Abel Tasman

According to the friends we had dinner with the night before, Abel Tasman is a highway during the summer months. The three to five day tramp through Abel Tasman is incredibly popular with Kiwis and tourists. Our 13 mile day hike from the second Deparment of Conservation hut back to the park entrance made it quite clear why. Luckily, we started out late (bad planning is once again integral to an excellent experience) so we didn't even pass that many people.

We took a water taxi from the park entrance out to Bark Bay. According to our guide book, the trail from Bark Bay to Anchorage Bay is the most beautiful of the hike so we made sure to include it. The water taxi dropped us in the bay, and we tramped through crystal blue water to a lovely beach filled with sunbathers.

Some high points of the hike were crossing a suspension bridge, checking out some sea caves at our lunch spot, and checking out numerous waterfalls. The scenery was fantastic. It is a moderately easy hike and one that I can see doing again with full packs.