04/05/2018 - Abel Tasman Coast Track

One of the nine New Zealand "Great Walks" starts in "Marahau". The "Abel Tasman Coast Track" has a total length of 60 kilometers. If you want to walk the entire distance, the DOC (Department of Conservation) recommends planning three to five days for it. Unlike many other Great Walks, this coastal trail is accessible year-round. 

Since we don't have a tent or sleeping bags, we decided to do a day hike. Our goal was the "Anchorage Hut" which was approximately 13 kilometers away. Today's weather forecast was mixed. It could rain or not. It was already cloudy, but we weren't intimidated by that. We took the first step at 9:00 a.m. The start was not very challenging. We only had to cross a few small construction sites. The national park was heavily affected by two cyclones last March. As we left the passage and the first bridges behind us, several birds quickly joined us. We stopped to watch the lively aerial artists. Especially the "Fantail" is a curious creature and performs daring maneuvers in the air.
To our delight, the track, just like the other Great Walks we have done, was very well maintained. We rarely had to walk on muddy or slippery sections. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Coastal Track is the most popular multi-day hike in New Zealand. We have heard that the trails can be quite crowded, but fortunately, we didn't experience much of that. The same goes for the many small bays we passed along the way. We only saw a few pitched tents here and there.
On the way there, we visited every small bay that was within walking distance. There were quite a few of them. We made our first major stop at "Apple Tree Bay". Besides two toilets, there was a long and beautiful bay. A magical place where one can surely stay longer. However, the hoped-for apple tree was nowhere to be seen. Just as we were about to get back on the official trail, we spotted several kayakers on the water. This is also a special feature of the coastal hike. It can be completed not only on foot but also by water. There is the possibility to paddle the entire route or just shorter sections by kayak. (The same goes for the water taxi. They drop off visitors at any point along the hike. From there, for example, you could walk back to Marahau.) None of this appealed to us - we wanted to hike the trail there and back.
The hike was not particularly exciting. There were occasional uphill and downhill sections. The vegetation was not very diverse and was dominated by tall ferns and Nikau palms. We took frequent short breaks to capture the coastline and the views with pictures or videos.
After four hours, we still hadn't reached our destination. Although the hike was not very demanding, we made slow progress because of the many stops. We sat down at "Observation Beach" and had our pre-cooked couscous. After a short discussion, we admitted that our goal, the Anchorage Hut, was a bit too ambitious. The planned route from Marahau to the hut is four hours (walking time) in total. Since we had to walk back the same way on the same day, the hut became out of reach due to the previous stops at the many bays. So we started the return journey after a longer lunch break. In addition to the many familiar places, we came across extraordinary natural wonders along the way. Young spiral fern branches curl up before opening. We saw the spirals over and over again, which have great significance for the Maori. They use this shape for art, jewelry, and tattoos. The so-called "Koru" symbolizes the beginning of a new life. The symbol can also be found in many brand logos, such as the logo of the New Zealand airline "Air New Zealand".
After three hours of constant walking, we reached the car exhausted. The past seven hours were clearly taking their toll. Our feet and legs deserved a break. Appropriately, the owner of the campsite lit the fireplace in the communal kitchen and treated us to a wonderful evening with crumble cake by the campfire.