Along the NW coast of the South Island lies the amazingly beautiful Abel Tasman National Park, so the park turned out to be my next destination, after a brief stop in Nelson and driving through the Green Shell Mussel Capital of the World in Havelock. (I also stopped in and used the internet cafe inside the McDonalds in Nelson, but there wasn't much else significant in the nice-looking city.) I arrived in Motueka early one morning and stopped at the visitor information site to try to make some plans for my next few days and foray into the park. Having missed the operations for that day and making a few decisions based on the weather forecast that was supposed to clear up in the next day or so, I spent the day driving the windy, steep road from the South end of the park to the North, over a decent sized pass, covered in pine trees, with a few native and imported bushes strewn about. As I drove through the last small town, I entered the park and eventually ended up on a small, bumpy, dusty dirt road headed towards the scenic inlet of Awaroa, which I had seen on a few postcards. I made a few blind turns, stream crossings of foot or two of water (Willy also turns out to be amphibious), and then I ended up at the car park at the end of the road, realizing that my timing wasn't quite ideal. With the tide being high, I could basically see the back side of the inlet from the trail, though it wasn't much to see, and the rest of the trail, beach and everything else that you'd actually care to see was tantalizingly out of reach. So, I headed back on the road after my half-hour detour, and I was able to find another gravel turnoff towards Totaranui, a larger, less capricious beach at the end of one of the other trails. This beach proved worth the drive, as I got out of the car just feet away from the sparkling golden sands of the wide beach, lined with thick greenery on one side and the clear green water on the other. I walked up and down the beach, admiring the scenery, before heading back to the car, the main town, and my sour worms, including one interesting encounter with another car traveling in the middle of the narrow road along a blind turn, as we both swerved back to our sides with just a bit of room to spare, though it wasn't quite a high speed incident.
The next morning, I got up early and headed back to town for my shuttle ride up to the start of the Abel Tasman Coastal Track, a three to five day walk along the coast, through the bush, stopping at most of the major beaches and inlets of the stunning park. While in town, I had rented a cheap tent and made some arrangements (since the covered huts were fully booked for Easter, I had to get a campsite), and then I was on my way. The weather for the day was supposed to be perfect, but the day started out dark and dreary, so I waited at the trailhead for about an hour before starting out, hoping the clouds would clear away before getting to any of the major attractions. As I had hoped, just an hour or two after departing along the walkway across the bay and up into the trees, the clouds began to disappear as the sun made its way through, revealing some gorgeous views. Along almost every inlet is a small, secluded beach, often populated with a few kayakers or hikers taking breaks or even pitching a tent for the night. The beaches and water in this area are unbelievable, especially given our location. The bright, golden sands and superbly clear, green tinted water look like something out of a tropical getaway, seeming unreal at a latitude so far South. The beaches, some wide, some narrow, are all backed by thick, native forests that have been tended and replanted since the opening of the park in 1942, and there are very few signs of development within the park, though brightly colored kayaks are easy to spot in the green water, as this is one of the key attractions of the park.
