Once there, I boarded the Vista. It had both open and
closed deck areas. However due to the torrential rains, we stayed
inside most of the time.We cruised the magnificent Abel Tasman coastline north. Along the way we braved the rain to view the fascinating Tonga Island Seal Colony.They were much more impressive in person. We could see mothers and their pups swimming and playing in the water.
We landed at Tonga Beach where an abandoned granite quarry site still holds evidence of this failed venture. I chose the 2hr 15min (5 kms, 3 miles) walk through a forested mountain and around the golden sands of Bark Bay Estuary. I've been walking a lot this summer in preparation for this trip, but the steep incline had me huffing and puffing. It was well worth the effort when I saw the cascading waterfalls through lush native forest.
Fortunately, my hotel room has a whirlpool tub so I had a nice, long soak to warm up when I returned. I love this hotel. Along with a room key, I was given a metal disk that must be inserted into a device just inside the door. It activates the power switches in the room. No disk, no power. Every home should have one. Think of all of the energy that alone would save.
I fly to Rotorua tomorrow morning, so I would love to wash a load of clothes tonight. No problem. I see that there's a section in the Guest Services folder about their washing and drying facilities. Wow! It's right at the far end of my hallway. For $2.00 NZ I can wash a load--and detergent is dispensed automatically. Talk about state-of-the-art. Then they continue describing the drying facility--An outdoor clothes line is located on the ground floor, north end of the Hotel. Please refrain from drying personal items on glass rails and terrace areas. Hmm. With all this rain, I don't think my clothes will dry too well.
Isn't it amazing? Some upscale communities in America outlaw clothes lines because they devalue the neighborhood. Really??
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