Abel Tasman National Park

Excuse me while I brush the dust off of this thing. There that's better. Sorry for the lack of posts everyone! Its been a busy couple of weeks as I went through my birthday (which was great thanks to all the people here!) and getting ready for my upcoming adventures for mid-semester break.

Well, I'm back now and ready to tell my tale!

It all started with a quick trip to Abel Tasman. I left Dunedin on Saturday (3/25/16) on the bus headed to Christchurch for an overnight stay. What a city Christchurch is, but we'll get back to that (hint hint, stay tuned for the next post). It was an early morning on Easter Sunday as I headed toward Nelson, the town right outside of Abel Tasman. It took a 7 hour bus trip, but I got there! I checked into my hostel at the Prince Albert, and was greeted by some very friendly roommates.

The next morning I waited outside of Prince Albert's at 6:30 am awaiting the coach to take me to Abel Tasman. It was about a 2 hour drive to Abel Tasman, where along the way I got to see some pretty neat sites and a beautiful sunrise.

Watching the sun rise over the water

After reaching Abel Tasman I went on a boat, boarding in the town of Kaiteriteri. The boat was taking a us to Anchorage so we could hike in the park. The boat portion of the door provided lots of interesting facts about Abel Tasman, like Abel Tasman is New Zealand's smallest national park. 

We also passed Split Apple Rock on our way to Anchorage. This is a large mass of granite that split along a natural fault line. The split granite is what gives the beaches in Abel Tasman their golden color. 

Split Apple Rock

After passing several bays, and Adele Island and Fisherman Island (named by Dumont d'Urville after his wife, Adele. Nelson is visible in the distance between the two islands) we finally landed in Anchorage. 

I stepped onto the golden beach and began the trek to Marahau, a 12km (thats about 7 miles) hike. Luckily, during the boat ride I made friends with a very nice German girl who is in New Zealand on working holiday who walked the track with me. 

The views were absolutely stunning! The golden beaches next to the blue water were something from another world. 

One of the beaches I passed on my hike

It was a very nice hike, and actually pretty easy! There was a bit of uphill walking right in the beginning, but after that it was a very relaxing hike. I was even able to make a couple of stops at some of the beaches to cool off and enjoy the water! 

Apple Tree Bay - the first rest stop!

The second rest stop!

Shortly after the second rest stop we (me and my German friend) made it to the cafe in Marahau. We were so exhausted by the end, and very much ready for some dinner! 

Oh! And I got to see some New Zealand wildlife while in Abel Tasman, which was AMAZING! 

Not really sure what kind of bird this is! A weka maybe? 

The beginning of my break was off to a great start (minus all of the mosquito bites I received while hiking)! And after my day in Abel Tasman, it was back onto the bus to....Christchurch!