Birgit im Abenteuerland ...

Day 35 – 37 (20. – 22.2.2013): Kayaking the Abel Tasman National Park

To describe my last 3-day trip to the Abel Tasman someone needs to define a new word, let me put it in Lin’s words: it was darn right fabulous!

I went with Abel Tasman Kayaks www.abeltasmankayaks.co.nz - this company is great, would strongly recommend them.

Day 1: from Marahau to Totaranui to Onetahuti

First we got all our gear, tent, mats, sleeping bag, dry bags, spray skirt and jacket and were paired up and given a double kayak. These kayaks are called “Sea Bear Packhorse” and are made of fiberglass – amazing lightweight and when loaded once you get them going the gain nice momentum J and those where the most comfy kayaks I ever sat in. Our guide Callum told us these are the best kayaks you can buy in New Zealand – and they were good!

I was paired with Stephen, a brit living in NZ who travelled with his 2 sons visiting – lucky me he is a very good kayaker, about 20yrs ago he used to compete in kayak races of up to 100km. 2^nd boat where his sons, 3^rd boat a German couple and 4^th another German girl and our guide Callum.

Actually something I found really funny on our first visit to Marahau how the drive round the water taxi boats on trailers with tractors. And now we were sitting in such a construction too. On the beach also our kayaks were loaded on the back of the aquataxi … and off we go from Marahau to Totaranui (same place I started my walk with Lin yesterday).

In Totaranui we first had a gourmet lunch before we hit the water for some awesome but also rather exhausting kayaking. We’ve been on the water for a good 5hrs, exploring the park from the water, discovering little lagoons in one we found a stingray who swam in like 30cm of water underneath our kayaks – awesome. We kayaked along the coastline south to Onetahuti where we camped the first night. I learned how to set up a tent (and even was able to do it completely by myself the next day J )