New Zealand is a beautiful country.

At the northern tip of South Island is one of the country’s most popular national parks – Abel Tasman. It’s known for its pretty mild weather which allows year-round visitors to indulge in activities like sea kayaking, horseback riding, and walking its famous coastal walk.

It was the almost-summer time of October when I headed out to Abel Tasman for a few days of fun in the sun. It was part of a 9-day Top of the South trip – a roadtrip that started in Hanmer Springs, passing through Murchison and St. Arnaud, Nelson, Abel Tasman, Kaikoura, and ending in Christchurch.

The few days in Abel Tasman National Park was a retreat from urban living. It was relaxing, without any schedule. Just slow-paced walks through the park, sea kayaking, and horseback riding.

October is not high season. Moutueka, one of the closest towns to the park entry, only has one general store. Only one restaurant was open.

Abel Tasman National Park, named after the Dutch explorer, is beautiful. The beaches are golden and soft. The water is crystal and sparkling. Both land and sea are teeming with wildlife – from blue penguins and fur seals to bell birds and hares. Flora like the famous silver fern and wondrous mushrooms. New Zealand is home to nearly 200 different varieties of fern.

While the park provides huts, campsites, and lodges, Ocean View Chalets was the home base. Nestled in the hillside, these cozy accommodations overlook the waters. The back cabin windows looked into trees and it was a great photo op for closeups of different ferns.

Hiking

The Abel Tasman Coastal Track is just over 40km and runs between Marahau and Totaranui. You can walk the entire trail in a few days. You can also check out the side tracks that take you to beaches, pools, and vistas. Or you can go for day hikes. Lots of options.

If you do stay in the park, your luggage gets to the huts via water taxis so you only need to take your backpack on your walk to the lodgings, if you like. Or you can go with the luggage on the water taxi.

The famous coastal walk was day one’s exploration. It was low tide and the sandbars were exposed. People were riding in the distance. The scenery was like a painting.

It was beautiful on the walk, with lots to see. At one point, I felt like I was being followed. And I was, by a black hare. He would jump off into the bushes that line the trail here and there and then he would start to follow again. He hopped quite closely behind and to see what would happen, I left my water bottle and walking stick on the ground. While keeping an eye on me, and my camera, the beautiful and curious bunny sniffed at the bottle, unafraid of the objects.

Sea Kayaking

Day two was a half-day sea kayaking trip out to the islands. Before setting out, our guides set everyone up with life jackets, a dry suit, and instructions of how-to.

Dressed in light thermals with boarding shorts and layers, I readied my kayak by strapping in my water bottle, the dry bag that had my camera, and sunscreen.

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It was a great day for sea kayaking. The group left the shores and slowly moved in a loose formation. As we kayaked around the tip, we spotted fur seals sunning on the rocks. In the distance, among splashes of water, we also saw dolphins.

Soon, a lone penguin popped up. It swam right by my kayak. I could almost reach out and touch this little blue penguin. Knowing better than to touch him, I watched as he swam with us for some time before he disappeared again into the ocean.

Our half-day trip ended with lunch on the beach. The guide prepared it and, sitting on a log in the sun to dry off, we happily ate our sandwiches. Tired and slightly tanned. Some people continued on for the remainder of their full-day trip. Gathering up my gear, I headed into the woods through the trails, to the pick-up location. Before my stop, the water taxi had also picked up and dropped off campers and their packs along the way.