In 1642, Duchman Abel Tasman became the first European to catch sight of the South Island. 
He anchored his two ships in Golden Bay, northernmost part of the island and was approached by local Maori who came out on their canoes to make the traditional challenge of friend or foe. The Dutch misunderstood the meaning of the challenge and blew their horns, inadvertently challenging back. The Maori then attacked a boat of Dutch sailors which was lowered to the meet with the Maori, killing four sailors. Tasman sailed off and no other European approached the South Island for another 127 years.
Today, the very famous and very spectacular national park at the northernmost tip the South Island bears Abel Tasman’s name. People speak enthusiastically about the stunning beauty of the park with its beautiful golden sandy beaches lapped by crystal-clear waters, formations of granite that rise out from the sea and all backed by lush green forest which include silver and red beech trees. Sea lions make their home on the shore and there is a rich variety of sea bird. The boundaries of the park include the Tonga Island Marine Reserve which was created in 1993 to protect the seals, birds and fish in the surrounding waters.
The park has become very popular with most people opting to walk the Coastal Track which wanders along the coast and promises views of the beaches. The Coastal Track is billed as the easiest of the New Zealand Great Walks. The total length of the track is 51km and it can take from 2-5 days depending on your pace. Passage through parts of the walk must be planned carefully because tracks over some of the beaches are not passable at high tide. The DOC has built overnight huts along the track and there are also campsites, both with toilets and filtered water. For those not wanting to spend several days walking the track, it is possible to walk just sections thanks to the numerous water taxis which will take passengers from the town of Marahau at the base of the park to various bays along the track. Another popular option is to kayak along the coast of the park. Kayaks can be rented for the day or bookings can be made for overnight trips which can include several days of paddling along the coast and camping at night.
Sue and I had booked at the information office in Nelson to take a water taxi from Marahau to Bark Bay. We would walk about 13km to Torrent Bay where we would be picked up in the afternoon and taken by boat back to Marahau. We left Nelson early in the morning to get to the offices of the water taxi in time for our departure. Once everyone was ready to go, we climbed into a boat which was sitting on a boat trailer in the parking lot of the water taxi company. The boat was then towed by a farm tractor to the launch dock which was about 2km away. There was something comical about sitting in a boat with our life preservers on all the while being towed along the road and being passed by cars.
Once in the water, the boat sped off to take us to the Split Apple which is a large, round granite
rock which sits on a outcropping of rock in the middle of a bay. The rock was split in the middle, appearing as if it were an apple cut in two. From there we went up the coast to a seal colony where we saw lots of seals loitering on rocks. I am sure it was neat to see, but after having been spoiled in the Galapagos, I doubt that seeing one or two seals on rocks will ever be exciting again.
Our boat then took us into Torrent Bay so that we could see where we would be picked up in the afternoon. Torrent Bay includes a small
holiday resort residential area surrounded by the Abel Tasman National Park. Somehow, the houses were built before the area became incorporated into the national park and all existing properties have been allowed to remain. Although there appear to be a good number of houses in the area, there is no electricity, requiring each house to have a generator. There also aren’t roads into the area, so the only way to get goods in and out is by boat. The houses have their own generators. Our guide told us that he had looked at a house a while ago which was selling for $250k. However, he missed his chance and now the least expensive house for sale in the area will cost more than $1m. The bay is also home to dozens of boats including a catamaran which served as both the only licensed bar in the area as well as being a hotel.
From Torrent Bay our boat continued north to Barks Bay where we disembarked to start our
tramp. The walk took us along the coast but also wound its way through the bush as it climbed up and down hills. I have heard a lot about the Coastal Track since I have been in New Zealand and everyone speaks of it with reverence. I hesitate to put this into writing, but I actually didn’t find the track to be all that impressive. We caught glimpses of beautiful beaches here and there, but the bulk of the track was through the bush where you just get to see trees. I suspect that the best way to see the park would be to kayak. In a boat, you get to stay along the coast to see the secluded beaches that are otherwise inaccessible and which are the real jewels of the park.
After several hours of walking which included side tracks to lookouts or beaches, we arrived back at Torrent Bay where we wandered the wide, sandy beach while waiting for our boat to return at the appointed time. We had to wade out to our boat which then took us back to Marahau. In the morning, our boat had been backed down a boat ramp and straight into the water. But that was when the tide was in and in the afternoon
there was a very long stretch of sandy beach between the boat and the dock. Amazingly, the park can see tides as high as 10m (over 30 feet!). Tractors were waiting with boat trailers on the beach and as our boat approached, the tractor backed into the ocean so that the boat could be driven right onto the trailer. Once the boat was on the trailer, the tractor pulled us across the beach and through tidal pools to take us up the boat ramp and then down the road to the taxi office.
