The road from Punakaiki to Abel Tasman winds through the sparsely populated northwest corner of the south island along route 6; first hugging a rugged coastline and then turning inland toward mountains and streams. After 3 hours, we arrived at Kaiteriteri, our beachfront town next to Abel Tasman National Park.
The Abel Tasman Coast Track is one of New Zealand’s “Great Walks,” a 4-day walk along the northern coast of the southern island that crosses a dozen spectacular undisturbed beaches. We were able to do parts of the track by using water taxi’s that drop you off and pick you up at a prearranged location.
Day 44 we hiked the most beautiful section, the 11.5km Bark Bay to Anchorage Bay. This hike weaved along the coast and across beaches. Bryce did not do well on the boat, but enjoyed his time in the sand and the waves. Once back on shore, we spent some time in the small cove near Kaiteriteri where Bryce can walk during low tide and throw shells.
Day 45, we hiked from Marahau (starting car park) to Apple Tree Bay. After Bryce’s meltdown on the small water taxi, we decided to do the part of the Track that you can drive to. This hike was about 3 miles each way to an amazing beach where we hung out for a few hours, ate lunch and threw shells into the water. Once we got back to town, we downed some well-deserved ice cream.
Day 46, we got back into our Nissan X-Trail and headed to Marlborough, the home of New Zealand’s famous Sauvignon Blanc