Day 10 • Hokitika - Abel Tasman National Park (Kaiteriteri)

Storm, Pancakes, and Fur Seals... Last night's storm robbed us of some sleep. There was heavy rain and thunder. We flatlanders are not used to the sound of mountains. I would almost say that you could feel vibrations in the house. But this is probably due to 'earthquake paranoia'. :-) There are signs everywhere in case of emergency, but in my opinion, a desk is not the best place to take cover. Well, they probably tested it... Our drive today was supposed to take a little over 5 hours. It turned into almost 8 hours because we had to drive on a highway where the weather gods had done their work. There was a road closure because it was completely flooded. Heavy machinery cleared the road and after 2 hours, we were able to continue. Along the coast, it was somehow eerie. In good weather, the coastal landscape must be breathtaking. When we arrived at our first stop, we had to wait in the car and then, when the rain had subsided a bit, we were able to admire the so-called 'Pancake Rocks'. The rocks look like stacked pancakes due to layered deposits. Really cool! Next stop was Cape Foulwind. This is the home of a seal colony. The females never leave this area, so you can watch the seals all year round. Luckily, the weather got better. We arrived in Kaiteriteri, a small town in the middle of the Abel Tasman National Park, around six o'clock. The accommodation is really beautiful and has a great view of the town. This time it's worth it because we're staying here for two nights. Tomorrow, we have a tour planned with the water taxi. It will take us to a beach area to the north, and from there we will hike about 8 kilometers to walk along five different beaches and of course see the obligatory waterfall. After that, we hope the water taxi will find us and pick us up again.