It felt at times like you were the only person there, the little coves went by and by and although the water is technically arctic in temperature you couldn't tell the difference if you were somewhere in the Caribbean! I'll let Suz test out the temperature of the water though as shes crazy for it! Once the sun was starting to set it got nippy but you just wanted to stay outside because of how beautiful everything looked!
After a 3 and a half hour ferry ride then near enough a 3 hour drive from Picton to Kaiteriteri to where were staying, it was 11pm and we were shattered and needed sleep for the busy weekend ahead! The beach hut we stayed in was about 100m from the beach road which was brilliant, but we didn't realise it was so beautiful till we woke up the next day!
It was an early start on Friday morning to go and head to the water taxi so we could start out expedition of Abel Tasman National park from the bay of Awaroa. The view from the beach we were staying near was beautiful especially has the sun had literally just come up!
We took the water taxi and Brett our skipper took us round a few of the landmarks in the park, split apple rock.. A natural rock formation made years ago!
Brett then took us round a few of the other bays and round to Tonga Island which is in the marine sanctuary and saw some seals. That was pretty awesome.
We got dropped off in Arowoa bay, there's something special to getting dropped off by aqua 'taxi' and having to get your shoes off and huge bag on to get into knee deep water to start the weekend!
We headed up to Awaroa lodge for a pre-walk pint of ice cold speights gold medal ale and then re-commenced the 4km walk to Onehatuhuti bay which is where we would camp for the night, as we arrived into the bay through a Sweet little wooden bridge you could feel the heat of the sun on you, was easily 25 degrees on that Friday I reckon.
For the next 3/4 hours we literally lay in the sun (jokes you think I'm mad?), well our legs in the sun anyway just for a bit of warmth!
Fell in and out of sleep as we lay there with probably 10 other people on the beach if that, a couple of people walked back but that's how deserted it was. All the beaches we visited this weekend didn't have car access, you could only get to them by boat or helicopter (you should see some of the houses there - one can dream).
Chilling on a beach does take it out of you sometimes so we headed to the camp site to set up the tent!
It was cosy!!
We met a lovely American girl from New York who has been living in Australia for the last few years working as a Food Stylist and worked on Masterchef and other known TV Programmes, some pretty cool stuff and it was intriguing to find out what a food stylist actually is!
We spent most the night chatting to Ally from New York about each other and she was a pretty cool girl! With an early start to meet Todd from Marahau kayaks in the morning we hit the hay!
9.45am Saturday morning, the sun was already shining, a slight breeze across the water meant perfect conditions for kayaking for a few hours!
Todd was from Canada and it was his 3rd season here in New Zealand but his first in Canada, in a month an a half he was heading back to Canada to carry on kayaking with his girlfriend and take groups out in the Canadian summer to kayak alongside orca whales, what a job hey?! Maybe, one day!
Todd took us to really cool places and spoke about the history of the Abel Tasman national park and into some lagoons.
It was at this one lagoon that really struck me to where I was.
I will say it now, since arriving in New Zealand 8 weeks ago and travelling down from Auckland and seeing some really beautiful places this lagoon was the best place I had been so far since being here.
The lagoon was about 4 foot deep, clear crystal waters and the water so calm. None of us even paddled as the tide carried it in, it was pure heaven and the silence was beautiful.
It was sooooo clear!
Todd continued with his brilliant stories that Brett had told us the day before but tweaked them a tad bit more and he took us into Mosquito bay for lunch to chill for an hour or so, have lunch on the beach, relax our arms and legs for the final stretch into Anchorage point where we would be staying for the final night. The view from the beach was pretty sweet, what do you reckon?
We got back into the water just after lunch and made our way down to Anchorage point where the were a few nice yachts moored up for a Sunday afternoon, one in particular has to be worth a couple of million! Fair enough to them though, no point having a yacht so near to the park and not using it!
We kayaked into the bay and got our tent set up so we were ready for the night. We had read about a place called Cleopatras pool which was a good 45 minute walk but with the sun starting to slowly set we headed out there for a dip in the fresh spring water pool, except for making a mug of myself in front of some Japanese hikers it was such a lovely and tranquil place. Popped a picture below, as you can see it was pretty cool! But the water was so good after a day in the sun and the freshest water I've ever drank!
We made our way back just in time for sunset so we headed back to grab some dinner and rest up till the morning. We sat on a small wood bridge across the lagoon at the side of the campsite and spent a bit time eating dinner and staring at the brilliant stars above us. I didn't manage to grab a picture but I've never been somewhere where the stars have been so clear, the Milky Way as Suzie told me was perfection after a busy day and I had to spend a good 20 minutes just looking up at the sky to let it sink in.
On Sunday morning we set out all the way from Anchorage bay down to our finishing point at Marahau beach. 'Freedom Kayaking' they call it, 2 people 1 kayak taking as long as they want to make it down but to be back by 4pm. Kayaking round a smallish island and seeing seals and blue penguins in the wild is something you don't see everyday either!
MID-SEA KAYAK SELFIE
After 3 days in the national park, no showers, walking and kayaking for the last 3 days was taking it's toll so we took it steady for the last hour or so as we drifted (literally) with the surf into Marahau making the most of our views, the sea and the stillness of the ocean itself.
Something that has taken me back this weekend is the sheer ease for people to come here for a weekend, sat on that beach at lunch you could have thought you were in any tropical destination across the world but with beaches to die for, the clearest water I have ever seen and views that the pictures don't do justice this has been my favourite place to visit since arriving here.
I really hope to bring back family and friends to Abel Tasman in years to come and hopefully one day it can be on my doorstep.
As I wrote some of this on the top deck of the ferry back to Welly with the sun setting in the distance across the top of the Marlborough Sounds I couldn't have dreamt of a better weekend and with a view like below to top it all off sets the mood I'm in.
Good news about jobs over the weekend too alongside my placement, I'm looking forward to getting back into Wellington.
I can't wait to meet the South Island again in Easter time.
This time I'll be lucky enough to have 15 days here.
I CANNOT WAIT.
