Mar. 22/16: Abel Tasman Park

Last year when I was in New Zealand I did a day hike (or tramp as they call it here) on the Abel Tasman Coastal Track. It was one of the highlights of my trip (although there were so many) so I've long been planning to return and do another bit of the track. Today was the day.

The Track is one of New Zealand's nine Great Walks, and, in total, is 60 kilometres. To walk the whole thing takes 3-5 days. There are huts along the route, and also campsites.  The stretch I did today is just over 12 km. and is said to take 4 hours. It can easily be done in less. I passed a few young women jogging; 4 hours would take them through a good deal of the walk's entire length.

On the bus to the park I learned that the Abel Tasman is the country's smallest park, but also the most visited. That is likely because it contains the only Great Walk that goes along the coast, if I am not mistaken, and the track itself is incredibly well groomed. It's rated as intermediate but is really quite an easy walk. The trail is so smooth I suspect the walk could be done in flipflops, or jandals as they are called here.

The park is named after Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer who discovered New Zealand, and Tasmania, in 1642. I believe they were actually in search of riches, but that they did not find.  

The stretch I did today did not seem quite as spectacular as the one I did last year, but that may be because the skies were not quite so blue, and because I'm becoming accustomed to this incredibly beautiful country. But as you'll see from the images below, it was pretty stunning.

A map of the route I did today

The walk begins! My destination was Marahau.

Not bad, eh?