Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 03-525 7998;
www.ratanuilodge.com
;
818 Abel Tasman Dr; d $155-269; )
This
boutique lodge is a contender for NZ's most romantic, with Victorian grandeur inside,
and colourful cottage garden out the front. In addition to elegant rooms, there are myriad
sensual stimulators such as swimming pool, massage service, cocktails and a candelabra-
lit restaurant (open to the public; bookings required). Free bikes, too.
Penguin Café & Bar
PUB $$$
(
www.penguincafe.co.nz
;
818 Abel Tasman Dr; lunch $13-22, dinner $20-33; 10am-late Nov-Apr,
4pm-late Mon-Wed & 11am-late Thu-Sun May-Oct)
A popular locals' hang-out, this well-run
spot sports a large garden suited to sundowners and thirst-quenchers on sunny days.
There's an open fire inside for the odd inclement day. Chow down on belly-filling bar
snacks, and look out for local seafood specials come dinner time.
Getting There & Away
Takaka to Pohara (15 minutes) on the way to Totaranui.
DON'T MISS
FAREWELL SPIT
Bleak, exposed and positively sci-fi,
Farewell Spit
is a wetland of international im-
portance and a renowned bird sanctuary - the summer home of thousands of mi-
gratory waders, notably the godwit (which flies all the way from the Arctic tundra),
Caspian terns and Australasian gannets. The 35km beach features colossal,
crescent-shaped dunes, from where panoramic views extend across Golden Bay
and a vast low-tide salt marsh. Walkers can explore the first 4km of the spit via a
network of tracks (see DOC's Farewell Spitbrochure), but beyond that point access
is via tours, scheduled according to tide.
The human hub of the spit is the visitor centre-cum-cafe where there's plenty of
parking. It's a convenient spot to write a postcard over a coffee, especially on an in-
clement day.
Farewell Spit Eco Tours
( 03-524 8257, 0800 808 257;
www.farewellspit.com
; Tasman St,
Collingwood; tours $120-155)
Operating for nearly 70 years, Paddy and his expert
guides run tours ranging from two to 6½ hours, departing from Collingwood, taking
in the spit, lighthouse, and up to 20 species of bird which may include gannets and
godwits. Expect ripping yarns aplenty.
