NZ: Trekking the Abel Tasman
Do you ever discover a tiny little corner of the earth and just wish it could be all yours? What's interesting about that is that those moments come along with no warning. As I was driving from Nelson to the Abel Tasman National Park, I was honestly not excited about the day ahead of me. I was worried about getting sunburnt, stressing over the fact that I hadn't brought a bottle of water with me, and I thought an 8 mile trek through a mountainous national park quite frankly sounded daunting. But the day I trekked the Abel Tasman National Park was absolutely one of the greatest experiences I have ever had. Ever.
Upon arriving at Kaiteriteri Beach, my group and I hopped onto a boat to sail up the coast of the Tasman Sea before being dropped off at a remote beach to pick up the trail and hike back to Torrent Bay.
The trek was the perfect balance of easy and difficult- there were a few big climbs, but the views you could see peaking through the trees were the most staggering. As we weaved through the temperate forest, occasionally we would see glimpses of the brilliant, glittering, crystal clear Pacific Ocean between the dense fir trees, and I would always stop for a photo op.
Carefully, and with great excitement, I crossed a 100ft. suspension bridge that was about 400ft above the inlet of water below. It swayed in the wind, the cables creaking and squeaking as each person traversed the bridge. Right in the middle, I stopped to take in the moment. The salty cool breeze letting my hair flow in the wind, the freshest air you can imagine kissing my almost sun burnt skin, and the warm sun shining down and reminding me that this is one of those corners of the earth I wish was just mine.
Breathing in the air in the Abel Tasman (and in NZ in general) is absolutely unlike any other. It is fresh and invigorating and even on a 90 degree day, it is cool and free of humidity. Almost 5 hours and 8 miles later, the lodge at Torrent Bay was a sight for sore eyes. The second we got to the beach, I ripped my too-tight hiking shoes off and plunged my feet into the Pacific, and after having a quick bite of lunch, I ventured down the beach to find a suitable spot for a swim. The water was pristinely clear- full of fish and clumps of mussels. It took me a few minutes to work up the courage to dive into the FRIGID water, but hey, I'm just proud I did. There is something so rejuvenating about diving into cool water after a long, hot, hike.
The tide was way out when it was finally time to leave Torrent Bay, so we walked out a good 200 yards to where the boats could drop their bridge. One of the coolest things about the day was the way the boats pulled up to shore. They would sail in as close as they could until they bottomed out on the sandy sea floor, at which point a big 50ft ramp would extend from the front, and drop down to the ground- often times in knee deep water. Passengers would wade through the waves, holding their kids and belongings up high enough to prevent them from getting wet. Everyone would climb aboard the boat in bare feet, and they were perfectly content with staying that way for the rest of the day. It is a simple and seemingly ordinary part of the day, but it really speaks to the Kiwi way of life where complaining is almost unheard of, going with the flow becomes your plan for the day, and the day you're given is all you have, so be sure to make it count.
Getting to the Abel Tasman definitely isn't a cake walk, but boy is it worth it. You can even do a multi-day trek through the whole park (which is at the top of my NZ bucket list upon my return). I also felt like I found a piece of myself that day, like there was some carefree part of me missing until I stood on the bridge counting my blessings.