From Picton we drove North, past Havelock and Nelson. It continued raining, really hard. We spent the night at Kina Point, and then drove over 'Marble Mountain' into Golden Bay. This little area, surrounded by mountains and sea is its own little world of small villages, magnificent views, sheep and pukeko.
North of the main settlement, Takaka, the road runs close to the coast. We stopped at Milnford Quay, a disused wharf on sand-bank estuary behind a narrow bar. In the low cloud the herons and ducks hunted in the mud.
We spent the night in Collingwood, a small town right on the sea and home to the best chocolate store! If you go that way, visit Rosy Glow.