Maori name - Not found
This particular hike can be done over several days or in one, you also have the option of kayaking through part of it as well. We chose to Kayak in and walk back this time. Another time I walked this track we caught a water taxi to Totaranui and then hiked back over 4 days.
There are 4 DOC (Department of Conservation) huts along the hike, that are equiped with bunks, heating and running water, or you can camp along the way. These photos were taken during a kayak to Anchorage bay and then hike back to Marahau. The kayak took about 5 hours, and it’s amazing, you duck into little bays with no one around or you can paddle out to some of the islands that sit just offshore.
In New Zealand terms it is relatively busy but most of the time it is quiet and you feel like your completely isolated. The kayak out was a bit rough, and we were constantly worried about capsizing, especially because I had my camera tucked under the spray skirt but once we got around the point it was a lot smoother.
The Abel Tasman National Park covered in native bush, Beech forest and large Kanuka trees, as well as the clearest blue water. I heard some one say that during the last ice age this area of NZ was spared devastation because of the high levels of quartz in Golden Bay, so the flora and fauna in this area are prehistoric.
The hike is pretty mellow, but the distances between huts is far. On the day we went our journey was about 9 hours all up but well worth it. Depending on what you choose, paddling or tramping, you will get to see some of the best waters in all of New Zealand.
2015
By Tim Hillier
