Abel Tasman Coast Track

Have you ever broken the gas cooker on a 3-day hike? We have! And it happened on the first day. But let's start from the beginning. Our hike started with a beautiful boat ride to our starting point on the Abel Tasman Coast Track. The 1 1/2 hour boat ride was really enjoyable, if it weren't for the thought that we had to walk the whole way back. No, just kidding, I was really looking forward to the hike. In Abel Tasman National Park, there is the Coast Track and the Inland Track. Of course, we chose the Coast Track. I mean, come on, the sea always wins! At least for us it does. The Abel Tasman Coast Track is a total of 60km long. But you can get chauffeured anywhere with a Water Taxi. Or get picked up, whatever you prefer. So there's something for everyone. Whether you're a lazy person or a highly motivated hiker. I would say we're somewhere in the middle. The 40km we planned is enough for us for now. So, it's goodbye to Hapi. We left it at Totaranui Campsite. From there, we continued with the Water Taxi to Apple Tree Bay. We already talked about the lovely boat ride at the beginning. Oh really, I'm writing a bit unorganized again today, but by now you know my writing style. So, the first day of the hike starts with about 10km and 10kg on our backs. Since we divided the hike into 3 days, we needed enough provisions. So, we bought a lot of ready-made meals because they're easy and light. I always call it 'China crap'. Just some noodles with spices and soy sauce that you pour water over and then eat. For me, that's China crap. Well, anyway, such a meal is really practical for a multi-day hike. Of course, we also needed spare clothing, a rain jacket (which fortunately we didn't need), and enough water. Thankfully, there are water filters that don't take up much space. So, we could filter and drink water at every campsite. Usually, the water at the campsites in the middle of nowhere has to be boiled. No one needs a slow boil. After 10km, we arrived at our first camp (Torrent Bay Village Campsite). There, we set up our tent, enjoyed some, as my mother always says, 'beach grilling', and then looked forward to a warm meal. Luckily, we had a convenient camping stove with two pots. That's awesome. And China crap doesn't need more than just something hot. Great, when you break the stove on the first try and then don't even have hot water. And no, people, it wasn't me this time! I won't say more about it. Anyway, that's it with the warm meal that would have been so comforting! Well, then we just ate the crap cold out of frustration. But let's forget about that quickly. Let's get back to the beautiful facts. The track was so beautiful! Once again, I can only say: ' What a nature!' The path goes through beautiful forests, a fantastic nature, and over beautiful beaches. The beaches are golden, the water turquoise blue. It's not just beautiful, it's paradise! You stay overnight at campsites that were specially built for the track. The campsites are very basic, but they have everything you need. (Except hot water for the China crap) I'm really not a huge fan of tents. But when you can camp right on the beach with your tent, that has its charm! Then you can kick meditation music with the sound of the sea to the curb. There's another topic I want to address that was very relevant when camping. And that's the birds called Wekas. If you're not careful, it's faster than you think and a Weka runs away as fast as it can with your food. The birds are crazy! They steal everything they can get and show no fear of humans. And you think your food is safe in the tent? Well, tough luck, because Wekas can open zippers and steal your food from the tent. The best option is to hang the food from a tree. Wekas can't climb, you see. But I have to admit, it looks pretty funny when a Weka runs away with a package of nuts. Or has a toilet paper roll on its head because it thought it should dig in a trash bag. Really funny, but the fun stops when it comes to food. The next day starts for us at 5:45. Why? Because we love getting up early? No, definitely not. On the Coast Track, you have to pay attention to the tides. There are bays that you can only cross at low tide. Or approximately 2 hours before and 2 hours after low tide. Or you have to swim, which is not fun with 10kg on your back. It's quite exciting, this tide thing. But does low tide have to be at 5 o'clock in the morning? Well, whatever. It's fun to set up the tent in the dark and still half-asleep. And you know how to save time in the morning? Just don't take off your clothes before going to bed. Then you get up the next morning and you're ready to go right away! Convenient, isn't it? No, seriously. It was just too cold for me in the evening, so I kept all my clothes on. But honestly, it's not a big deal when you can sit on a bench facing the sea in the beautiful dawn, having breakfast, and suddenly notice that the path behind you is disappearing because the tide is coming back. Delightful. We walked another 19km that day until we arrived at our next camp in Onetahuti. And can I tell you something? After a swim in the sea, we finally had a warm meal! Finally, a warm China crap! Luckily, there are nice people with camping stoves at the campsites. A perfect day, right? Yes! No "buts". On the third day, we walked the last 13km from Onetahuti to Hapi in Totaranui Bay, passing through Awaroa Bay. The backpack was lighter, the hips and back hurt a bit more, but the motivation was still there! The hike took until 8 o'clock in the evening because sometimes we had to wait for low tide. Since our food supplies were already gone, a break in a nice restaurant was just right. So, we treated ourselves to a portion of fries with ketchup and mayo. What a pleasure it was! It definitely tastes better than uncooked China crap! So, for us, the hike ended at sunset. A cold shower in the evening freezes all the bites from the sandflies and makes us fall asleep exhausted but completely satisfied. (Unfortunately, there were only cold showers. But you take what you can get). Guys, it was simply amazing! We didn't walk the complete track. But it was about 42km, which we managed without any problems. It was a completely new experience for me, and I'm very proud of both of us for handling it so well! I uploaded a picture of our route. I hope you can understand it! Cheers, guys!