Our first stop on the south island was Nelson, an adorable town a few hours from the ferry landing - and after three days of horrible weather, it was a little sunny oasis. It's the kind of town where I immediately felt at home - cute town center, easily accessible nature, and a welcome sign upon entering town I loved, that says "Nelson: Live the Day".
Nelson is also near Abel Tasman National Park, home of one of New Zealand's Great Walks. We went for the day and hiked, and it was indeed great - one of the most beautiful coastal hikes I've done. After a day of hiking, we returned to the hostel just in time for the free hot chocolate pudding and ice cream they serve nightly - one of the best features of a hostel I've found!
Aside from that, I have spent the last two nights poring over my Lonely Planet and maps, trying to figure out how to best spend the dwindling amount of time I have left here. There is so much I want to do that it was actually starting to stress me out - which is really far from the point of travel. But ultimately I realize the importance of savoring the things I can do now, not speding the entire trip on a bus, and keeping the rest in mind for next time.
In that spirit, we decided to stay in Nelson another day, which I was grateful we did. I spent the day wandering arond town, and hiked up to the exact geographic center of New Zealand, which happens to be a lovely scenic viewpoint over town. I also happened upon the Nelson Buddhist Meditation Center, where I went to their nightly meditation. By the end of the day I was feeling much more relaxed and back to myself - ready to head further south tomorrow at a good pace.
