The sea-facing and bay-facing coasts of the Spit may only be 2 kilometres apart, but it’s amazing what a piece of land can do to buffer against the wind. From the rough beach, the walk cuts through the sand dunes to the bay-facing east coast, where all is very, very calm.

In August, there is still snow on the far-off peaks, and the clear winter’s day produces some lovely reflections on the sand.

In Golden Bay you can stumble on the most fascinating things, like Pupu Springs, the largest springs in NZ.

Despite its unfortunate name the water is as clear and as pure as you can get anywhere. Look at its extraordinary colour!

What Golden Bay really is about is golden beaches. These ones are near the village of Pohara. Since it was August when I visited I pretty much had them all to myself.

Time to revisit New Zealand again, this time the tip of the South Island, or more precisely, the Golden Bay area. Think of it as the Byron Bay of the South Island, only on a much smaller scale and probably how Byron was 15 years ago. Why? It’s the sunniest/warmest place on the South Island, is by the sea, and has a thriving alternative lifestyle community. But unlike Byron, which is accessible from Brisbane or the Gold Coast, this place is more isolated, accessible only via a dodgy mountain pass!