Mount Robert Circuit

An unforgettable walk with unforgettable views.

Day 3 of our Nelson / Tasman road trip we decided to visit St Arnaud and the famous Lake Rotoiti. From there, just 10 minutes drive away is the Mount Robert Circuit, a 9km loop hike up Mount Robert overlooking Lake Rotoiti.

The walk began with a steep ascend, zigzagging through the native trees. 

Emerged from the forest, we were met with a spectacular panoramic view of the lake and the surrounding mountains. The sun was hot though the fresh breeze of air was cold.

Continuing the steep uphill track we eventually reached the alpine zone, escaping the forest and now exposed to the elements.

Blenheim & Picton

During our trip to Nelson we decided to head over to Blenheim and Picton and met up with my old high school friend who showed us around town.

The first stop was Whites Bay, a small bay to the east of South Island, between Picton and Blenheim. A hidden sandy, sheltered bay. 

9.5 Years Later in Picton

Back in April 2011 I visited Picton for the first time with my family during our first visit to New Zealand. Fast forward 9.5 years later I’m back here again!

Cable Bay

30 Minutes from Nelson. So close yet so far away.

It was an early morning departure from Nelson as we made our way to Blenheim. Only 30 minutes from Nelson City is Cable Bay – a small settlement north-east of Nelson.

The name Cable Bay came from NZ’s first overseas cable link to Australia from New Zealand – an international telegraph cable.

There is no cell phone reception here. Cable Bay is so close yet so remote. The Bay is 600 metres wide, a thin land connecting Pepin Island to the South Island.

Abel Tasman National Park

Hawkes Lookout, Takaka Hill

After an early morning flight from Auckland, we began our day 1 of the Nelson / Tasman / Blenheim trip with a day visit to the Abel Tasman National Park.

After landing in Nelson, we picked up our rental car and promptly made our way to the Abel Tasman for our first visit of the day – the Harwoods Hole Track.

On the way to the Abel Tasman, we stopped at Hawkes Lookout. It was a clear 27°C day with no cloud in sight, looking out to Riwaka and Motueka.

1.5 Hours later (including 30 minutes of narrow gravel road) we arrived at the start of Harwoods Hole Track. The 45 minute track took us through beech forest with limestone rock formations framing the track.

At the end of the track is New Zealand’s deepest vertical shaft, a vertical height of 176 metres. There are no barriers and I couldn’t see the bottom from the edge.

Something Blue Morrie

Something Blue Morrie is a vintage wedding car business based in Christchurch. I was commissioned to build a simple business website which allows couples to book this vintage wedding car for their wedding day.

Visit Website

The Seree – Koon’s Second Work Life

I don’t post much about my second life in Thailand, so here we go. On my 19th birthday, my parents got me a unique gift – an LLC called Koon Group Limited – a parent company of all businesses founded and operated by our family of four.

Fast forward a few years later, we are now about to launch our latest project – The Seree – seven commercial live/work units (also called “shophouses” in Asia) super close to Pattaya City. This a type of property we don’t see a lot in NZ. The ground floor features an open-plan space, ideal for retail, and the 2nd and 3rd floors are used as the tenant’s residence. It features 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, totalling 200m²+ GFA.

The best thing about this is that you can lease one of these brand new units for just NZ$160 a week!

This is one of the many projects I am actively involved in when I get home from my 9-5 job. We still have a lot of projects lined up, including the third phase of our residential development, which will add another 150 apartments to our existing 100-room apartment complex.

Hopefully, one day I will be able to do these property projects here in NZ. Watch this space 🙂

P.S. Render done by me!