Travelling the South Island

A lots happened over the last few days so I'll try and give you a brief update. After arriving back in the South Island in Nelson I rented a car with two German girls - I think I was invited for virtue of experience driving on the left - and headed to Abel Tasman National Park. The park was pretty beautiful but we got less time than we would have wanted after leaving Nelson late and heading in the wrong direction. I was driving, not navigating.
Anyway, Abel Tasman was overshadowed by Golden Bay, where we went the following day, which had huge rolling hills, mountains and rocks, and as the name suggested massive pale gold beaches. We stayed in a rural hostel with a giant hammock, made from a fishing net, hung over a stream. It was fantastic.
Back in Nelson, I discovered the bed I had booked over the net was for March 27 instead of February 27 (d'oh!) and the town - which is stunning and popular with Kiwis as well as foreigners - was full. Fortunately the hostel owner took pity on me and gave me a tent to pitch up in the back garden.
Last night was Greymouth, which isn't so much the arse-end of the world as a pile on the arse-end. Even the name is dull. Fortunately that was only one night and we are now in Franz Joseph. They've got glaciers here, but it's raining so hard you can barely see your hand in front of your face, let alone ice peaks in the horizon. I'm kayaking tomorrow so hopefully the weather will improve.