Abel Tasman National Park
To break up the drive from Fox Glacier to Abel Tasman National Park, we stayed one night in Hokitika. By early afternoon we had arrived at Hokitika Gorge to enjoy the milky blue-green waters of the Hokitika River as they flow through the gorge. There are several viewpoints along the trail and it was pretty as a picture!
The drive from Hokitika to Able Tasman National Park took just over five hours. We did end up making one stop at the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. These weathered limestone rocks and cliffs were formed 30 million years ago from fragments of marine life. Over the years, the rocks have taken a beating from the wind, rain and water to give a stacked pancake appearance. Both Alex and I really enjoyed walking around the observation decks and admiring these formations. The stacks are so uniform in their spacing, it doesn't seem like it should be a natural occurrence!
We made it to Abel Tasman National Park during the late afternoon on Tuesday. We originally had not planned traveling to this area, but after speaking with our high school friends, Bret & Tara who spent a year in New Zealand ten years ago, they encouraged us to visit as it was a highlight for them both. I'm glad we took their recommendation because we had a great time and it is such a beautiful stretch of coastline. We stayed in the town of Marahau and it was a great location to be based.
The only real way to see the park is by water taxi, kayak or hiking. There are no cars allowed further up into the park, so on our first morning we took a water taxi from Marahau to Bark Bay and then hiked down to Anchorage (I included a picture of the map below). We were then picked up by water taxi later in the afternoon which took us back to Marahau.
We hopped on board the water taxi on land which was then pulled by a tractor and made our way to the water. I assumed we would be disconnecting from the tractor at the waters edge, but much to my surprise and everyone else on board, the tractor proceeded to pull the boat about 200 feet into the ocean before parking and letting us off on a sand bar in the middle of the water. The driver then unhitched the boat from the tractor, climbed onto the boat, and we proceeded to cruise by boat towards Bark Bay. Everyone on board was cracking up when the tractor pulled us so far into the water and it was such a fun and funny experience!
Riding away from our tractor pull!
On the way to Bark Bay, the water taxi passed by a couple of landmarks including Split Apple Rock. One of the most popular landmarks in Abel Tasman National Park, Maori legend says the rock was formed when two gods were fighting over the possession of a large boulder. To settle this battle and reach a compromise, they used their godlike strength to break the rock in half.
Once we were left off the water taxi, we began our three-hour hike which took us through the forest and along the coast. It was a pretty easy trail and once we finished, we were able to relax on the beach and enjoy the sunshine while we waited for our return water taxi back to Marahau.
The water is so clear!
On our last day in the park, we walked from our hotel to Coquile Bay. It was an hour walk through the forest and we ended up on the beautiful beach where we relaxed in the sand, read, and watched the boats and kayaks pass by.
Coquile Bay from above
We fully enjoyed our stay in Abel Tasman National Park. It was great being able to relax on the beach (even though I did get bit by a few sand flies!) and soak in the sunshine. Oh how I have been missing the sunshine! We head to Marlborough tomorrow, the wine country region, and I think it will be the perfect way to wrap up our New Zealand experience. Alex and I only have 3 more full days left on this beautiful island. I can't believe our time here is ending so quickly. What a whirlwind it has been!