Ever dreamed of visiting New Zealand, of losing yourself in the Land Of The Long White Cloud?
The shiny rippling ocean, playful seal pups, gliding ocean birds and bright golden sand; Sounds like the stuff of dreams doesn’t it? But it’s the stuff of the Abel Tasman National Park in New Zealand’s South Island. Perth Woman Magazine’s Monique Richards gets back to nature, and has some truly wild encounters.
I love tramping. But after a few sweeps of my paddle through the glassy ocean surface of Tasman Bay, I decide that kayaking is definitely the way to get around. With our luggage stowed safely in compartments throughout our vessel, we are free to drink in our beautiful surroundings as we cruise alongside the rocky shore.
Known as ‘The Enchanted Coast’ The Abel Tasman National Park is located at the top of the South Island. Large granite boulders separate each of the golden-sand bays that make up this stunning national park. The boulders are home to flocks of gannets and families of basking seals. The park is named after the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, who was the first European explorer to discover New Zealand. It was established as a national park in 1942, to stop the threat of exploitation of its native forest. The smallest of New Zealand’s National Parks, the Abel Tasman covers 225 square km.
My partner Leigh has been a Sea Kayak Guide in the park for five years, but this is my first trip. We have luckily been leant a double kayak by his lovely bosses Pete and Maureen at The Sea Kayak Company. The first leg of our journey begins at Marahua, a tidal bay which transforms into a vast, stretching mudflat at low tide. A good solid blast across this first bay gets our arms well and truly warmed up, and now we are heading into the real wilderness.
Cleopatra’s pool, named so due to its long rectangular shape like the baths of ancient Egypt, is first on our list of stops. We tie the kayaks off to the bank, and walk a few steps through the icy cold water to the track. After the very short walk, a few tourists are hanging out at some small waterfalls. We get some funny looks as we begin to boulder hop our way up the creek.
After a few minutes of acting like mountain goats, we find our way to Cleopatra’s pool. It is strange yet beautiful; very long and rectangular in shape, dark, and contrasting against the bright green mosses and plant life that surround it. The short but wide waterfall that flows into the pool is the best bit for me though!
By the final leg of the first day’s journey, my arms have had it. We stop before tackling the day’s finals slog to bob calmly with the gentle waves, and eat a chocolate Easter egg. As we carve our way towards Tonga Quarry, a small beautiful bay named after an old quarry that is no longer there, we decide to take a small detour to wander through the Tonga arches, a series of granite archways. Jumping in an archway for the camera makes a great silhouette!
We haul the kayak up past the high tide mark. We are the only people camping at Tonga Quarry that night. The Abel Tasman gets inundated in the height of summer, but if you visit slightly outside these peak times, you can sometimes be lucky enough to get a piece of this paradise all to yourself. We set up camp, enjoying cooking on the portable gas stove, and the stillness of our surroundings. We have a beautiful view of Tonga Island framed by native Manuka trees and flax bushes.
On some adventures it’s hard to pick one highlight. But this mission had a hands-down winner. Knowing this park like the back of his hand, Leigh has a hidden spot for us to check out on our return voyage. We paddle through a gap between two towering rocks and round a corner into a tidal river mouth.
The first thing we see is the water coming alive. A group of around thirty seal pups come frolicking towards our boat, jumping out of the water and doing belly flops, and rolls. We paddle right up to the rocks they are sitting on as they eye us curiously. A few of them come right up to our kayak, playing with the ties that are holding our gear to the boat.
"The shiny rippling ocean, playful seal pups, gliding ocean birds and bright golden sand; Sounds like the stuff of dreams doesn’t it? But it’s the stuff of the Abel Tasman National Park in New Zealand’s South Island."
I’m completely blown away by these friendly, curious creatures. Thinking it can’t get any better, I am in for another surprise. One little seal pup popps its head up alongside the middle of our kayak, before launching itself and jumping up on the boat right behind me. It looks back and forth at Leigh and I and just chills out with us for a few moments before splashing back into the water. Totally magic!
Our final stop as we prepare to head back to Marahau is Adele Island. This is a special stop for me, as my father gave me my middle name ‘Adelle’ (although with a different spelling!) after this island that he loves so much. We have a picnic on the beach next to our kayak, and watch an adult seal swim past looking very relaxed. After lunch we decide to climb to the top of the island. This involves some serious bush bashing; over waterfalls, rocks, and through some lush native vegetation. We reach the top where the plant life is
shorter and scrubby. The sun bakes the earth up here. From Adele Island we can see right back up to where we have come from: Tonga Island Marine Reserve where we camped under the stars, Torrent Bay from which we found Cleopatra’s pool,
and the secret spot where we discovered the ultimate seal pup nursery.
This truly is the Enchanted Coast!
For a Wild experience the Abel Tasman is hard to beat! But make sure you book ahead, as campsites get booked out months in advance during summer. For the ultimate sea kayaking adventure, contact Pete and Maureen at the Sea Kayak Company by visiting www.seakayaknz.co.nz
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