While staying in Nelson, we decided to take a day trip out to Split Apple Rock, a journey that’s about an hour by car. Just short of our destination at the seaside village of Kaiteriteri, we came across a wonderful playground for the kids. We stopped to let the kids expel some energy and then when it was time to head off to Split Apple Rock, no one wanted to leave the park. Looking at the map, the rock was only a few kilometres away, so I decided to venture on by myself, snap a few pics and be back in no time.

What’s that they say about ‘best laid plans’?

The stretch of road between Kaiteriteri and Split Apple Rock is the slowest stretch of paved road I have ever travelled on. It meanders around seaside cliffs and rocky hillsides and what I thought would be about a 5 minute drive was more like a 25 minute drive. Then it was a 15 minute hike down to the beach, so by the time I arrived, it was already close to the time I thought I’d be back to collect the family.

As a result, my time spent shooting the rock was very brief. I think I would have spent no more than ten minutes on the beach before making the trek back to the car, followed by the roller-coaster drive back to Kaiteriteri.

The rock itself is officially known as Tokangawhā / Split Apple Rock. It rests about 50m off the coast in The Tasman Bay off the northern coast of New Zealand’s South Island.