My hiking trip first took me to the beautiful beaches of Appletree, Couquille, Stilwell, and Akersten Bays before the Watering Cove and the ever-popular Anchorage, a huge stretch of sand in a crescent shaped bay, seen in many of the postcards of the area. When I arrived, I found the pleasant looking hut and a few day trippers playing along the beach, and I wished that I could simply stay there for the night, as my pack was beginning to wear on my shoulders, and I knew that I still had a long way to go, but I still took the time to admire the incredible beach and translucent water. Again, due to the tides, I had to take the long way around the bay, back up into the forest and around the river mouth, instead of simply crossing the sandbar, so that added an hour and a few miles to my trip. After Anchorage, I saw very few people, and I began to pick up the pace to make up some time, since I'd been stopping at nearly every beach and overlook that I saw, not being able to fight the allure of the splendid vistas. My next main stop was Torrent Bay where a few locals have holiday homes, and I ended up talking for about 10 minutes to some very inquisitive kids asking where I was going, where I was from, if I walked from the United States and other relevant questions. I couldn't stay too long, though, as I had to get to camp before dark. With about an hour to go, having hiked 6.5 hours, I was passed on a steep uphill by a very fast moving jogger, apparently on an evening run from Torrent Bay, but he inspired me, so despite my heavy pack and tired legs, I managed a few minutes of running through the woods, again making up some time and exerting some pent-up energy, though running with a hiking pack is quite hard on the knees. I came across another large swinging bridge over the river below, stopped at one last lookout, and I finally arrived at Bark Bay, my home for the night. I had walked with my heavy pack (about 30 lbs - the rental tent wasn't the most high-tech or lightest option around) for nearly eight hours for a total of around 25 km (15 miles for those of you who prefer measuring systems that don't make sense), so I felt good about my long day and indulged in the hearty dinner of an apple, orange and a bunch of muesli/trail mix. I got the tropical blend muesli this time with dried bananas, pineapple and papaya, and it is so good. I quickly set up my tent at the last remaining spot as dusk fell, and then I was off to sleep, trying not to be annoyed by the incessant chatter of the Japanese couple next to me and the Germans on my other side, though I had to remind myself that I was going to bed a bit early.
After a completely uncomfortable night in the tent, I woke up early and headed out to the beach for my muesli breakfast and to wait for my kayak trip for the day. Later in the morning, the water taxis and kayaks arrived where I met my guide and my kayaking partner for the day, Shauna, and we were instructed on a few things, then we set sail...set paddle, whatever. We decided that I'd take the front of the kayak and Shauna would take the back, as we'd both "kayaked" before, and it really didn't matter that much...So, she was in charge of steering with the rudder, and that didn't seem to be the right decision. For some reason, she would continually oversteer and then overcorrect and oversteer and repeat. I figured she'd work out the kinks as we went along and wouldn't waste so much energy trying to correct it and point us in the right direction, but that didn't seem to happen, as we zig-zagged our way around the park. Joined by our guide, it was the two of us in a kayak and an Israeli couple in the other two person kayak. We were fortunate to have a very calm day on the water, making our paddling a bit easier. Our first stop was Pinnacle Rock, where we saw a few seals playing in the water just beside our kayaks and laying on the rocks. Next, we started on the long stretch of amazing beaches, making a lunch stop at Te Pukatea, one of the most pictured beaches of the park. Just a short trip into the woods, we found a great lookout over the half-moon bay and sparkling water. We enjoyed a nice lunch with a sandwich some juice and a huge blueberry muffin (one and a half for me), and then we were back on the water, making our way down. Shauna and I gladly switched seats, and I got to steer, though the pedals were way too short, so it was not at all comfortable, and the pedals had been rigged to only work comfortably for shorter people, so I ended up having to contort my foot around it for part of the way, until we could find another guide to help us get it back to normal.
We cruised the green water, stopping at beach after beach and entering a hidden sea cave for a few hours, tiring us out, passing through the Mad Mile (named for the strong currents that didn't affect us too much), Astrolab Roadstead and other parts on the way back to Marahau and the start of the park. The day passed by quickly as our eyes were transfixed on the incredible scenery both on land and in the water around us, and our guide told us some stories of the park, its inception, flora and fauna and other random facts. This was also his last day as a guide, so we tried to make it memorable for him by unintentionally ramming his boat a few times and a few other annoying things. Amazingly, he was sick of his job in paradise, which points to Brian Tschida's theory of not working in an industry you love, as even the best jobs can become tiring and old, thus ruining that aspect of your life, though I think his level of dissatisfaction kayaking through the blue-green water of the park, alongside the golden beaches and thick forest, along with the occasional seal following nearby isn't quite the corporate burnout that people associate with being tired of one's job, so he doesn't get too much sympathy. On a positive note, he said that Americans are actually the only nationality with which he hasn't had a bad experience, so well done USA! On our way back to being loved by the world...
