On the road in Abel Tasman National Park! - Motueka

15/11 - 19/11

In the far north of the South Island lies the wonderful Abel Tasman National Park, which we wanted to explore from Motueka. Already on the drive north, you could notice the changed vegetation, the landscape already seemed somewhat tropical and no longer so alpine. The weather was also much milder with around 20 degrees compared to before.

Immediately after our arrival, we went on a day hike in the national park. Originally, we wanted to do another multi-day tour (like in Queenstown), but unfortunately, we were already too late and the huts were fully booked on our desired dates.



So we leisurely started our journey in the morning and left it up to our mood how far we would go. The route led us through forest-like forest areas most of the time, every now and then we could take a detour to a viewpoint or a small bay to take a nice photo.

After just under 3 hours and about 12 kilometers, we reached Anchorage. As usual, we indulged in a snack first and then took advantage of the sunny and warm weather for a little sunbathing. It was the first time since Asia that we unpacked our bikinis and swimming trunks and could get some color - wonderful! :)

The return journey was similar to the outward journey with the small difference that our legs started to hurt quite a bit halfway through. When we arrived at the starting point, we had to ask ourselves whether we hadn't overdone it with a 25 km hike... well, if the area is so beautiful!

Although surprisingly neither of us had muscle soreness from hiking the next day, we decided to take it easy. So we drove to the nearby city of Nelson to do some shopping. I already had to get rid of a shirt and needed a replacement - no, to be honest, I just wanted to buy something new to wear... :) Luki had his now quite long hair and beard trimmed in a barber shop - not entirely unnecessary, if you ask me! At first, he was still somewhat motivated while shopping and accompanied me to the stores. However, pretty soon we agreed that he should wait for me in a pub instead! :)

For the last day, we booked a kayak tour to visit the lonely bays in the national park. Already during the briefing by the kayak rental, we realized that it wouldn't be as laid-back as in Ha Long Bay. Firstly, it was very cloudy and there was a moderate wind, making the sea naturally a bit rougher, and secondly, it was a real sports kayak and we had to remember a lot about how to handle it.



So we set off and it didn't take long for us to encounter - for me quite unpleasant - waves. Additionally, Luki felt sick again from the rocking, so we decided to land in the nearest bay. However, the journey there also took over an hour, which is quite long for inexperienced and untrained paddlers like us...

In Stilwell Bay, we successfully landed and enjoyed the improving weather. We relaxed in the sun, explored the bay, and amused ourselves with the seagulls begging for food. The kayak ride back was much more relaxed, as the wind had noticeably decreased and the sea had become calmer. So kayaking was really fun! :)

Conclusion:

The Abel Tasman National Park is a really beautiful piece of earth and offers a range of activities. Unfortunately, we could only see little of it, as most of it can only be seen on multi-day hikes. The small and very busy town of Motueka was the ideal starting point for excursions to the national park.

But the best thing here was the weather - it was so great to be able to unpack the shorts again and not always have to bring a jacket. I hope it was a little taste of what awaits us on the North Island, as this was now the last stop on the South Island.

Hasta pronto!

E&L

>> Next stop: Wellington/Tongariro <<