Our drive back was uneventful and we kept our eyes open for a glass repair shop. We had noticed a few dings in our windshield and were fretful that we would be charged an absurd amount of money by the rental car company to get it repaired if we didn’t do it ourselves. Although Nelson is littered with automotive repair shops, we couldn’t see any glass repair shops.
Saturday, the 20th of January was the day that we were to take the ferry between the islands and so we would need to drive from Nelson to Picton to catch our 3PM ferry. We had a lot of time to make this trip and so we poked about Nelson for a while and wandered about the big morning market in the town. Rather than to take the main highway to Picton which would go far south before turning north again, we opted to drive along the coastal route. The coastal route was windy which made going slow, but offered great views as we made our way. We actually arrived in Picton too early to check in for our ferry and so we ate lunch in the town park before joining the queue.
Taking the ferry between the islands is rather expensive at $150 for a car and then $50 per person for the three hour voyage. It can be far less expensive to fly and when I had made the crossing in 2004, I flew Origin Pacific from Nelson which took a fraction of the time at a fraction of the cost. Unfortunately, Air New Zealand aggressively marketed its own flights on the same routes that Origin Pacific offered and in the end, Origin Pacific stopped all passenger service. However, when we booked the car, we had taken advantage of a relocation special which offered a great rate and where the rental car company would pay for the cost of taking the car on the ferry and we in turn would move the car from Christchurch to Auckland for them. We just had to pay for ourselves to get onto the ferry.
We parked our car in our designated space in the lines of cars forming to get onto the ferry and then sat in the car and waited. While we were waiting, we were approached by a uniformed man who wanted to ask us if we had been tramping, fishing or swimming to make sure that we had cleaned our gear to prevent the spread of Didymo. Didymo is a freshwater alga which is a alien species which is rumored to have been brought to New Zealand by a fisherman who did not clean his fishing gear. Didymo's native distribution is limited to cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including the rivers of northern forests and alpine regions of Europe, Asia and parts of North America The alga does not have any natural predators in New Zealand and is therefore spreading at an alarming rate. Didymo attaches itself to streambeds by stalks which form a thick brown mat on rocks, plants and other materials in the water. Established mats form flowing streamers that turn white at the ends and look similar to tissue paper. Because Didymo is microscopic, it may be impossible to eradicate the alga.
It was first discovered in 2004 during a routine study of a waterway on the South Island and has since spread all over the South Island. The problem is that Didymo is microscopic is microscopic and therefore it takes a number of cells to be present in the water before Didymo is visible to the human eye. All that it takes is for a person to swim, fish or walk through a river that is contaminated and then to do the same in an uncontaminated river for the Didymo to spread. There are cleaning stations at DOC offices throughout the South Island and there are warnings of fines for failure to properly clean gear. Didymo has not yet been spotted on the North Island which is why we were being asked if we had cleaned our gear before making the ferry crossing. We were asked to clean our hiking boots in soapy water and to wash our swimming suits with detergent prior to using them on the North Island.
By the time that the ferry was ready for boarding, about eight lines of cars and campervans had formed. Lines of cars were directed to advance one at a time onto a ramp which led to the second story of the eight story boat. We parked our car in the hold and then climbed up a staircase to the passenger areas. The boat itself was made in Denmark and could accommodate not only cars and people, but also trains. It was neat to stand on the top deck and to watch cars driving onto the second floor of the boat while trains were pushing rail cars onto the boat on a ramp on the first story. The boat included cafes, restaurants and lounges as well as a movie theater that was showing currently released movies for $10. The distance between the North and the South Islands is not that far as the bird flies, but we had to travel from Picton harbor to Wellington harbor and that would take about three hours. It was drizzling out and the water was a bit choppy resulting in a number of children getting sick onboard.
We arrived in Wellington, the capitol of New Zealand at around 6PM and navigated our way to the YHA hostel right in the downtown area. Without knowing it, we had planned our arrival in Wellington very well. Parking meters did not need to be fed, nor did the 2 hour limit on parking need to be adhered to after 6PM on Saturday nor at all on Sunday. Score! So we were able to find a fantastic parking space in a very popular lot right around the corner from our hostel and we could leave the car there for the entire time that we were in Wellington. We couldn’t believe our luck and even checked with the staff at the hostel who confirmed that we were lucky indeed.
The YHA hostel in Wellington is several stories tall and is more like a hotel than a hostel. Rooms are accessed by cards, just like a hotel and we saw people of all ages staying at the hostel. There were two big kitchens and eating areas and there were computers with internet on every floor. It was centrally located with a grocery store just across the street and a great place to spend the night.
