Abel Tasman National Park

In the morning after our arrival on the South Island and the relatively long night drive, we slept a little longer and crawled out of the now quite hot car only late in the morning. Only now did we see how beautiful our surroundings actually are and we were looking forward to a delicious breakfast in an idyllic setting. The weather also played along, so we could start the day well.

Our next destination was Abel Tasman National Park, which was described as a must-do in the travel guide because of its clear water and beautiful beaches. But it was still over 100km to the national park, so we made a stop in Nelson to get information about the park at the visitor center. It was only there that we found out that there is no way to drive into the national park by car and that you have to either take the hiking trails, a water taxi, or a canoe to explore the park. We thought we could just drive to a certain point in the park and then walk around. The plan didn't work out. So we drove to the visitor center in the town of Motueka, which is a few kilometers from the actual national park and where we wanted to get tips on how to experience the most of the park in our limited time. After all, it was already early afternoon and we didn't have time to simply stay in the region for another day.

After another 45 minutes drive from Nelson to Motueka, we had to queue up at the visitor center because it was so busy. But then we got lucky and met a very nice woman who told us exactly what suits us. At first, we had considered doing a canoe tour because it was supposed to be very beautiful, but they had all started earlier in the day and we had also underestimated the distances a bit. You would have to paddle alone for 2 hours to get from the canoe rental to one of the first bays in the park. Now I understand why there are so many overnight tours! A boat cruise would also have been an option, but there was only one available for the late afternoon of that day and it was quite expensive for what it offered. So we decided to go hiking. The woman recommended Apple Tree Bay, which is 5.5km along the Coastal Track in the national park. We would hike there for 1.5 hours, relax on the beach, have a glass of wine, and then walk back. Sounded pretty good!

So armed with water and wine, sunscreened, we drove to the parking lot of the national park. There was really a lot going on! Then, as predicted, we walked along the coast for 1.5 hours (there were actually a lot of hikers on the way) until we reached Apple Tree Bay. By the way, I have no idea why it's called that, we didn't see any apple trees. The walk itself was really beautiful, there were great views and the weather was sunny and warm. When we arrived at the beach, we walked around barefoot, felt the water, and then sat down and had a drink. It was really nice!

When we arrived back at the parking lot, it was already quite late. So we drove a few kilometers, made our spaghetti carbonara at a picnic area, and then drove to our sleeping spot. By the time we finished eating and cleaning up, it was already 10 and because you were only allowed to park until 10 in the parking lot where we were, we had to quickly move on. The police had already been there and innocently asked if we wanted to stay here overnight. Of course not.

So it was dark again until we set up our bed and went to sleep quickly. After the hike, we were really exhausted. But it was definitely worth it :)