Km walked – 12.8 Anchorage to Marahau
Podcasts listened to – 1
Cereal bars eaten – 5-ish
The only reason I really went to Nelson was to be near Abel Tasman National Park, but due to the earthquake I ended up being an extra three night there which actually wasn’t bad but it all built up to one of the best days of my life (a phrase I’ll be using often).
The Abel Tasman Coachlines shuttle got me from Nelson to Kaiteriteri. I wish I could have stayed longer in the little town, it is built on an amazing cove and to get onto the boat I had to cross the softest whitest sand I’ve ever seen. It was raining and in the queue to get boat boarding passes we were unceremoniously queue-jumped by the four loud old Turkish men who were on my shuttle. There were plenty more British people in the queue and they were soundly dealt with (by a Frenchman bullied by his English wife into saying something) but this meant the whole gang of them gave me dirty looks on the shuttle back to Nelson. Lo and behold they were also on my bus to Punakaiki the next day, and then turned up four days later on the bus to Franz Josef. A grumpy middle-aged kiwi dosser told them to sit down and shut up on the way to Punakaiki and took the heat off me but made for three awkward hours. Sound, thanks pal.
On the packed upper deck of the boat to the start point we got rained on and our view of Split Apple rock wasn’t ideal because the waves were at an awkward angle for the catamaran. There were still kayakers in the water though, boat guide said they were mental, the wind was at 40 knots what ever that means, is that bad?
The only people to get off at Anchorage Bay were me and two women from Auckland. They were doing to Pitt Head Track to a lookout that was about and hour return and taking the wrong path I went with them for a good half hour before I realised something wasn’t right and finally doubled back to the Marahau track.
The first, say, hour was uphill. Seriously uphill. Rocky and steep. I was questioning what I’d done to myself. What further horrors were ahead? Nobody had passed me on the way, was I even on the right track again?! I stopped, had a drink and a cereal bar, walked on a bit and the trees broke for an amazing view back over my shoulder to Anchorage Bay, and ahead was the summit. I felt like a hobbit, or a shit Edmund Hillary. Turns out I was only upset because I was hungry. It was overwhelmingly amazing from here on.
There was a jolly, community atmosphere on the track and everyone said hello to everyone else. There were people with massive packs clearly doing the whole track over a few days, vs me in my trainers and rucksack filled with cereal bars. I did however pass one man in flipflops and another with nothing on his feet at all and felt a bit better about my preparedness. One man had a pack on AND his two year old son on his shoulders, a woman was jogging along it and I high-fived the hoard of kids on a school trip. When I reached the sub-tropical rainforest section of the track the sun was blazing and the scenery was even more spectacular.
At intervals along the track there were opportunities to go down the slope onto some pristine beaches; golden sanded Apple Tree Bay with a view of Adele Island, rocky and spectacular Tinline Bay that looked like something out of Narnia, and Marahau Bay with the tide out is just a sand flat as far as you can see, all bordering incredibly clear blue-green seas. In fear of missing the shuttle back what can take four and a half hours took me only three and I only wish I had known better and could have savoured the amazing sights. I’ve never been so close to paradise.
Anchorage Bay- Felt like a hobbit, looked like shit
Apple Tree Bay – Adele Island
Marahau Bay
Marahau Bay
Apple Tree Bay
Abel Tasman Km walked - 12.8 Anchorage to Marahau Podcasts listened to - 1 Cereal bars eaten - 5-ish…