Bright and early we arrive at The Sea Kayak company in Motueka to start our 3 day tour around Abel Tasman. We meet 4 fellow Sea Kayakers from America booked on the same tour as us and pack our things away into dry bags. Advised by our tour guide Dane we also ensure we have enough beer for the trip. We are loaded with gear and 5 sea kayaks onto a sea taxi and leaving no spare room for aything else head north for 45minutes. The swell has gotten up in exposed areas leaving it difficult for the boat to reverse onto the beach to land. Left on the beach we began to fill the 4 double kayaks and 1 single kayak with food, tents, cooking equiptment, clothes and beer. As Andrew looks like a strong paddler we are given a large kayak with lots of beer and pots and pans. We soon discover that this weight makes the kayak feel very heavy and sluggish. Andrew is in the back with the steering pedals for the rudder and I'm in the front. Our first challenge is to negotiate some waves and strong currents that have been created by the tide going out past a sandbank. Dane goes first in his single man kayak to see if there is anything we should be worried about, whilst this is happening Andy is struggling to steer our kayak and we are now facing the wrong way struggling to see what Dane is doing and how we should tackle the waves. Dane signals that it is safe for us to come and one by one the double man kayaks head out and over to Dane. Alex and Simone (Guide assistant) end up going sidesways most of the wayout and so our nerves increase. Finally our turn comes and it goes ok about from a small amount of domestic bliss where I am trying to help steer by paddling on one side as I feel we are not going the right way but is hindering Andy's efforts to steer the boat. There's no chance of escape of each other when in a twin kayak!

Once out of the waves we are now in fairly big swell, big for a kayak anyhow with the front of the boat splashing into the water and some fairly decent waves drenching me at the front. At one point Andy and I are paddling but seem to be getting no where, it's hard going and we also discover that there is something wrong with our rudder and it's barely in the water so no wonder he is struggling with the steering. After a few hours of paddling in these conditions we thankfully reach our camp. To land your sea kayak on the beach you need to paddle in fast whilst directing the front of the kayak straight up the beach. As soon as you reach sand you need to jump out and holding onto the kayak to ensuring it doesn't get carried off anywhere by the water. The bigger the waves breaking the more tricky this is.

That evening Simone and Dane cook dinner whilst we take a wonder to Goat Bay. All the beaches are very idylic and castaway-esk as they can not be reached by road, only walking and boats. We soon discover that sandflies are rife and we all get bitten even with insect repellent. Alex does particularly well with this have 18 bites on one foot. We start to learn that the Americans are a little loopy singing songs and joking around which ensures there are few dull moments on the trip. The wind has dropped and the Moon is full and very bright so along with Dane and Simone we take our beer / wine on the beach and admire an upside down orian and the illuminated coastline and sea.

The next day is Awesome, clear skies, no wind and the sea is nearly still bringing a much more relaxed day than before and it's my turn to steer. Andy is looking forward to getting revenge for all my comments on his shoddy steering but sadly for him I am actually good at this and he stays quiet. My success is probably helped that the sea was calm but I'm not complaining. After exploring a few inland bays we head for a mid morning coffee at a local hotel that has no road access. All very relaxing! We continue south in our kayaks towards Motueka and spot fur seals, flying fish and comerants. The sun is very strong and we are using Alex's blue factor 50 suncream leaving Andy looking like a Smurf. Simone tells us that Smurfs were know as Schlumphs and Smurfette was Schlumphina in Germany! Brilliant! That night at another campsite we bring the kayaks in as close to the campsite as possible as a very high tide is due. A little nerve racking when our tent is only a metre or so higher then the top of the beach but all is well. Dane warns us that possums are known to jump on tents from the trees so don't get scared if that happens. Sounds like the possums have created their own Possum Wipeout!

Day 3 was here, we re-packed and headed on our last leg to Moteuka. On the way we stopped off in a quiet bay which had a bridge crossing above 10-12meters up. Dane suggested Andy jump off and Andy's reply was if you go first then I will. So they did! It looked like a long drop from the boat so it must have been ten times worse actually doing it. The folks that jumped: Dane, Andy and Simone (Alex and I had more sense!) told us of two layers of water as the salt water was under the colder fresh water. Andy then suffered with a stiff neck for nearly a week after doing this jump from tensing at the wrong angle ready for impact.