New Zealand: Wellington - Picton - Nelson - Hokitika

Photo gallery: Wellington - Picton - Nelson - Hokitika

Several first pictures were taken in the amazingly green and formed country in the south of the North Island. We drove through it to Wellington to catch an early morning ferry to the South Island. After we arrived in Picton we drove to the town of Nelson and further inland to stay overnight in a campsite by two charming lakes in St. Arnautts.

The next day we reached the west cost and continued to the south. We visited Hokitika, a small town famous for its traditional source of Jade (also known as Nephrite, Greenstone, and Pounamua). There we found many artisans carving Jade into contemporary carvings of traditional NZ designs, modern designs or simple, beautiful jewels.

We also visited interesting Glow Worm Dell. Glow-worm is a common name for various different groups of insect larvae and adult larviform females that glow through bioluminescence. Simply, when you go to the dell you can see only small shinning dots in the dark :)