He anchored his two ships in Golden Bay, northernmost part of the island and was approached by local Maori who came out on their canoes to make the traditional challenge of friend or foe. The Dutch misunderstood the meaning of the challenge and blew their horns, inadvertently challenging back. The Maori then attacked a boat of Dutch sailors which was lowered to the meet with the Maori, killing four sailors. Tasman sailed off and no other European approached the South Island for another 127 years.Today, the very famous and very spectacular national park at the northernmost tip the South Island bears Abel Tasman’s name. People speak enthusiastically about the stunning beauty of the park with its beautiful golden sandy beaches lapped by crystal-clear waters, formations of granite that rise out from the sea and all backed by lush green forest which include silver and red beech trees. Sea lions make their home on the shore and there is a rich variety of sea bird. The boundaries of the park include the Tonga Island Marine Reserve which was created in 1993 to protect the seals, birds and fish in the surrounding waters.
The park has become very popular with most people opting to walk the Coastal Track which wanders along the coast and promises views of the beaches. The Coastal Track is billed as the easiest of the New Zealand Great Walks. The total length of the track is 51km and it can take from 2-5 days depending on your pace. Passage through parts of the walk must be planned carefully because tracks over some of the beaches are not passable at high tide. The DOC has built overnight huts along the track and there are also campsites, both with toilets and filtered water. For those not wanting to spend several days walking the track, it is possible to walk just sections thanks to the numerous water taxis which will take passengers from the town of Marahau at the base of the park to various bays along the track. Another popular option is to kayak along the coast of the park. Kayaks can be rented for the day or bookings can be made for overnight trips which can include several days of paddling along the coast and camping at night.
Sue and I had booked at the information office in Nelson to take a water taxi from Marahau to Bark Bay. We would walk about 13km to Torrent Bay where we would be picked up in the afternoon and taken by boat back to Marahau. We left Nelson early in the morning to get to the offices of the water taxi in time for our departure. Once everyone was ready to go, we climbed into a boat which was sitting on a boat trailer in the parking lot of the water taxi company. The boat was then towed by a farm tractor to the launch dock which was about 2km away. There was something comical about sitting in a boat with our life preservers on all the while being towed along the road and being passed by cars.
Once in the water, the boat sped off to take us to the Split Apple which is a large, round granite
rock which sits on a outcropping of rock in the middle of a bay. The rock was split in the middle, appearing as if it were an apple cut in two. From there we went up the coast to a seal colony where we saw lots of seals loitering on rocks. I am sure it was neat to see, but after having been spoiled in the Galapagos, I doubt that seeing one or two seals on rocks will ever be exciting again.Our boat then took us into Torrent Bay so that we could see where we would be picked up in the afternoon. Torrent Bay includes a small
holiday resort residential area surrounded by the Abel Tasman National Park. Somehow, the houses were built before the area became incorporated into the national park and all existing properties have been allowed to remain. Although there appear to be a good number of houses in the area, there is no electricity, requiring each house to have a generator. There also aren’t roads into the area, so the only way to get goods in and out is by boat. The houses have their own generators. Our guide told us that he had looked at a house a while ago which was selling for $250k. However, he missed his chance and now the least expensive house for sale in the area will cost more than $1m. The bay is also home to dozens of boats including a catamaran which served as both the only licensed bar in the area as well as being a hotel.From Torrent Bay our boat continued north to Barks Bay where we disembarked to start our
tramp. The walk took us along the coast but also wound its way through the bush as it climbed up and down hills. I have heard a lot about the Coastal Track since I have been in New Zealand and everyone speaks of it with reverence. I hesitate to put this into writing, but I actually didn’t find the track to be all that impressive. We caught glimpses of beautiful beaches here and there, but the bulk of the track was through the bush where you just get to see trees. I suspect that the best way to see the park would be to kayak. In a boat, you get to stay along the coast to see the secluded beaches that are otherwise inaccessible and which are the real jewels of the park.After several hours of walking which included side tracks to lookouts or beaches, we arrived back at Torrent Bay where we wandered the wide, sandy beach while waiting for our boat to return at the appointed time. We had to wade out to our boat which then took us back to Marahau. In the morning, our boat had been backed down a boat ramp and straight into the water. But that was when the tide was in and in the afternoon
there was a very long stretch of sandy beach between the boat and the dock. Amazingly, the park can see tides as high as 10m (over 30 feet!). Tractors were waiting with boat trailers on the beach and as our boat approached, the tractor backed into the ocean so that the boat could be driven right onto the trailer. Once the boat was on the trailer, the tractor pulled us across the beach and through tidal pools to take us up the boat ramp and then down the road to the taxi office.Our drive back was uneventful and we kept our eyes open for a glass repair shop. We had noticed a few dings in our windshield and were fretful that we would be charged an absurd amount of money by the rental car company to get it repaired if we didn’t do it ourselves. Although Nelson is littered with automotive repair shops, we couldn’t see any glass repair shops.
