We love New Zealand. We even considered immigrating there.
It’s beautiful country.
And we love the South Island, perhaps for its stark contrast to Singapore and urban living.
At the northern tip of South Island is one of the country’s most popular national parks – Abel Tasman. It’s known for its pretty mild weather which allows year-round visitors to indulge in activities like sea kayaking, horseback riding, and walking its famous coastal walk.
It was the almost-summer time of October when we headed out to Abel Tasman for a few days of fun in the sun. It was part of our 9 day Top of the South Tour – a tour that started in Hanmer Springs, passing through Murchison and St. Arnaud, Nelson, Abel Tasman, Kaikoura, and Christchurch.
Our few days in Abel Tasman National Park was a retreat from urban living. It was relaxing, without any schedule and we took slow-paced walks through the park, sea kayaked, and rode horses.
October is not high season. Moutueka, one of the closest towns to the park entry, only has one general store. Only one restaurant was open.
Abel Tasman National Park, named after the Dutch explorer, is beautiful. The beaches are golden and soft. The water is crystal and sparkling. Both land and sea are teeming with wildlife – from blue penguins and fur seals to bell birds and hares. Flora like the famous silver fern and wondrous mushrooms. New Zealand is home to nearly 200 different varieties of fern.
While the park provides huts, campsites, and lodges, we decided to stay outside the park. We stayed at the Ocean View Chalets. Nestled in the hillside, accommodations overlook the waters. Cozy. The back cabin windows looked into trees and it was a great photo op for closeups of different ferns.
Hiking
The Abel Tasman Coastal Track is just over 40km and runs between Marahau and Totaranui. You can walk the entire trail in a few days. You can also check out the side tracks that take you to beaches, pools, and vistas. Or you can go for day hikes.
If you do stay in the park, your luggage gets to the huts via water taxis so you only need to take your backpack walking to your lodgings, if you like. Or go with the luggage on the water taxi.
On our first day, we headed out to check out this famous coastal walk. It was low tide and the sandbars were exposed. People were riding in the distance. The scenery was like a painting. We continued down the main track, going down some “detours” to see the beach.
It was beautiful on the walk, with lots to see. At one point, we thought we were being followed…we were – by a black hare. We assumed he would just jump off into the bushes that line the trail, which he did. Then he started following us. Curious. He hopped quite closely behind us. We decided to leave our water bottle and the walking stick on the ground, to see what would happen. While keeping an eye on us (and my camera), he sniffed at the bottle, unafraid of the objects, that were probably familiar yet so out of place in such a natural environment.
Sea Kayaking
We went for a 1/2 day sea kayaking trip out to the islands. Before we set out, we were set up with life jackets, a dry suit, and instructions of how to.
Dressed in light thermals with boarding shorts and layers, I readied my kayak by strapping in my mineral water, dry bag (with my camera) and sunscreen. Those days, I actually thought that was good hydration, and the plastic bottle!
I took the front, since my husband would steer. He joked that he wanted to keep an eye on me to make sure I wasn’t slacking.
It was a great day for sea kayaking as the group of about six couples left the shores. In a very loose formation, we kayaked around the tip, spotting fur seals sunning on the rocks. In the distance, among splashes of water, dolphins were spotted.
Soon, we even spotted a lone penguin. Right by our kayaks. Our kayak. Almost close enough to reach out and touch this little blue penguin. Of course we didn’t. We wouldn’t. He swam with us for some time before he must have gotten bored.
Our 1/2 day trip ended with lunch on the beach. The guide prepared it and my husband and I ate happily, sitting on a log. Tired and slightly tanned. Some people continued on for the remainder of their full-day trip. We gathered our gear and headed into the woods through the trails, for out pick-up location. The water taxi would take us back, dropping off and picking up campers and their packs along the way.