The day ended with us pulling back into the harbor after about 6 hours on the water, boarding the bus and coming back into town. I treated myself to a nice Thai noodle dish at the local restaurant and decided to make it really spicy, as I continued to add more and more pepper seeds before actually tasting it. It was quite spicy, but good, and of course I had to go get a double scoop of ice cream to cool down, along with some sour worms for post dessert...not a bad combo. Soon, I'll be heading back to the North Island and hoping to sell Willy, so we'll see how that works out.
The next morning, I got up early and headed back to town for my shuttle ride up to the start of the Abel Tasman Coastal Track, a three to five day walk along the coast, through the bush, stopping at most of the major beaches and inlets of the stunning park. While in town, I had rented a cheap tent and made some arrangements (since the covered huts were fully booked for Easter, I had to get a campsite), and then I was on my way. The weather for the day was supposed to be perfect, but the day started out dark and dreary, so I waited at the trailhead for about an hour before starting out, hoping the clouds would clear away before getting to any of the major attractions. As I had hoped, just an hour or two after departing along the walkway across the bay and up into the trees, the clouds began to disappear as the sun made its way through, revealing some gorgeous views. Along almost every inlet is a small, secluded beach, often populated with a few kayakers or hikers taking breaks or even pitching a tent for the night. The beaches and water in this area are unbelievable, especially given our location. The bright, golden sands and superbly clear, green tinted water look like something out of a tropical getaway, seeming unreal at a latitude so far South. The beaches, some wide, some narrow, are all backed by thick, native forests that have been tended and replanted since the opening of the park in 1942, and there are very few signs of development within the park, though brightly colored kayaks are easy to spot in the green water, as this is one of the key attractions of the park.
My hiking trip first took me to the beautiful beaches of Appletree, Couquille, Stilwell, and Akersten Bays before the Watering Cove and the ever-popular Anchorage, a huge stretch of sand in a crescent shaped bay, seen in many of the postcards of the area. When I arrived, I found the pleasant looking hut and a few day trippers playing along the beach, and I wished that I could simply stay there for the night, as my pack was beginning to wear on my shoulders, and I knew that I still had a long way to go, but I still took the time to admire the incredible beach and translucent water. Again, due to the tides, I had to take the long way around the bay, back up into the forest and around the river mouth, instead of simply crossing the sandbar, so that added an hour and a few miles to my trip. After Anchorage, I saw very few people, and I began to pick up the pace to make up some time, since I'd been stopping at nearly every beach and overlook that I saw, not being able to fight the allure of the splendid vistas. My next main stop was Torrent Bay where a few locals have holiday homes, and I ended up talking for about 10 minutes to some very inquisitive kids asking where I was going, where I was from, if I walked from the United States and other relevant questions. I couldn't stay too long, though, as I had to get to camp before dark. With about an hour to go, having hiked 6.5 hours, I was passed on a steep uphill by a very fast moving jogger, apparently on an evening run from Torrent Bay, but he inspired me, so despite my heavy pack and tired legs, I managed a few minutes of running through the woods, again making up some time and exerting some pent-up energy, though running with a hiking pack is quite hard on the knees. I came across another large swinging bridge over the river below, stopped at one last lookout, and I finally arrived at Bark Bay, my home for the night. I had walked with my heavy pack (about 30 lbs - the rental tent wasn't the most high-tech or lightest option around) for nearly eight hours for a total of around 25 km (15 miles for those of you who prefer measuring systems that don't make sense), so I felt good about my long day and indulged in the hearty dinner of an apple, orange and a bunch of muesli/trail mix. I got the tropical blend muesli this time with dried bananas, pineapple and papaya, and it is so good. I quickly set up my tent at the last remaining spot as dusk fell, and then I was off to sleep, trying not to be annoyed by the incessant chatter of the Japanese couple next to me and the Germans on my other side, though I had to remind myself that I was going to bed a bit early.
