Abel Tasman

 

 Dinners made with farmer's market goodies - mmmm

 

Abel Tasman Park

 

Abundant sea life everywhere you look

  

Leather stars gather in a pool at low tide

 

There were also crabs, hermit crabs, clams (or cockles as they call them here), scallops, and oysters everywhere in the sand at low tide.

 

I'm like a little kid at the beach - I love finding little creatures and shells.

 

Old farm tractors back the boats into the ocean.

 

It's unbelievable how far back the tractors go into the waves.

 

The boats drive right on! We were in the boat and got backed in by the tractor, then we took off up the coast. We traveled an hour north on the boat, then hiked that distance (23km) back.

 

You can get your own seafood here without licenses - these folks were after flounder, but only ended up with crabs. We collected clams. You are allowed 75/person/day and they have to be bigger than a match box. Here they are all at the surface - no digging required. Scott made clams with garlic butter. Delicious!

 

  

These aren't the long-necked kind from Maine, but boy are they sweet!

 

One of numerous perfect beaches along the Abel Tasman hike

 

Split apple rock - according to Maori legend, the god of the forest and the god of the sea kept fighting over this beautiful rock which looked like a giant pearl. The older brother finally struck it and broke it, and the rock spends half the time in the sea (high tide) and half the time on land (low tide) and now the two gods are so happy that both the ocean and the forest are equally as beautiful here.

 

A cove along the hike

 

We napped on this beach until low tide, so we could cut off 1.5 hours of the hike and walk across behind that island on the sand.

 

While the tide receded, we kept hearing about tsunami alerts. The water hardly rippled though.

 

  

This was the most crowded trail we've been on. There were people around every corner, making it almost impossible to find a tree to squat behind. Funny, this hike is so popular, yet it is not the most beautiful one we've been on.

 

At the end of the 8-hour hike

 

Relaxing in Motueka. We are staying in the attic of a beautiful cottage with extensive gardens, run by a lovely woman named Joy. She gave us the room (with laundry, free internet, free garden herbs and veggies, our own kitchen and bathroom, etc.) for only $35/night Kiwi or about $25 US. I wish we could stay here longer than 4 days! Such an oasis, and a gazillion times better than staying at backpackers (what they call hostels here). I feel very done with those places.

 

Scott was smart - he wore his tevas. I had on flip flops which got stuck in the mud, then slapped mud all the way up my backside. Then I had to take them off, and brave the angry crabs and sharp clams. Eeek.

 

Click to enlarge these panos

 

A eucalyptus tree 

 

 We'll try to post a few more pics tonight, but the outdoors beckon, so off we go!