Abel Tasman
We cruise in comfort into the heart of the Park from picturesque Kaiteriteri. It’s a great way to take in the astounding scenery, bird life and water creatures, such as fur seals and dolphins.
The sea shuttle takes us right to the very doorstep of our home for the next 2 nights – the Cederman holiday home right on the beach in Awaroa.
The Abel Tasman National Park, named after Dutch seafarer Abel Tasman who came here in 1642, is rightly famous for its the golden sandy beaches, fascinating rocky outcrops and rich, unmodified river estuaries. On our walks, we see forest birds such as tui, bellbirds, pukeko, fantails along with an array of seabirds.
Our guide provides stories about Maori occupation for the last 500 years and subsequent European settlement. We hear about the founding of the park in the 1940’s due to concern regarding the extensive granite quarrying and logging of native timber.
There is a rich variety of plants in the Park together with regenerating native beech forest. Again, our guide is a valuable source of botanical information.
Our final day in the Abel Tasman sees us walk to Mutton Cove and on to the fascinating early Maori settlement of Taupo. Our transport awaits us at northern end of the Park at Wainui Inlet just past the spectacular Wainui Falls.