A small boat dropped us on this beach, Apple Tree Bay.
Golden sands and clear blue sea.
A beautiful place of peace and quiet.
No time to stop.
On with our packs and we are off.
Walking the Abel Tasman Coast Walk,
through beautiful beech forest
with riroriro the gray warbler singing all the way,
along with fantails and tui.
Zigzagging our way up hills and down into more beautiful golden sandy bays.
Late spring, we feel we have the tracks to ourselves.
We have four huts to stay in, but there is no power
and no cooking facilities.
We carry all our food and cookers.
Food tastes doubly delicious after a long walk.
Lunch on the way and cooling off with a swim
refreshes us for the next leg of the walk.
Our first hut is in Anchorage.
nested into the manuka bush it is a perfect spot.
The rock formations intrigue us.
We take the beach path.
That means shoes off and a paddle, watching crabs scuttle away from us.
Another boil up on the trail.
A swing bridge over a river.
There was a graceful seal swimming up river.
Another hut on a restful inlet.
Bark Bay.
We shared this hut with a delightful pair of young girls from Germany,
and a young couple from Israel.
The clear sea of the most beautiful blue.
The view from my sleeping bag at hut number three,
Sunrise at Awaroa.
Exploring rocks after a swim at yet another beautiful bay.
On the way to the last hut..
and a surprise swing.
The final hut at Whariwharangi.
We walk to the top of Gibb's hill on the last day of our trek.
Manuka flowers.
More than 50 kilometres walked.
We travelled back to Kaiteriteri by boat,
feeling very pleased with ourselves.
2012 has been a year of wonderful travel for me.
To finish the year with this walk
through our own unique and wonderful country
was a fitting way to end a special year.
I came home feeling fit and on a real high,
grateful to be alive on this amazing planet !
