Today we hiked in Abel Tasman National Park. The A. T. Sea Shuttle picked us up from the
hostel in a van to take us to their water taxi at the beach at Kaiteriteri. We rode the
boat to Torrent Bay, hiked the coastal trail back to Marahau, and caught a bus back to the
hostel.
(Cost: $22 for van/water taxi plus $9 for the bus.)
This is another view of the beach at Kaiteriteri.
You pass Split Apple rock shortly after the boat leaves the beach.
After slowing at Split Apple rock for a photo opportunity the shuttle speeds up for
the rest of the way.
It was low tide and we had to wade ashore from the boat at Torrent Bay. Here's Sue
drying her feet before we start the hike.
We took the path that skirts around the edge of the bay.
There's a path that takes a shortcut across the flats that is only available at low tide.
The Sea Shuttle flyer claimed it is a four-hour hike but it took us about six and a
half hours including a half-hour side trip to Cleopatra Pool, shown here.
Fortunately it is not a challenging hike and the stunning scenery made it all worthwhile.
The weather was cool and partly cloudy.
You're looking at those rocks through a foot or two of water. It really is that clear.
Kayaking is popular in NZ.
An English couple out birdwatching told us that that's a stiltwalker.
After returning to the hostel (see Sue's photo at left), we went to a store in Motueka
and bought bread, Weet Bix, and bananas. Dinner was excellent at the Mooring restaurant.
After dinner we wandered around town for awhile. We stopped in a "Warehouse" store and
bought greenstone jewelry for Mom and my niece Anna for Christmas. We talked with a
young English couple at the hostel.