Nelson, NZ

This morning (Wednesday) I rode the Tranz Coastal train to Blenheim and then caught the bus to Nelson. During the train ride, the Kaikoura mountain ranges were on one side and the rugged Pacific Ocean coastline was on the other.

This is the way the day greeted us.








The train was perfect for viewing. The reclining seats were arranged around tables with large panoramic windows on the sides. There was also an open air viewing carriage for those who could withstand the cold air (or those who didn't have their coats stored in the luggage car). By the end of the 4 1/2 hour trip, we were all friends.


The mountains were truly majestic. In the other picture, you may be able to see one of the many fur seals if you look closely on the large rock at the top left of the picture.


The last 2 pictures show salt being extracted from Lake Grassmere. The lake is shallow and sheltered from the open sea by a barrier beach and sand dunes. Its high salinity, along with the warm prevailing winds makes it ideal for natural salt extraction. Nearly all of NZ's salt is made here. Up to 100,000 tons are made a year, depending on the summer.