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Published: March 18th 2008
Why haven't I learnt that 'good ideas' inevitably hurt? The Abel Tasman is fantastic, but I should have worn my hiking boots not my hiking sandals.
The walk took four days, three to get to the hut at the top of the walk and one day to get back to the water taxi. What can I say about the walk? The NZ 'bush' is lovely - lots and lots of tree ferns growing all over the place creating lovely dark walks, I can see why they film a lot out here! The manuka trees are lovely too and provide a scented 'hit' which will be one of my abiding memories of this trip. It is extremely lovely, I shall need to buy the honey and sniff the jar to get a fix! Some trees looked as if they had been burnt, but in fact they were covered by something I think was a fungus which had some white 'hairs' growing out of it, on the end of these there were drops of sugar solution which the bees were devouring. It will be interesting to find out what this is in reality. There are some huge trees growing there too - at least half a dozen huggers would be need to gird their main trunk!
I think the most beautiful view is of the beaches, wonderful golden sands and with very few people, some of them with no-one at all. They look like the 'in your dreams' adverts of idyllic beaches. That's good if you don't have to tramp along them to get to the next hut, so I have to return here and this time have a ride on the water taxi to spend a day on the beach and also return on the taxi. I think it would be to Awaraho because it has the most wonderful restaurant there which cooks its own organic veg and locally killed livestock - whether they be fish, meat or fowl! If I saved up I could even stay there... or get there by plane or helicopter... In my dreams!!
There were moments on the walk where I was frankly terrified - the swinging bridge, and the narrow paths which suddenly revealed the whole view down below me. So I adopted new strategies: the cricket hat was tilted to hide the view, the glasses came off at times and of course the bum shuffle!! All very necessary at times, but at least I managed it all. The beauty of the place totally over powered those moments though.
The other great thing about the walk was meeting different people from all over the world. A Swedish girl helped me across the bridge, others from many different places were wonderful company. One young man came from Worcester, he is a tree surgeon (he doesn't know Squirt!) and had spent some time working in the north. Interestingly he had that pinch me feeling about the place too - hard to believe we are really here!
Last night I celebrated with some local red wine, and the Test news was good too, so two reasons for extra cheer. Today I drove down in Nelson again, ordered the car part for Fred which will arrive tomorrow and will cost him an arm and a leg... then walked to the centre of New Zealand. And of course it would be on top of a hill!! My right foot has suffered from treading on a thorn on the beach and has been rather painful for several days, however, it will sort itself out!! After picking up the car part tomorrow (do you think Fred will have got the point?!!!) I am heading for the vineyards and then the whales on the coast line. Must remember that I have booked the ferry for Saturday, so I need to find out what day it is!!
Glad the storms seems to be dying down in the UK, no doubt it will rain when I return!!
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Tami
non-member comment
Re:Oh my poor feet!!
It sounds like something right out of the TV show 'Survivor'! I hope your foot feels better soon :)