
Tokongawa Drive, Kaiteriteri 
Kaiteriteri Beach
Day Trips and Hikes – Every Turn a Surprise
Maybe it was the joy of seeing new things after lockdown and/or the luxury of additional time. The experience was perfection.
Things to do in Nelson and Tasman
- Walks/Trails/Botanical Gardens around Nelson
- Tour Pics Peanut Butter World
- WOW – World of Wearable Art Museum
- Tahunanui (city beach)
- Rent a bike – ride the Great Taste Trail
- Moutere Vineyards/Cellar Doors
- Mapua Wharf
- Ruby Bay
- Split Apple Rock (walks)¹
- Day Trip to Wharariki Beach² (Photo below)
- Day Trip to Farewell Spit²
- Day Trip to Golden Bay – Pohara and Takaka³
- Visit Abel Tasman Park⁴
- Motueka – Gateway to Abel Tasman Park
The top of South Island is a motherlode of diversity. See related Tasman links:
- Kaiteriteri, Split Apple Rock and Harwoods Hole¹
- Cape Farewell – Wharariki Beach² (Wharariki Beach – used as MS Windows 10 Image)
- Pohara and Golden Bay³
- Abel Tasman and The Great Walk⁴
Wharariki Beach
Wharariki Beach
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Travel Broadly - Marlene & Steve 
Oh to be locked down in NZ – a once in a lifetime chance. I love seeing this now that we have some perspective on where we were then. Your posts are a gift for the soul.