On Waitangi bank holiday weekend, we headed to the north of the south island to Abel Tasman National Park with our friend Maria from Waterford. After the 6 hour drive, a good nights sleep we got the water taxi out the coast to start on our 4 day trek back to the village camping on the way, which involved carrying our tents, food, cooking utensils, suncream on our backs. Luckily for me Brian carried our tent. The walk was beautiful, along beaches and through bushlands with some hills which were a little tougher due to the hot weather and loads on our backs. The campsites were basic some with just a toilet and a water source and others had basic kitchen facilities and picnic tables. They were great homes for the 3 nights we camped and it was fantastic swimming every couple of hours or picnicing on the beaches.
Highly recommend it!
Watch out for that rock Brian (Castle Hill - Arthur's Pass)
Cool rocks at Castle Hill
Maybe Frodo and Samwise are somewhere around here!
View from our room in Punakaki
Lovely room at Punakaki
West Coast - a bit like Ireland, eh?
Our 3 hour trek involved my first NZ river crossing
thank god the river was low otherwise this would have been our bed for the night
We kayaked this river Easter Sunday morning and then walked above it, gorgeous scenery
Pancake Rocks
Hokitika Gorge and Brian on the bridge, I wanted to get a photo of just him on the bridge and loads of people arrived just as I had the camera ready and the sandflies had their starter, main and dessert on me while I waited for them to leave, and they didn't!
Maximum load 1 person - Brian and Greg braved it and survived
Waterfall near Lake Kaniere, maybe Dorothy Falls
Lake Kaniere and Mt Cook hiding behind that cloud in the distance
Otira Gorge Bridge (designed by Brian's firm Beca) scary looking construction site
Road to the West Coast, somewhere around Arthur's Pass