After a completely uncomfortable night in the tent, I woke up early and headed out to the beach for my muesli breakfast and to wait for my kayak trip for the day. Later in the morning, the water taxis and kayaks arrived where I met my guide and my kayaking partner for the day, Shauna, and we were instructed on a few things, then we set sail...set paddle, whatever. We decided that I'd take the front of the kayak and Shauna would take the back, as we'd both "kayaked" before, and it really didn't matter that much...So, she was in charge of steering with the rudder, and that didn't seem to be the right decision. For some reason, she would continually oversteer and then overcorrect and oversteer and repeat. I figured she'd work out the kinks as we went along and wouldn't waste so much energy trying to correct it and point us in the right direction, but that didn't seem to happen, as we zig-zagged our way around the park. Joined by our guide, it was the two of us in a kayak and an Israeli couple in the other two person kayak. We were fortunate to have a very calm day on the water, making our paddling a bit easier. Our first stop was Pinnacle Rock, where we saw a few seals playing in the water just beside our kayaks and laying on the rocks. Next, we started on the long stretch of amazing beaches, making a lunch stop at Te Pukatea, one of the most pictured beaches of the park. Just a short trip into the woods, we found a great lookout over the half-moon bay and sparkling water. We enjoyed a nice lunch with a sandwich some juice and a huge blueberry muffin (one and a half for me), and then we were back on the water, making our way down. Shauna and I gladly switched seats, and I got to steer, though the pedals were way too short, so it was not at all comfortable, and the pedals had been rigged to only work comfortably for shorter people, so I ended up having to contort my foot around it for part of the way, until we could find another guide to help us get it back to normal.
We cruised the green water, stopping at beach after beach and entering a hidden sea cave for a few hours, tiring us out, passing through the Mad Mile (named for the strong currents that didn't affect us too much), Astrolab Roadstead and other parts on the way back to Marahau and the start of the park. The day passed by quickly as our eyes were transfixed on the incredible scenery both on land and in the water around us, and our guide told us some stories of the park, its inception, flora and fauna and other random facts. This was also his last day as a guide, so we tried to make it memorable for him by unintentionally ramming his boat a few times and a few other annoying things. Amazingly, he was sick of his job in paradise, which points to Brian Tschida's theory of not working in an industry you love, as even the best jobs can become tiring and old, thus ruining that aspect of your life, though I think his level of dissatisfaction kayaking through the blue-green water of the park, alongside the golden beaches and thick forest, along with the occasional seal following nearby isn't quite the corporate burnout that people associate with being tired of one's job, so he doesn't get too much sympathy. On a positive note, he said that Americans are actually the only nationality with which he hasn't had a bad experience, so well done USA! On our way back to being loved by the world...
The day ended with us pulling back into the harbor after about 6 hours on the water, boarding the bus and coming back into town. I treated myself to a nice Thai noodle dish at the local restaurant and decided to make it really spicy, as I continued to add more and more pepper seeds before actually tasting it. It was quite spicy, but good, and of course I had to go get a double scoop of ice cream to cool down, along with some sour worms for post dessert...not a bad combo. Soon, I'll be heading back to the North Island and hoping to sell Willy, so we'll see how that works out.
(The first golden beach at Totaranui)
(Amazing water at Totaranui)
(One of the tantalizing views of my hike with the beaches and water through the trees)
(The trail moved along the beach at Anchorage, one of the popular stops)
(An aerial view of Anchorage, taking the high tide route around the estuary)
(The other kayaks at the beach of Bark Bay, where I slept for the night)
(The glassy water, Pinnacle Rock, and our guide in his kayak)
(Te Pukatea beach from the Pitt Head lookout, showing off the beautiful water and beaches)
1 comments:
Impressive - 15 miles in one day, and then only having an apple, orange and trailmix for dinner.
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