Abel Tasman

After getting up, we drove another half an hour to Marahau by car. We had booked a kayak hiking excursion for this day. After getting dressed and instructed, we did some technique exercises on the water. Then we paddled along the coast into Abel Tasman National Park. There was a small break on a beautiful sandy beach before we paddled out to an island with a seal colony. There were some cute baby seals sunning themselves on the rocks. Back on the coast, it was already time for lunch and a swim in the turquoise blue water. The wind had picked up a bit, so the last stretch (known as the "mad mile") required some serious paddling efforts. With tired arms, we arrived at Anchorage Bay. The kayak was left on the beach with all the equipment, and we set off on foot for the return journey. The hike took us along the Abel Tasman Coastal Track, which was like a "highway". From time to time, we had a nice view of the stretch we paddled in the morning. Back at the car, we took a quick shower and fortified ourselves with a pie. The drive to the next campsite in the upper part of the national park felt long, as the winding, narrow gravel roads took a lot of time. We arrived at the campsite quite tired at 7 pm.

The next morning, we were finally able to sleep in after a long time. At 11 am, we took a taxi boat from our campsite (Totaranui) to Bark Bay. The boat ride offered beautiful views of the many golden sand beaches. From Bark Bay, we hiked back to Totaranui. The trail led through forests, up and down hills, and past beaches. In this part of the national park, the trails were less developed and there were fewer people. We really liked this section. After the Awaroa Hut, there was a section of the trail that can only be walked during low tide. On the sandy, shell-covered plain, we were able to keep our shoes on at first, but when we reached a river, we had to take off our shoes and wade through knee-deep water. After 20 minutes, we crossed the bay and went through the forest up the next bay. Back in Totaranui, we decided to drive about an hour to Golden Bay, where there is a campsite with hot showers and a washing machine. As it started to rain lightly in the evening, we only took a quick look at Golden Bay and hoped for better weather the next day.

It was still cloudy when we woke up. Since we didn't have much planned for this day, we took it pretty easy. After talking to our families, finishing a blog entry, and having clean laundry again, the sun finally came out. So we (finally) left the campsite and drove to one of New Zealand's largest freshwater springs. It was impressive how quickly the crystal-clear water sprang from the ground there. On the way to Nelson, we drove through fruit and hop plantations. At the roadside, we stocked up on vegetables and fruits. In Nelson, we wanted to visit a brewery, but since it was closed, we went to a bar at a local brewery and tried a selection of different beers. Since we liked the Marlborough Sounds so much at the beginning of the North Island, we drove back there to a campsite.

With a few scenic stops, we returned to Picton the next day, where we took the ferry back to the North Island in the afternoon. From Wellington, we drove another 2 hours north to a small, wonderful campsite. The facilities were very clean and nice, the owners very friendly, and at night we could hear the calls of the kiwis.