March 27 – While Peggy decided to take the day off (still recovering from pneumonia), she insisted that I keep the schedule and go on the planned day trip to Abel Tasman Park. While it is the smallest of NZ’s national parks, it is one of the most visited.
The day started with a kayak trip from Kaiteriteri, a small town in the park. I arrived a bit early and spent some time looking around. It definitely has the vibe of a high-end eco-tourist beach town.
There is a huge mansion being built on the hill on the left. I am told that Shania Twain used to own a home at the center of this photo. The beach cafes were all very nice and the bathrooms had cloth towels. There were many vegetarian food options and abundant opportunities to consume caffeine and / or alcohol. 🙂
The kayaks were laid out on the golden sand beach (most of the beaches in the park are from the area’s golden granite) and soon we were off! Another calm day, almost no swell and zero wind (we have been REALLY lucky with the weather and sea-state throughout this trip!).
The kayak trip was an out-and-back, the yellow line above, and about 7.5 miles. There were several pretty beaches and we saw eagle rays, an osprey, cormorants, and some seals. The main attraction is Split Apple Rock, a natural rock feature that really does look like a giant split apple.
I took the picture above. The two below are from the web and give a good sense of scale.
After the paddling, we beached the canoes back in Kaiteriteri, had lunch and boarded a ferry for a trip up the coast (red line in the earlier map). All the ferries here are fast, comfortable catamarans with telescoping boarding ramps. The boats beach their bows and extend the ramp. People can walk on and off with nobody getting wet! Brilliant system.
We saw many beautiful bays with golden beaches. This beach (just up from North Head) has a camp area that can only be reached by boat.
This beach, at Anchorage Bay, does have a road, a campsite, and a few homes near by. No stores or cafes. The name of the bay comes from the fact that, with 4 to 5 meter tides, this is one of the few places where a boat can safely anchor.
The ferry dropped me at the Tonga Quarry Bay where I picked up the Abel Tasman Track for a 4.5 mile hike through the forest to Medlands Bay. As always, the trail was well marked and maintained.
Although the climate here is similar to what I grew up hiking in the coast range of northern California, the plants and animals are very different. The most obvious is the fern trees. While there are a number of ferns in the California coastal redwood forests, they are all fairly small and low to the ground. Here, they are often over 20 ft tall. There are many other trees that are different as well. Of course, NZ is full of many trees brought from all over the world. This includes millions of Monterey Pines, brought in from California to be a ‘lumber crop’.
Another difference is that the birds are totally unafraid. This weka was poking around in the leaves on the trail and almost walked over my feet as I stood and watched.
I have talked about the ‘huts’ maintained along the hiking tracks. The Bark Bay Hut (above) has a men’s dorm, women’s dorm, a common kitchen with stoves and fridges and bathrooms with good showers. There are also a few separate small huts that you can rent out for a family.
The men’s dorm.
All the hikers work together to keep the kitchen clean and organized. No staff. It works. 🙂
Of course the park has not escaped the notice of the uber-wealthy. Anchored off one of the bays we found Sea Eagle II, and 285ft schooner owned by Dr Samuel Yin, a Taiwanese billionaire financer and philanthropist. No, he did not invite me over for drinks. 😉
I will remember Abel Tasman Park for its golden beaches and pristine secluded bays. I hope someday to return with Peggy so that we can experience this gem together.