Abel Tasman

Done!!! Behind us are 4 days, 3 nights, 38 kilometers, and a small unforgettable adventure. After booking our three campsites and a water taxi that would bring us back on the last day, we only packed the essentials and enough provisions in our backpacks and off we went. However, I still had 13 kilos and Jonas had 22 kilos... We set off in good spirits. The good mood actually lasted the whole day because the path and the view were simply indescribable. The path mostly led along the coast through the beautiful national park. Strangely enough, the first stretch went surprisingly well and I was surprised myself that I had managed everything so far without any major problems. Okay, I was aware that the pain usually only becomes noticeable the next day, but I ignored it. The campsite was right on the beach in a small bay (Ancorage beach). For dinner, we had instant noodles and an apple or a carrot. Just like every day, by the way. The noodles on the small camping stove tasted incredibly delicious, and we slept relatively early in our sleeping bags, feeling satisfied and happy.

The next morning came and after everything was packed back into our backpacks, we continued. Actually, the backpack should be a bit lighter now since we were carrying less water and less food... unfortunately, it felt twice as heavy and the first pains were already noticeable after a few meters. This was particularly true for the feet as well as the pelvic bones and collarbone, where the backpack exerted the most pressure. However, my thighs were still feeling really good =) The good weather and the incredible view blinded any discomfort. Along the way, we made a little detour from the actual route to the Cleopatra Pools. A small pool dammed up in a river with a "natural moss slide". Jonas couldn't stand it for a second longer in his hiking shoes and jumped straight into the cold water. I watched the spectacle from the outside for a while. Of course, Jonas wanted to test everything he could and climbed on every stone, slid down the slide, and jumped into the water. Fortunately, everything went well except for a small landing on the buttocks. We continued our journey. At first, everything was going pretty well, but as the path got steeper, the backpack got heavier, and the pain increased, I just wanted to finally arrive. The fact that the time estimates on the information signs were also incorrect did not make us any happier. Finally, with incredibly painful feet, we arrived at the camp after what felt like 10 hours. This time it was located on a small peninsula right by the water, again in a small bay. It was much quieter and there were fewer people. After a packet of instant noodles and a sleepless night, we set off for the third stage. I thought it couldn't get any worse and squeezed my feet back into the hiking shoes. By the way, I haven't mentioned the hundred thousand small cute mosquitoes that buzzed around us every day and used every part of our bodies to annoy us. It seems that the mosquitoes here don't know anything about Autan or other insect repellents and they weren't deterred by them either.

This time, the path not only led through the forest but also a good stretch along the beach. Today it was definitely easier to ignore the pain because we had set ourselves a goal and the joy increased the closer we got to it. The view of our bay for the night was simply breathtaking. Just like you always see it in the travel guide. For the last stretch uphill, we gathered all our strength until we finally arrived at the camp, set up our tent, and looked forward to a nice swim in the water. The mosquitoes seemed to have doubled on this campsite and it was hard to sit outside without having a hundred insects sticking to us. After another sleepless night, we set off in the morning to the beach where our water taxi was departing. Now we could see the whole path from the water and enjoyed the ride on the small speedboat.

Satisfied and happy, we are now sitting in our hostel, enriched with a little adventure, many new impressions, unforgettable moments, and a thousand mosquito bites, but with one less plate, one less water bottle, and hopefully a few calories!! =)