We had planned to stop a while in Nelson for a look or even tasting at a winery, but we had lost time with the van trouble again and had to choose, so continued through to Marahau at the entrance of Abel Tasman National Park where we camped at Old Macdonald’s Farm.
Time was marching on so we had to also, leaving at 4.00 to walk as far as we could into the park and return before dark. The tide was out a long way in the estuary as we started out …
… but we reached the shady woodland track that hugs the coast and round the first couple of bends we could saw Porters Beach.
The day had been overcast, but the sky cleared and we had some lovely evening sunshine breaking through as we reached Coquille Bay.
We had been walking about an hour, but some walkers coming towards us suggested we pressed on to Apple Tree Bay, another 30 minutes, so we did, although it seemed ages from the first glimpse of the bay before the path gave an option to descend! We sat and ate our apples then returned, getting back around 7.00, so making better time than the sign predicted and very pleased with our achievement, which felt, Chris said, like a tramp, even if it wasn’t really! The real trampers take their stuff with them, walk 50km each way and camp on the beaches!
Moving on in the morning, across to the west coast.
Off Travelling Together 