Blog 69

The taxi boat we sat aboard drifted slowly out over blue Abel Tasman water. Once deep enough the engine was powered up and we whipped our way along the coast, 22km north to be precise. The boat dropped us of at Bark Bay and waved cheerio. Now it was our job to get back to base, on foot. This beast of a walk brought us past perfect coves, through wonderful woodland, over muddy estuaries, creeks, gullies, gorges and culverts. Today we walked barefoot through streams, had lunch atop a boulder and counted the kilometres.

With sore feet we felt we had earned a treat on our budget which meant paying for a campsite. This wasn't just any campsite, it came with magnum icecreams and log fires to warm our cockles before another chilly night wrapped up in the van.

Day 2 in Abel Tasman was another day of beauty but today our feet got a rest and our shoulders took the beating in our two man sea kayak. We paddeled straight to Adele island in search of the seal colony and that's where we met Neal Beal the friendliest of friendly seal pups and whiled away an hour watching him play with our paddles and turn summersaults in the water. A gentle paddle back to the main land bought us to our own private cove. Eating sandwiches and 'Kiwi Trampers', lazing in the sun and blogging away made it a lovely relaxing afternoon. Before hoping in the kayak, we filled our now empty sandwich boxes with mussels and made our way back to the village.

Back in the camper and goodbye Abel Tasman, thanks for being super duper!

Bryn x