Abel Tasman National Park
Well after a nice weekend stay at 'The Bug' backpackers in Nelson we headed for the Laughing Kiwi Backpackers in Motueka, the gateway to Abel Tasman National Park and a place where they grow a serious amount of fruit.
We were off to kayak around the park the next morning (Monday). Despite some earlier storm warnings we woke to a lovely morning and arrived at the kayak place at 8:30am. The beach at Kaiteriteri was buzzing with activity. Kayakers prepairing for guided trips and water taxis buzzing off up the coast with trampers for the coastal track.
We were soon introduced to our kayak, a two man sea kayak, and shown how to pack it. So we squeezed in the tent, sleeping bags and mats and enough food to keep us going for the 3 days.
After two hours we were on the water and asked to prove we weren't complete idiots by finding our way to the nearby Ngaio Island. Which we did no bother. The sun was shining and the water calm and we were off on our own a couple of hours later as we said good bye to the guides and headed into the wilderness.
OK it's not quite a wilderness, especially on a bank holiday monday. Speed boats and yachts are all around and you just have to pray they spot you. First stop was for lunch on Fisherman's Island. We found a wee beach and hauled up for a look around and a bit of a leg stretch.
We headed off after lunch, round the back of fisherman's island, past Paradise Beach and across to the larger Adele Island. None of the islands are inhabited by anything other than birds and we stopped in at Adele and took a steep track to the top for some stunning views across to Nelson on one side and the Park on the other.
Anyway back down to the kayak, back the 200m or so to the mainland and off round the beaches and coves to our first campsite. Te Puketea is a cracking paradise cove and strangely has no sandflies. We beached up and set the tent in amongst the bush.
After the last of the stragglers had been water-taxi'd away we were left in peaceful tranquility to boil up the pasta and sit back and relax. We took a short jaunt to the point and over to the nearby DOC hut for some filtered water but the evening mainly involved lying on the beach and watching the darkness close in and the colours rise across the north island and along the horizon. We counted the emerging stars and headed off for a luxurious night in the two man tent.
Next morning we woke to even calmer seas and the sun screaming down at us. What a way to get going in the morning. We paddled on through Anchorage and across seemingly invisible waters through coves and bays spying the odd fish below us. After a good hour or two we had reached the point where we were heading off to Tonga Island. It's about 1km from shore and only 1km long and is home to a seal colony. After what had seemed an apparently endless paddle (the island was like the gold at the end of a rainbow) we came across the seals. Most of the ones in the water lying head down with flippers in the air, don't ask me why.
As we approached and ultimately passed through them they came around blowing spray from their noses and ducking under the kayak as we passed over. They soon got bored though and continued on with their strange underwater habit.
That was us. Paddle back to Onetahuiti beach on the shore opposite Tonga Island and set up camp for night 2. This was where we gave back our kayaks to continue on by foot the next day, when the tide allowed.
Onetahuiti beach was your standard Abel Tasman beach. Long golden strand with crystal clear seas lapping the shore. We just had to go for a swim. It was like being inside a holiday brochure.
Around 2:30am it started to rain. It didn't stop until around 10am. So we quickly packed everything up and after the water taxi driver telling us the worst was over we started walking the track. It proceeded to absolutely chuck it down. Not quite on a par with Milford Sound but close at times. After an hours walk we were at Awaroa Lodge. A roof! What a relief. One lovely cup of tea and a muffin later we were on the beach waiting for a water taxi to get us home and dry. After about 20 minutes it arrived and after another hour or so we were back at Kaiteriteri and back in the car to Motueka.
What a trip! Like paddling around some huge hotel swimming pool. Yet again the weather was kind to us when we needed it and when it wasn't so important it showed us it's bad side.
We're now in Takaka, North of Abel Tasman and we'll be in the very North of the South Island tomorrow and the next day.
The ferry to the North Island is booked for Wednesday 16th so it will soon be goodbye to the south after more than 10 weeks.
Plenty to do before then still though.
We were off to kayak around the park the next morning (Monday). Despite some earlier storm warnings we woke to a lovely morning and arrived at the kayak place at 8:30am. The beach at Kaiteriteri was buzzing with activity. Kayakers prepairing for guided trips and water taxis buzzing off up the coast with trampers for the coastal track.
We were soon introduced to our kayak, a two man sea kayak, and shown how to pack it. So we squeezed in the tent, sleeping bags and mats and enough food to keep us going for the 3 days.
After two hours we were on the water and asked to prove we weren't complete idiots by finding our way to the nearby Ngaio Island. Which we did no bother. The sun was shining and the water calm and we were off on our own a couple of hours later as we said good bye to the guides and headed into the wilderness.
OK it's not quite a wilderness, especially on a bank holiday monday. Speed boats and yachts are all around and you just have to pray they spot you. First stop was for lunch on Fisherman's Island. We found a wee beach and hauled up for a look around and a bit of a leg stretch.
We headed off after lunch, round the back of fisherman's island, past Paradise Beach and across to the larger Adele Island. None of the islands are inhabited by anything other than birds and we stopped in at Adele and took a steep track to the top for some stunning views across to Nelson on one side and the Park on the other.
Anyway back down to the kayak, back the 200m or so to the mainland and off round the beaches and coves to our first campsite. Te Puketea is a cracking paradise cove and strangely has no sandflies. We beached up and set the tent in amongst the bush.
After the last of the stragglers had been water-taxi'd away we were left in peaceful tranquility to boil up the pasta and sit back and relax. We took a short jaunt to the point and over to the nearby DOC hut for some filtered water but the evening mainly involved lying on the beach and watching the darkness close in and the colours rise across the north island and along the horizon. We counted the emerging stars and headed off for a luxurious night in the two man tent.
Next morning we woke to even calmer seas and the sun screaming down at us. What a way to get going in the morning. We paddled on through Anchorage and across seemingly invisible waters through coves and bays spying the odd fish below us. After a good hour or two we had reached the point where we were heading off to Tonga Island. It's about 1km from shore and only 1km long and is home to a seal colony. After what had seemed an apparently endless paddle (the island was like the gold at the end of a rainbow) we came across the seals. Most of the ones in the water lying head down with flippers in the air, don't ask me why.
As we approached and ultimately passed through them they came around blowing spray from their noses and ducking under the kayak as we passed over. They soon got bored though and continued on with their strange underwater habit.
That was us. Paddle back to Onetahuiti beach on the shore opposite Tonga Island and set up camp for night 2. This was where we gave back our kayaks to continue on by foot the next day, when the tide allowed.
Onetahuiti beach was your standard Abel Tasman beach. Long golden strand with crystal clear seas lapping the shore. We just had to go for a swim. It was like being inside a holiday brochure.
Around 2:30am it started to rain. It didn't stop until around 10am. So we quickly packed everything up and after the water taxi driver telling us the worst was over we started walking the track. It proceeded to absolutely chuck it down. Not quite on a par with Milford Sound but close at times. After an hours walk we were at Awaroa Lodge. A roof! What a relief. One lovely cup of tea and a muffin later we were on the beach waiting for a water taxi to get us home and dry. After about 20 minutes it arrived and after another hour or so we were back at Kaiteriteri and back in the car to Motueka.
What a trip! Like paddling around some huge hotel swimming pool. Yet again the weather was kind to us when we needed it and when it wasn't so important it showed us it's bad side.
We're now in Takaka, North of Abel Tasman and we'll be in the very North of the South Island tomorrow and the next day.
The ferry to the North Island is booked for Wednesday 16th so it will soon be goodbye to the south after more than 10 weeks.
Plenty to do before then still though.
posted by PeterZ at 6:21 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home