For our first entry into Abel Tasman National Park, we opted to catch an aqua taxi. It would take us on a 30 minute ride into the park, drop us off on the beach for us to hike back along the Coastal Track, looping back to where we started.
Checking in at the inland office of the aqua taxi HQ, we were told we'd be picked up in 15 minutes. We assumed we'd be in a shuttle of sorts to the water and an awaiting boat, but we were surprised and excited to see a boat itself turn up on a trailer, being towed behind a tractor.
After a 1/2 mile ride on the road, the tractor turned onto the beach and headed into the sandy water where it released the boat...and we were off.
Split Apple Rock
Once the boat was floating, the captain did a quick drive by of Split Apple Rock. We circled a small island, saw some seals sunning, and spent 15 minutes bouncing up and down in big ocean swells.
If you want to get a sense of who enjoys big ocean waves, revisit our boat trip in Tasmania in Feb.
Anchorage Bay
We were the first stop, Anchorage Bay, where the boat pulled up on the beach. We timed our exit with a big jump to avoid soaking our shoes in the waves.
I grabbed a nearby picnic table and starting putting out a lunch spread while the girls explored the beach.
12.4km Hike
Off we went. The first 30-45 min was up into the hills above the ocean and then largely flattened out to a slight downgrade. Good attitudes and built-up walking legs with many hikes the last 1.5 years paid off once again.
Most of the hike was spent broken into pairs playing the guessing game, "I'm Thinking of an Animal/Fruit/Vegetable". Paige also spent time taking on the challenge of spelling words thrown at her as she bounded along the trail. The other big topic of discussion was the covid vaccine.
Moving North in NZ, we're seeing the change into more tropical landscapes and warm ocean water. Our boat driver told us that the clear water can get up to 80F in peak summer months! He said, "so warm it feels like you're swimming in someone's pee".
Stilwell Beach
There are loads of beaches all along the coast. At the advice of our boat driver, we stopped at the midway point, dropping down into Stilwell Bay.
We made the mistake of not packing the girls bathing suits, so they spent an hour playing in the water in just their undies and dri-fit t-shirts. Sarah and I were mesmerized by a shag bird (the name for a cormorant here) fishing at the waters edge. It was terrorizing and picking off fish one by one from a large school.
Home Stretch
We carried on for the second half of the hike. The wind seemingly in the girls sails, as they were promised ice cream at the end of the trail.
Another great NZ day...in the books!
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