Thank you subscribers for your feedback and comments, they are always appreciated.  This is my second to last post for this adventure. If you have done this walk I would love to hear about your experiences.

Our final adventure – 64 kms

After much dillydallying Yvonne and I (along with input from Jodi and Jane) decided to finish our South Island adventure off with an easy walk.  A walk where we weren’t constantly looking for orange marker poles or orange triangles, easy terrain, a guaranteed tent site, no tussock or matagouri to dodge or battle with, toilets with toilet paper, and with the occasional sensational view – namely the Abel Tasman walkway.

Yvonne visited the Motueka I-Site and organised everything: water taxi, booked tent sites and planned the route we would take for our walk.  Thank you Yvonne, it was a memorable journey and well planned.  I just needed to sort my food and get to Motueka (I was visiting my brother Ben and his wife Fran for a few days in Blenheim).

After a short conversation with my old cycling buddy Sari (from Ngakuta Bay) would also be joining us.

Marahau Bay – Totaranui by boat

2 March, 2022

As pre-arranged Sari picked Yvonne and I up at 7.45 am from Motueka and drove us over to Marahau Bay to catch the Abel Tasman Aqua Water Taxi to Totaranui.  This being the start of our adventure.

Three boats were required this morning to ferry us travellers to a variety of locations up the coast.  But before we whizzed up the coast, we were driven to Split Apple Rock.  A very interesting looking rock, looking exactly like its name.

Totaranui to Mutton Cove via Gibbs Hill Track – 13 kms

Our walk today was a circuit to the north-west gradually climbing up to Gibbs Hill (405 m) and then circling the northern part of Whariwharangi Bay and down to Mutton Cove before we started heading south tomorrow.   See map below.

Before we started our walk, we had to disembark the water taxi.  With a very strong onshore wind and high tide disembarking along a narrow aluminium plank was dodgy to say the least.  Yvonne and one other walker were able to get off but then the boat driver decided he needed to go to a calmer location.  Why he didn’t do this first off, we do not know.  Fortunately, inside a little lagoon was the perfect place to disembark.

We found a shelter to have some lunch and then headed off on our final walk.

It was a real treat and a pleasure to be walking on wide smooth paths, not having to look where we placed our feet and being in amongst re-generated forest.  Getting occasional glimpses of Golden Bay, and Farewell Spit in the distant were cherished. Another magic part of New Zealand.

Mutton Cove our tent site for the night, is located right on the beach front.  With a strong onshore wind still blowing it was essential we found a bush or the like to erect our tents.  Because of the wind swimming was off for the evening.   We shared this large camping ground with six other tents and their occupants.

We were astonished with the flush toilet, toilet paper AND running water – what more could we ask for?

We had an early dinner, cleaned-up and were soon in bed to read and rest.    It’s been a great day!

Mutton Bay Cove – Awaroa Campground – 13.5 kms

3 March, 2022

Before we hauled our packs on and headed south, we did a quick walk to Separation Point.    Separation Point is the geographical boundary between Tasman Bay and Golden Bay.  This entailed a short walk along and around a couple of small bays and up a short climb soon saw us looking down at the light house where there was a seal colony.

Today’s walk was governed by the low tide time at Awaroa inlet which can only be walked 1.30 – 2 hrs before or after low tide.  Today’s high tide time was 5pm.  The inlet is approximately 1 km across, and our camp site is on the other side of the inlet.

As we had plenty of time to walk the 13 odd k’s we were in no great hurry to hit the track. It was a relatively easy walk, a few ups and downs mainly amongst regenerated forest.  It was a bit like walking on unpaved roads on the Te Araroa.  We meet many people either walking with light-day packs or carrying heavier packs like us and camping.  It seems busy people wise, but we’re told nothing like it was before Covid.  It was suggested then you really needed to speak German!

We stopped to talk to two men who were filling up their water bottles and taking time to admire the scenery.  It turned out the younger of the two knew one of Yvonne’s sons. The older man was a farmer up the Rakaia Gorge and has completed many of the great walks.  It always amazes us how small New Zealand is – as we have all experienced at some time or other.

We arrived at the Awaroa Inlet well before low tide time, so spent time just sitting around chilling out and waiting for the inlet to drain.

We did get our feet wet crossing the inlet but with our camp site in sight it wasn’t an issue. Running water available to clean our shoes etc.  Awaroa camp ground has 36 tent sites amongst the trees, with flat surfaces making it great to erecting tents and having a flat bed.  A covered cooking area where you can also wash your dishes and of course flush toilets with toilet paper – what luxury for us backcountry walkers!

