I finally arrived in Nelson on Friday, my final destination in the South Island until Mom comes to visit me in March. I have pretty much been on the move for about the past 9 solid weeks now, and I haven’t scheduled myself enough “sit still and do nothing” days. So needless to say, I am a little bit tired and very much looking forward to staying put for the next 6 or so weeks. Nelson is the sunniest place in New Zealand, so the weather here is making me perfectly content. There are also nearby beaches, so I can’t complain one bit. Nelson is quite livable in my opinion, and I can’t wait to leisurely investigate the city and surrounding areas.
I made the mistake of booking into Paradiso for an entire week, and couldn’t get a refund on my reservation fast enough. My Lonely Planet travel book very accurately describes this place as “Club Med for the impoverished” and they tried to warn me, but I just didn’t listen. After two sleepless nights in this massive party place, I was fortunate enough to find a very clean and quaint backpackers up the road who could take me in. Prince Albert’s is everything Paradiso is not, and I am so thankful for that.
During my time at “Club Med,” I made friends with two very lovely British girls, Victoria and Megan. I kind of feel like I’m cheating on Emily, but she’s still in Queenstown, so there’s just nothing I can do about that. Victoria, Megan and I got to hit Tahunanui Beach yesterday, and I did not mind one bit getting a wee sunburn in the middle of January. Today the three of us spent the entire afternoon picnicking outside the Melrose House and feasting of fresh fruits and veggies from Countdown, the local grocery store. It was exactly the kind of relaxing couple of days I needed to regain a bit of motivation. Here is a picture of Victoria, me and Megan in about the tackiest club you could ever imigine. It was utterly magical.
Steph Dobson 