Abel Tasman National Park

The Abel Tasman National Park is a nature reserve located on the northern coast of the South Island.

It is particularly known for the Abel Tasman Coast Track, which is a very long hike that takes you through mountains and along beaches.

The track runs from Marahau in the south to Wainui in the north.

Originally, my friend and I planned to hike the Abel Tasman Coast Track for three days and sleep in small huts or camp in the national park. However, since we wanted to visit the Abel Tasman National Park during peak season and holiday time, all the huts and campsites were already fully booked.

So we changed our plans and decided to do a kayaking tour on December 28, 2018, and hike a portion of the Coast Track on December 29, 2018.

On December 28, 2018, at 9:00 am, we took the water taxi from Kaiteriteri (in the south) and went to Observation Bay. From there, we started kayaking and paddled around Adele Island and its surroundings. This was an opportunity for us to experience one of my absolute highlights of New Zealand, as Adele Island is known for its bird diversity and seal population. We were lucky enough to see plenty of seals from our kayaks, even though we were only allowed to approach them within 20 meters and our guide had to stay in front of us.

But the highlight was when we saw a seal in the water right next to our kayak, busy cleaning itself.

During my travels, I have particularly noticed how impressive it is to experience animals in their natural and free environment, without any interference or influence from humans. And humans can only be silent observers without entering or threatening the animal's habitat.

After this unique experience, the Abel Tasman National Park became one of my greatest highlights of New Zealand. But it has much more to offer than just seals.

After the kayaking tour, we took the water taxi from Observation Bay to Onetahuti Bay (in the north). Then we hiked from Onetahuti to Medlands Bay, which is a distance of 4.4 kilometers and leads through mountains and beautiful beaches. Most of the trail goes through mountains, creating a jungle-like atmosphere. But the final part of the trail passes by Bark Bay, which was one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen.

The water taxi picked us up again at Medlands Bay and brought us back to Kaiteriteri, where we ended our successful and impressive first day in the Abel Tasman National Park.

The next day, our second day in the Abel Tasman National Park started again in Kaiteriteri, where we took the water taxi. This time, we went to Anchorge Bay and hiked from there towards the north to Medlands Bay. This trail is 8.6 kilometers long.

The special thing about this trail was that we passed by Torent Bay, which is also a very beautiful beach in the Abel Tasman National Park and is one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen, alongside Bark Bay. We also walked across one of the longest and most famous swing bridges, which is located between Torrent Bay and Bark Bay.

We spent the last few hours at Bark Bay before the water taxi picked us up again, enjoying the sun and the beautiful beach.

And thus, our second day in the Abel Tasman National Park came to an end.

One of the swing bridges