New Zealand
Richardson Stream

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    • Day 15–18

      Awaroa

      March 10 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

      Die ersten drei Tage auf der Südinsel verbringen wir an dem für mich schönsten Ort Neuseelands: Awaroa! Hier habe ich fast zwei Jahre lang in der gleichnamigen Lodge gelebt und gearbeitet. Awaroa liegt inmitten des Abel Tasman National Parks und ist nur per Boot, Flugzeug/Helikopter oder zu Fuß zu erreichen. Wir entscheiden uns für die Anreise per Boot inkl. einem kurzem Stopp bei einer Robbenkolonie und freuen uns auf Idylle pur. Vor Ort treffe ich auf einen alten Bekannten - Josh. Er ist bereits seit acht Jahren dort und bietet Kajakausflüge an. Wir schwelgen ein wenig in Erinnerungen und er lädt mich auf eine Kajaktour ein. Außerdem können wir Moritz für eine weitere kleine Wanderung begeistern. Die restliche Zeit verbringen wir größtenteils am Strand mit Muscheln sammeln, sonnenbaden und ganz viel Entspannung. Es war unglaublich schön, nach so langer Zeit wieder hier zu sein!Read more

    • Day 7

      Hard walking, beautiful vistas

      October 12, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

      We are now resigned to the fact that this track is a demanding bush walk! And we worked very hard today, climbing up headlands and down again and continuing…the saving grace of course is the amazing and stunning scenery, and the perfect weather. Today our water taxi ride took us to Torrent Bay, near where we walked from going south on the first day back to our lodging, but today we headed north and walked to our new lodging, the Awaroa Lodge. This is another very nice accommodation set in the wilderness…we have wifi, but no phone reception.

      My watch says that I walked 21 kms, which includes walking down to the water taxi etc, but the actual walk was quite long…(officially about 14 kms or so I think). Carole and John got another water taxi that took them to a beach a shortish distance from our new home, and waited and relaxed there till we turned up! A good arrangement, but we had crossed wires about the beach as they had mentioned Tonga beach, which when we got there was a delightful tiny place but deserted…we were happy to wait for a while in case they appeared as we had been working hard …got there about 2.40 and waited till 3, then set off again, climbed another huge ascent, and down to the next beach which was bigger, with campsites etc, and people here and there…and of course that was where C and J were waiting…that was the water taxi stop, not the other tiny one which made sense…anyway, all was well and we set off together for the final leg to our lodging!

      And fortunately this last hill and descent was the kindest of the day, so no problem for C and J, and we walked to our new home, where we stay for 2 nights. All meals included here, and we are just back from lovely dinner, and have eyed out what we may have tomorrow! The walk tomorrow is from a stop further north back to here, not all that far, and with many optional extra side walks…at the moment I think we will just do the basic part and relax!!

      Will put up some of the pictures from today…they are repetitive of crystal clear turquoise water through trees and pristine beaches! But just amazing when you are walking through it and encounter these treats…
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    • Day 8

      Last really beautiful walking day

      October 13, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

      Today was our last day of walking, and now we have completed all the segments of the Abel Tasman track. And I think today was maybe the most enjoyable - the walking was a little easier (only one huge up and down!), we had a new experience - walking across an estuary at low tide - and knowing it was the last walk we were up for anything! The scenery was of course spectacular and the good weather continued. We are so lucky, as next week they are preparing for a change and wind and rain!

      Had a relaxing start, as we were booked for the 10.30 water taxi, to work in with the tides. Carole and John were not walking today. They had a wonderful time kayaking round the bays in these pristine waters. We have such a comfortable arrangement with them, and we all enjoy doing our own thing, and meeting up after and hearing all about it.

      So we were taken again to Taratanui but this time we walked south back to Awaroa where we are here in the Awaroa Lodge. Our instructions which sounded always so complicated when we first read them all make sense when we are actually doing them. We walked south, over one first high headland to a lovely deserted beach, found the orange marker bolted to a rock, clambered up rocks to a boardwalk and went up and down to a second perfect beach where we sat on a log, relaxed, ate a bit of lunch. It was so beautiful that Amr went into the water - just a quick bracing dip, bare from the waist down as he didn’t want wet underpants, but it is so lovely to be so uncrowded! We are just before the high season when there are so many people - at Taratanui apparently they can accommodate 1000 campers!! We rarely meet people on the track, and it is very peaceful!

      We were in no hurry as low tide today was 4pm, and you can cross the estuary 2 hours either side of that, but the closer to 4 the better - shallower water to wade through. We followed the track to the point where you cross and saw the marker on the other side - about a kilometre across. It was just after 2, but we saw some people venturing across. When they arrived at our side they said it was about waist deep but they needed to be quick to catch a ferry! So we waited, and others arrived and waited, relaxing and reading in a very pleasant shady area. At about 3 o’clock more people crossed and it looked much easier so we took off shoes and socks, I put on my tevas which I had brought for this occasion, and we set off. A fun new experience for us. Part of the way was wet but completely drained, others had little streams flowing through but by now not deep..I think the deepest we got was mid calf. Was glad of the sandals though as there were shells which would have been uncomfortable, though quite a few people had bare feet. Anyway, we made it, washed off our feet at the hut and made our way round the other side of the estuary to our beach and back to the lodge. A great day!

      Sort of repacked as tomorrow we get the water taxi and car shuttle back to Nelson, say farewell to C and J, who go direct to the airport, and spend a night in Nelson before getting the ferry to Wellington and meeting Rae and Jim on Sunday! After the rocky start, all is going smoothly, and it doesn’t matter if it is rainy and unpleasant weather in Wellington as we will be with friends, not out walking!
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    • Day 54

      Awaroa Lodge, Abel Tasman Track

      February 26, 2019 in New Zealand

      Der Track ist einfach genial. Ein Traumstrand reiht sich an den nächsten... und den Split Apple Rock kennt ihr vielleicht als Bildschirmschoner.
      Nach 3 Tagesetappen in 2 Tagen und einer eher rustikalen Nacht in der Bark Bay Hut lassen wir es uns jetzt in der Awaroa Lodge richtig gut gehen, bevor es morgen nach einer letzten Etappe nach Motueka zurückgeht.Read more

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    Richardson Stream

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