Abel Tasman National Park

Today we headed to Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand's smallest national park. The park is named after Abel Tasman, who in 1642 became the first European explorer to sight New Zealand and who anchored nearby.  We decided to book a water taxi, which would take us up the coast to the middle of the park where we could do some hiking and sunbathing before returning to Marahau. The watertaxi took us to see split apple rock (a granite boulder which appears to be cleaved in two) and an island within the park where kiwi birds have recently been rereleased, before taking us past the gorgeous bays of Abel Tasman. Each bay the watertaxi sped by was filled with golden sand beaches and native forests which descended right onto the beaches. As we approached Anchorage, our drop off point, the captain took us on some exciting tight turns, which delighted the young  boys who were travelling with their family on the same taxi. When we landed we took off our shoes and splashed to shore as some kayaks paddled beside us. 

We decided to do a circular loop, which gave us spectacular view along the headland and of sandy secluded beaches. My blip today is a view of Te Pukatea, a beach on which we decided to spend a glorious sunny afternoon swimming, sunbathing, reading and chilling. It was truly one of the most wonderful beaches I have ever seen.

After our lovely day in Abel Tasman we headed north and found a hippy freedom campsite in Uruwhenua Reserve where we set up camp and were lulled to sleep by the scent of incence and the sound of a harmonica.