3 Days Exploring The Abel Tasman National Park
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Guest post by Becky from Becky The Traveller
Abel Tasman Coast Track is a stunning walk on the South Island of New Zealand. You can visit for the day, go kayaking or do what I did and go on a mini 3 day adventure.
From the start of the hike the scenery is stunning, with bright green forests and ferns along the path and the sound of tweeting birds. Every now and again you catch a glimpse of the beautiful coastline and its golden sand beaches.
Throughout the walk you will come across various tidal crossings, some deeper than others. But you’ll always need to take your shoes off and go paddling! This is just part of the adventure, and who doesn’t want to take off their hot sweaty shoes and dip them in the cool water!
The beauty of this walk is the nature around you, from forests to the coast you really have it all. The track takes you up steep paths, well they felt steep with my bag on. But with every challenge, you are rewarded with beautiful views.
The beaches are a wonderful place to relax and watch the tide creep in around you. Always keep an eye on where it is, quite often it will sneak up on you from behind. Tonga Quarry is a great spot to stop, there’s the opportunity to go swimming in the cool (very cool!!) ocean. Although a quick jog up the beach afterwards will soon warm you up!
My most memorable part of the trip was waking up at 5.30am and wading across a freezing cold tidal crossing. It was a mix of excitement and fear, paddling through knee-deep water as the tide is coming in around you. But watching the beautiful sunrise safely on the other side whilst the tide slowly creep across the area until it was completely covered made it all worthwhile.
Planning for the trip – Where to stay and what to bring?
The options for accommodation directly on the trek are either camping or staying in the wooden huts. You need to book the huts and campsites in advance, earlier during peak periods to guarantee a spot. Camping – $15 and Huts – $32-$38 (depending on the time of year). The fee for the National Park is included in this price. Do not turn up without booking as you
The huts are basic but give you warmth and shelter from every changing weather. They have shared dorm rooms, plus a communal social, cooking area and a fire for those cooler months.
As well as accommodation you’ll also need to plan your route and transport beforehand. Shuttle buses can drop you at the start and pick up from various points along the path.
You’ll need to take your own sleeping bag, food and cooking equipment with you (and a tent if you are camping, ha ha kind of obvious!). I made some thick soup at the previous hostel and put it in washed out coke bottles. Lots of snacks and trail mix are also perfect for the hike.
A head torch is also useful for exploring the paths at night if you feel like adding some extra miles to your walk!
For further information, check out the Department of Conservation website.
About the author
Becky is a British travel fanatic who undertook her first solo trip in her 30s and has hardly stopped since. She works full time but her real passion is travel and she takes every opportunity she can to explore somewhere new.
Find out more about her here!
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2 Comments
Mark Jonathan
wow enjoy your beautiful New Zealand trip!
Clipping Path
New Zealand is the beautiful country. Keep enjoy yourself