Btw we both write this blog and contribute different paragraphs on the fly, so if you think the writing style is all over the shop, you’re absolutely right.
With Helen Keller (Grace) on maps and Stevie Wonder (Az) behind the wheel, it took us several attempts to arrive at the right ferry terminal for the Interislander! The Cook Straight can make for some gnarly crossing conditions if you’re unlucky with the weather, but fortunately it was pretty calm. ‘Cook Straight rough crossing’ is a worthwhile Youtube search actually, all the cars on the ferry can end up crushed together! The truck, and more importantly our kitchenette, remained unscathed. The arrival into Picton was stunning, past Arapaoa Island and through Queen Charlotte Sound. With the kitchenette safely back on land, we headed straight toward Abel Tasman National Park which took approx 3hrs.
We stayed at The Barn in Abel Tasman which was a super cool spot at the start of the 60 kilometre Abel Tasman National Park track. Yoga, hammocks, tattoo studio, fairy lights, herb garden, you name it, The Barn had it. A Mecca for trust fund liberals to discuss their star signs. Grace thinks this is unfair.
The area was remote, but the truck was fully stocked so we didn’t mind at all. The lack of light pollution made the night skies amazing, and the sunrises on the eastern facing beaches were equally as impressive. For the next 60km north it was crystal clear waters and white sand beaches to our right, and mountainous forrest to our left. Most areas were only accessible via boat, kayak or hike, so we took full advantage of the perfect weather and decided to stay here for 4 full days (major perk of winging it and never booking lol).
We woke up to sunrise and treated ourselves to a slow morning before setting off on the Abel Tasman track. We walked along the shaded coastal path past countless unspoilt coves, each would have made a stellar Windows background. About 6km in we decided to stop; the cove was no more stunning than the rest really but we just needed some lunch. The area was so quiet which felt odd given the weather and how nice the beaches we, felt like we had it all to ourselves. We actually saw more wekas than people – They’re kind of like these big chickens that have never skipped leg day at the gym! Maybe New Zealands answer to a bin chicken if you’ve ever spent time in Australia? After we finally got the chance to read some of our kindles we strolled back and got the chance to crack open the first aid kit (thanks Jo) as Grace took a tumble over literally nothing.
We had an earlier start of 8:30 the next morn where we set off for our chunky kayaking day from Marahau. They tow all the boats into the sea with a series of tractors because of the sand bars and big tidal range. They actually kept mentioning the crazy 5m tidal range in the Abel Tasman park, but actually the Severn Estuary has the second biggest tidal range in the world (second to Bay of Fundy in Canada), so this was child’s play. The whole operation feels a bit sketchy but runs so efficiently – combination of drivers hopping on and off of the tractors and boats to load/unload you. Bet it’s a really fun place to work!
We had a double kayak – Me upfront talking the talk and Az at the back doing the steering and some of (most of) the paddling. Az thought our instructor Quinn was called Bryn or Gwyn lol. We opted for the longest kayaking trip they offered to maximise what we saw around the peninsula, this totalled approx 13-15km of kayaking and was actually quite challenging as the day went on. We visited tiny islands (Tonga Island being the best IMO), remote unspoilt coves and freshwater lagoons that eventually became tidal when the sand bars gave way. I think we both agreed they were the best beaches we’d ever visited.
We got to see all sorts of wildlife including teeny baby seals and their mums (dads have done a runner lol), little blue penguins (kokora) and some pretty big sting rays! One of the penguins popped up for a breather right next to us, it’s the smallest species in the world coming in at 30cm fully grown – Az thought it was a seagull.
We came to a few random buoys in this cove that seemed to be keeping this hose pipe afloat. Turns out it’s a water station where boats can refill their tanks, completely natural spring water filtered by mother nature herself. The freshest and most scenic water stop we could have asked for.
A particular type of tree species could be seen either dead or dying along much of the coastline forestry. This is part of an ongoing project with the Department of Conservation, where they identify and kill the non-native tree species to protect the biodiversity across the national park. They normally kill the trees by administering a lethal injection of poison into the trunk. I wonder if they get one last meal made for them before it’s go time?
We’ve been trying to save maximum pennies for activities so far, and have avoided buying any food out. Post kayak however, we bent the rules and grabbed some wood fire pizzas and a mountain of nachos. Grace being a true Clapham gal ordered an Aperol for dessert.
For our last full day, we boarded the first boat/tractor of the day heading north to Bark Bay at 9am, and booked a 3pm water taxi picku from Aworoa Bay. This gave us approx 4 hours to hike the 11km track which proved far more difficult than we anticipated, due to elevation. We probably overcooked the pace a little bit, scared by the prospect of missing that last water taxi back home. Fun fact: People miss their pickups and become stranded so often, that they won’t bother doing anything about it until lunch time the following day.
The water taxi staff had clearly seen it all before. A couple who were booked onto our water taxi were actually stuck in a beach cabin and missed their return, however they couldn’t describe to the emergency services where they actually were. Fun night ahead for them lol.
Welsh Rare-bits 
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