Abel Tasman Park

10.03.2009 (Tuesday)
First thing we noticed this morning: beautiful sunrise; second thing: the awesome hi-tide compared to last night.

This morning we got up, cooked breakfast, showered and got underway.

Our goal was to hike as much of Abel Tasman Park and still allow time to drive south and be positioned for our next day. We promised ourselves not to get too set on any one plan, and today worked out great. The southern entrance to the park is outside Marahau and is only accessible by foot. We considered renting kayaks, or taking a water taxi, so we could see more of the park, but the costs were high, and we thought we could cover a lot of ground on foot.

As it turned out, we could have spent our entire week camping in the park and not seen all of it, but we didn’t mind, it was all beautiful. We decided on hiking to Stillwater Bay for lunch and then return. It was about 2 ½ hours and we stopped at various beaches and bays along the way. Apple Tree Beach was awesome. The ferns grow as big as palm trees and the contrast between the tropical forest and the golden sand beaches are impressive. I kept trying to get a good photo of a fern unfolding, which is captured in so much of the Maiori artwork.

Over the course of this week we were continually amazed at how much the tide recedes during the day. We were surrounded by water as we left, and 5 hours later upon our return, all of the water had gone out for low tide. Amazing. It reavealed hidden messages left as giant rock sculptures left in the sand by determined "trampers."

After our hike we stopped for refreshments and perused a local sculpture gallery. We even considered staying the night to take a “moonlit” kayak tour, but the clouds were coming in, and we worried all we’d get was wet. Probably the right decision, as it started raining not long after we were on the road.

Mark had a challenge driving the camper through high winds and then a rainstorm into our final destination for the night—Murchison. We do not recommend the campground we stayed at—even if you’re desperate.