Casey and I had found work in Blenheim, New Zealand while on our Working Holiday visa. We were staying in the area for a few months working and during the weekends we would go off to explore.
We were able to borrow a couple bicycles from our employer in Blenheim. We had a long weekend and decided to ride the bicycles to Whites Bay. We camped at Whites Bay campground, so we had to bring all our camping gear with us in our backpacks as we rode.
The beginning of our bicycle journey was mostly flat. We enjoyed peddling through the vineyards and looking at the beautiful hills.
Whites Bay is on the east side of the South Island of New Zealand, located 8k north of Blenheim. The packs caused us to bike slower than normal. It took about 2.5 hours to get to Whites Bay. The hardest part was getting over the large hills near the end. We ended up pushing the bikes up the hills and then coasting down the hills to rest our legs.
We had a good view at the top of the first hill of the bay and a view of the vineyards that we had just biked through.
We finally arrived at Whites Bay campground. The campground is first come/first served. We found a nice spot to setup our tent and then rested for a while. Our legs were very tired from riding the bicycles!
We took some time to stretch our legs with some yoga. Then enjoyed walking along the beach at Whites Bay. The sunset was beautiful that evening. Casey and I meditated to the sound of the waves while sitting on a log on the beach. It was peaceful and grounding.
Later that evening, we went on a night hike to find glowworms. There is a short trail to get to the stream where the high banks make a perfect home for the glowworms. These little creatures are endemic to New Zealand, and are such a wonder to see!
After our glowworm hike, Casey and I went back to our tent and called it a night. The next morning I enjoyed waking up to the sound of the waves and the call of the birds. New Zealand is a bird paradise. I absolutely love hearing all the bird songs!
We hiked the Black Jack Track after breakfast. The trail makes a loop. It is possible to get to the Mount Robertson Track, but that would have taken more time than we had. It takes about 1.5 hours to do the loop of the Black Jack trail. There are some hills to ascend, but the views at the top are pretty spectacular!
After we completed the hike, we went to explore the beach. The tide was lower so we could walk around to a rocky section on the south side. Here we saw some people snorkeling around in the water. The rock formations and tide-pools were interesting to look at. We even ended up spotting a couple starfish!
We enjoyed soaking up the sun, looking at the tide-pools, and walking on the beach. We ate lunch then packed up our tent and were biking back to Blenheim. The bike ride back to Blenheim was easier because we got the hills out of the way first. The rest of the ride was smooth and flat.
I really loved Whites Bay! It was beautiful and such a relaxing time (if you do not include the bike ride there and back!).
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