Nelson and Abel Tasman

Nelson gets an A in my book for being a great town. It's full of coffee shops, food carts, and gardens. The sun shines on pedestrians in t-shirts and sunglasses. I joined forces with Erik the Swede and Lucas the German to explore the Nelson area.

Our first mission was to reach the hill that proclaims to be the geographical center of New Zealand. After strolling through the Queen's Gardens, a little uphill path carried us to that central point.

They're really protective of their sheep up there...

The next day Lucas and I went paragliding. It's about as soft core as adventure sports get; you basically just sit in a harness and float over the gorgeous landscape as the guy does all the work behind you.

I must admit I had a slight case of motion sickness, but it was a great experience nonetheless.

The next day we hiked in Abel Tasman National Park. We chose one day of the 4 day trek and were lucky enough to have absolutely stunning weather. The easy walk meanders along the coast of a spectacular beach, and I sort of felt like I was walking in a 3D postcard.

We finished the day off with a Tim Tam Slam marathon. For all you Americans, Tim Tams are these amazing cookies that we should definitely get in the States. Four of us went through two and a half packs, definitely consuming more calories than we burned on the walk.

I only have one more day in Nelson, and then I'm off to the north island. The daily countdown has started...12 days left!