Abel Tasman North - Anapai & Mutton Cove

We drove to the other side of the peninsula, to Totaranui. This small town/campsite is named after the Totara trees, another giant tree, that line the driveway. It's always busy here because it marks the official end of the Abel Tasman Great Walk, one of NZ's most popoular hikes. But, because of Christmas and the start of the NZ "summer holidays" for schools, it was extra busy. We intended to hike a trail that was a bit further out and quieter, in the hopes that we could still score a camping spot. As we feared, it was fully booked.

It was a significant hike to the lighthouse at the tip of the peninsula. But we figured we could easily make it there and back before the park closed. And leaving our camping gear in the van, we would be much lighter. Our timing was good. Because the tide was out, we could take a shortcut by wading across the river. It was a really cool way to start the track.

The Abel Tasman Great Walk is known for it's beautiful bays. On the hike to the tip of the peninsula, the bays were no less spectacular. The majority of the track went through forest, but occasionally the trees opened to reveal a great view of the coastline below. And several times, the track went over the beach itself. All the campsites were along the beach and they were definitely full. In hindsight we were glad that we didn't stay. We also saw more shags hanging out on the edge of the surf.

As we moved past the popular camping spots, the trail got rougher, including a scramble over a beach of boulders. But after a while, our efforts were rewarded. As we neared the lighthouse, the cliffs became steep and the wind was fierce. We thought we heard lots of seals barking. But as we came around the corner, we realized that the noise was coming from a speaker system. Plastic gannets were propped up on the rocks, and the sound system imitated their calls. We were fooled. Apparently the gannets were falling for it too. A real gannet (which is quite rare) flew by overhead. The hope is that gannets will colonize the rocks where they can be protected by the rangers.

We ate the supper we had packed and hiked back to the van. The tide was up again, so we had to hike around the river mouth this time. On the home stretch it started to rain, a little extra motivation to walk fast. But we were back with plenty of time to spare before the park closed. That night it poured, so we had gotten lucky with the great weather during the hike and not tenting!Read more