Wekas

We needed to constantly watch for the wekas.  They’ll nab anything that looks like food.  Sari had her plastic tube of peanut butter and bag of scroggin stolen, AND they pecked a hole in her much treasured Z-Pack Tent!! They took my little cube of soap, which wouldn’t have tasted very nice.  Oh they are so checky!!

We had another enjoyable evening together before escaping into our tents for reading and rest.

Awaroa Camp Ground – Bark Bay  14 kms

The campgrounds on the Abel Tasman are in beautiful locations and well maintained – a pleasure to stay.  You get to see a wide cross-section of people camping and walking – all doing their own journey.

Be careful what you wish for

We wanted an easy walk, which we were getting, but nothing very exciting/challenging happens, nothing out of the ordinary – it was easy.  No thinking of how we were going to face the next challenge and so on.  It made me realise how we had changed.  We’d come used to having to concentrate, think and be alert to where you were placing your next footstep.   Guess if these great walk tracks get people out enjoying the outdoors and then wanting more challenges,  that is great, but don’t expect flushed toilets anywhere else other than on the ‘great walks!!”

We did appreciate and enjoy the glimpses of the stunning little beaches, bays and ocean as we walked.

Bark Bay

Bark Bay is stunning.  The campground is on the edge of the beach – shore line. Yvonne and I found a sheltered site away from the sun for our tents.  Again, we needed to be aware of the wekas and keep our food well hidden away in our packs.  A lazy afternoon was spent, swimming and chilling out – a truly great way to have a relaxing holiday!

It was entertaining to watch a boat stranded on the sand and unable to move until high tide – a bit embarrassing for them no doubt! (About 10 pm that night I heard the outboard motor start up and leave!)

Bark Bay to Anchorage – 12 kms

Another stunning day today.  One could get very blasé about the scenery, as you see it everyday.  There were a few hills to climb today, but nothing too daunting to us “seasoned walkers” (yeah right).  Denise, to really enjoy this track highly recommend plenty of hill training!

Cleopatra Pools

Between Torrent Bay and Anchorage you can take a small detour and visit Cleopatra Pools.  These pools include a natural rock water slide which then flows into rockpools where you can have a dip or enjoy the pristine environment.  Well worth a visit.

As we made our way to Anchorage we came across this guy who was having a rest!  He likes to hike (for pleasure) with loads/weights they used to do in the olden days before horse and cart.  He was carrying 60 kgs!!  He reckons it is all about balance – yeh right we thought!  What do you reckon?  He did say that when he crosses some swing bridges he had to dismantle his pack because it was too wide.  We did wonder – why would you bother?  But hey we are all different and that sure makes the world a more interesting place!

Perhaps it time to call it quits??

I got the impression today, that it’s time our adventure was coming to an end.  Why you may ask?  Firstly, I woke up with tendonitis in my left ankle, very painful and it had been niggling me all night!  Then today one of my walking poles broke, thank goodness it was now and not any other time when I really needed them.  And finally, the fabric surrounding my dental floss mend (of weeks ago) was coming away from the rubber edging of my right shoe causing a bigger hole.  A little voice in my head was saying “perhaps Heather it was time to be heading home??”

Tonight’s camp site is another beautiful one, located on the edge of Anchorage inlet.  Plenty of trees, and shady spots to pitch your tent.  An ideal spot for individuals or groups/families, of which there were many, having walked up from Marahau for the night.

Another enjoyable evening was spent relaxing, chatting and finally enjoying the privacy and space of our own tents.

Anchorage to Marahau – 12.4 km

Our final day on the trail and another perfect day for walking.  We packed up our dew covered tents. Enjoyed our final breakfast together and were soon on the last stage to Marahau. As we walked we reminisced the last few days experiences and chatted about what we’d order and eat when we got to the café in Marahau!

Individually, I felt each of us very much appreciated our current status and savoured the surrounding environment.  Having the physical ability to walk this trail without physcial discomfort, value the conditions of the track and enjoyed just ‘being’ on the Abel Tasman track.

We passed many walkers and runners going in the opposite direction to us, some doing day walks, other off on their multi-day hike.  It is great to see this trail is so popular and would highly recommend it because:

• the daily distances are not too long
• the accommodation sites are beautiful
• you have a choice of huts or tenting
• tracks well maintained
• you can kayak sections instead of walking
• the scenery is magical
• the people you meet
• great transport options available

The list could go on.  If you have walked it, I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

It was a great way to end our South Island adventure. I know it’s not part of the Te Araroa trail but who cares – what a great diversion?

That is until my next post which will reflect on the last couple of months.  Take care out there!  GoldCard Gal 🙂

Additional Scenes

Enjoy these additional scenes from Abel Tasman track.