Saturday, the 20th of January was the day that we were to take the ferry between the islands and so we would need to drive from Nelson to Picton to catch our 3PM ferry. We had a lot of time to make this trip and so we poked about Nelson for a while and wandered about the big morning market in the town. Rather than to take the main highway to Picton which would go far south before turning north again, we opted to drive along the coastal route. The coastal route was windy which made going slow, but offered great views as we made our way. We actually arrived in Picton too early to check in for our ferry and so we ate lunch in the town park before joining the queue.
Taking the ferry between the islands is rather expensive at $150 for a car and then $50 per person for the three hour voyage. It can be far less expensive to fly and when I had made the crossing in 2004, I flew Origin Pacific from Nelson which took a fraction of the time at a fraction of the cost. Unfortunately, Air New Zealand aggressively marketed its own flights on the same routes that Origin Pacific offered and in the end, Origin Pacific stopped all passenger service. However, when we booked the car, we had taken advantage of a relocation special which offered a great rate and where the rental car company would pay for the cost of taking the car on the ferry and we in turn would move the car from Christchurch to Auckland for them. We just had to pay for ourselves to get onto the ferry.
We parked our car in our designated space in the lines of cars forming to get onto the ferry and then sat in the car and waited. While we were waiting, we were approached by a uniformed man who wanted to ask us if we had been tramping, fishing or swimming to make sure that we had cleaned our gear to prevent the spread of Didymo. Didymo is a freshwater alga which is a alien species which is rumored to have been brought to New Zealand by a fisherman who did not clean his fishing gear. Didymo's native distribution is limited to cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including the rivers of northern forests and alpine regions of Europe, Asia and parts of North America The alga does not have any natural predators in New Zealand and is therefore spreading at an alarming rate. Didymo attaches itself to streambeds by stalks which form a thick brown mat on rocks, plants and other materials in the water. Established mats form flowing streamers that turn white at the ends and look similar to tissue paper. Because Didymo is microscopic, it may be impossible to eradicate the alga.
It was first discovered in 2004 during a routine study of a waterway on the South Island and has since spread all over the South Island. The problem is that Didymo is microscopic is microscopic and therefore it takes a number of cells to be present in the water before Didymo is visible to the human eye. All that it takes is for a person to swim, fish or walk through a river that is contaminated and then to do the same in an uncontaminated river for the Didymo to spread. There are cleaning stations at DOC offices throughout the South Island and there are warnings of fines for failure to properly clean gear. Didymo has not yet been spotted on the North Island which is why we were being asked if we had cleaned our gear before making the ferry crossing. We were asked to clean our hiking boots in soapy water and to wash our swimming suits with detergent prior to using them on the North Island.
By the time that the ferry was ready for boarding, about eight lines of cars and campervans had formed. Lines of cars were directed to advance one at a time onto a ramp which led to the second story of the eight story boat. We parked our car in the hold and then climbed up a staircase to the passenger areas. The boat itself was made in Denmark and could accommodate not only cars and people, but also trains. It was neat to stand on the top deck and to watch cars driving onto the second floor of the boat while trains were pushing rail cars onto the boat on a ramp on the first story. The boat included cafes, restaurants and lounges as well as a movie theater that was showing currently released movies for $10. The distance between the North and the South Islands is not that far as the bird flies, but we had to travel from Picton harbor to Wellington harbor and that would take about three hours. It was drizzling out and the water was a bit choppy resulting in a number of children getting sick onboard.
We arrived in Wellington, the capitol of New Zealand at around 6PM and navigated our way to the YHA hostel right in the downtown area. Without knowing it, we had planned our arrival in Wellington very well. Parking meters did not need to be fed, nor did the 2 hour limit on parking need to be adhered to after 6PM on Saturday nor at all on Sunday. Score! So we were able to find a fantastic parking space in a very popular lot right around the corner from our hostel and we could leave the car there for the entire time that we were in Wellington. We couldn’t believe our luck and even checked with the staff at the hostel who confirmed that we were lucky indeed.
The YHA hostel in Wellington is several stories tall and is more like a hotel than a hostel. Rooms are accessed by cards, just like a hotel and we saw people of all ages staying at the hostel. There were two big kitchens and eating areas and there were computers with internet on every floor. It was centrally located with a grocery store just across the street and a great place to spend the night.
Here are some links to find out more:
More about Abel Tasman
More information about Didymo
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