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Published: April 26th 2009
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From Kaikoura we drove to Nelson, we arrived late and left early as it was a practical way to break the long drive to the Abel Tasman National Park. The next day we had the most uneventful day of the trip so far: we drove along the coast to Marahau - a tiny town at the start of the National Park. As we arrived we saw lots of kayakers setting off up the coast and we were glad it wasn't us as it was raining pretty heavily! We then booked our 3 day kayaking trip with a company specialising in Freedom Rentals, so we'd be able to explore the coastline in our own time rather than on a group tour. From there we drove to Motueka to find somewhere to stay the night and to pick up some supplies for the trip. It was a grey, drizzley day so we spent the afternoon writing a couple of blogs in a cafe before heading back to the hostel to repack our essential belongings into condensed kayak-sized parcels.
The next morning we set off to Marahau to pick up our kayaks. First, we met John our instructor who took us through all
of the safety guidelines, like tides, capsising, and reading the weather. We also had to pack all of our stuff into the kayak to check it all fitted before going down to the sea for a practice paddle - Elly got the good end of the deal and sat at the front whereas Phil had the rudder to contend with! We were picked up from there by an Aquataxi - a speedboat that loaded us (and the 4 other people John had trained up), all of our gear, our kayaks, and dropped us at Onehatuhi Beach. On the boat the driver stopped for us to see a little Blue Penguin paddling around undisturbed by us.
So far, all of this hadn't been the most relaxing of experiences: having our (pretty basic) kayaking skills tested in front of a group of strangers! But when we arrived at the beach it seemed worthwhile already - a golden sandy bay and crystal clear water!
After making ourselves lunch, the two of us set off in the kayaks. The water was very calm with barely any waves in the bays, if a little more choppy further out to sea. We kayaked out
to Tonga Island where there was a colony of seals, and then along the coast til we reached Bark Bay where we were camping for the night. Another bush-lined golden sweep of sand with our campsite set just off the beach. We kayaked down a tidal channel leading from the bay into a big lagoon which was so still and serene. After setting up camp about a metre from the beach, we took a stroll along the coastal path before cooking tea on our rented camping stove. We ate it with a Mac's beer, chilled in the sea. Not a lot to after dark (from about 6.30!) in such a remote campsite with no electrcity, except write our journals, read a book and listen to the waves lapping onto the shore.
We woke up at 6.30 the next day to watch the sunrise over the bay - it was beautiful and we had it all to ourselves before the rest of the campsite woke up. To make the most of the early start we went for a walk along the coastal path to see a waterfall, before packing up the tent, carrying the kayak down to the sea, loading
it up, and setting off onto the water. We paddled out to Pinnacle Island where there is another seal colony. This time there were pups and we stayed in a rocky inlet for long enough for one of them to feel comfortable around us and it came up to the kayak: swimming under it, performing leaps, twists and headstands in the water!
From there we headed off to our campsite for the next night at Te Pukatea Bay. This was an even smaller site with space for about 6 tents, no filtered water and, as with all of the other sites in the National Park, no litter bins. It was round a piece of exposed headland so the kayaking to get there was a bit more hairy! But the reward was such a gorgeous golden sandy beach with the campsite in the trees at the back. We set up camp and had some lunch on the beach before setting off in the kayaks towards some other little coves. We'd only reached the headland when, faced with waves taller than our head-height and with threatening clouds approaching, we decided to turn back. On doing so, three speedboats went past causing
the waves to appraoch us from all directions, pushing us towards a rocky outcrop! In trying to turn away from the rocks, for a few seconds we got caught parallel to the waves and were in danger of capsising. It was at this point we remembered our briefing from John, that if we got into trouble then "paddle like @%*#" !! We did and got back to shore safely but were more than happy to be back on dry land and go for a walk along the coastal path to Anchorage Bay. Back at Te Pukatea, Elly went for an evening swim. It was dusk so the water was pretty cold but very refreshing and with a gorgeous view out to sea. At night the cloudless sky allowed us to see more stars than either of us have ever seen. So we lay down on the beach (as did any other campers who'd happened to look up!) and watched transfixed for a while, whilst listening to the gentle lapping waves.
We woke up early to a beautiful morning and the sea like a duck pond so we decided to head out in the kayaks early. We packed up the
tent, had breakfast on the beach and we were off. It was gorgeous out on the sea in the early morning light and especially good to get around the headland known as "the Mad Mile" due to its choppy sea. We paddled out around Adele Island before stopping for a sunbathe at Observation Beach. Then we set off again down the coast, stopping at Coquille Bay for luch and a laze on another golden beach. Soon after it was time to return the kayaks to Marahau.
Once we'd dropped off all our kayaking and camping gear at the base, we drove to Motueka and checked back in at the hostel. We did some laundry and had a well earned shower. Camping could have been a daft idea during a five month trip as it's a sure fire way of getting you and your clothes filthy! But packing everything up into a kayak and paddling to untouched bays seemed like a real adventure and we really enjoyed camping by the beach. We were glad to have a matress and duvet that night though!
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Hevs
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Amazing photos guys, and glad to hear you didn't have to do any eskimo rolls, or "inuit / first nation rolls" as they're probably called now!