Well he was an explorer, pretty early in New Zealand. But, Abel Tasman is also the site of one of the best National Parks in New Zealand. Although being the second smallest National Park in the country it has one of the Great Walks.
Initially, I thought it would be awesome to do the three-day walk from Marahau to Totaranui. I was planning to rent some equipment, stay at a few huts and head off up the track. But, upon closer research I found it might be interesting to do the route via kayaking and walking.
I booked the kayak and took a water taxi up to Anchorage Bay begin my journey. Once there I hopped on a kayak and went north past Torrent Bay, Medlands Beach, Sandfly. We came across several small islands.
Then, we made it to Tonga Bay and Tonga Island, which is a seal marine reserve. These little guys came up and flirted with everyone. They climbed on a few kayaks and loved for us to pet them. According to the kayak guide, seals only eat live food. They concentrate on squid and octopus, and are quite picky. Lots of the older seals spent their time in the sun or doing a bit of hunting in the sea.
Our stopping point for the day was Onetahuti Beach, where a water taxi took us back to Anchorage.
Overnight I stayed a place called Aquapackers. Which is a backpackers hostel on a boat. There was music, a barbecue, boat jumping, and a good sleep.
The next morning, I set off on foot from Anchorage back to Marahau. This section of the track follows the sea and there are amazing views of the water, rocks, and trees. I was so impressed by all that I saw.
It was great kayaking and hiking the Abel Tasman. It is now low season, and very few people on the track. It was great to hear the birds, see other wildlife, and have such an amazing autumn day!
1 comment:
Awesome Nick! Thanks for documenting and sharing!
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