Saturday 11th February
Back on wi-fi and sitting here in Marahau on the Abel Tasman National Park. Our lodge apartment, called 'Tango' has the sea one side (see picture) and the back veranda is in forest. The cacophony of crickets is like tinnitus turned up to 11. You will have needed to watch Spinal Tap for that last bit - it also ages me!
Back to Friday. At 07:40 we were on a jetty waiting to embark - the weather was dry, windless, but cold. The Queen Charlotte Sound is quite stunning and it was a picture in the eary morn. It was a little disconcerting that we were the only folk (out of about 20) that got off at Torea Bay. The skipper told us to go up the road and turn left. OF1 set off up a one in three road like Ussain Bolt leaving me asthmatically wheezing for England. At the saddle we met the track. We were a tad disconcerted to read that our destination was eight hours walk away and we only had six and a half before the boat back to Picton. The first hour was steeply uphill on the ridge. However, I was warmed up now and set a steady pace up a track that was very much like an English footpath underfoot with lovely forest of giant ferns and trees. Every so often there was a view point where one could gaze at the dark blue-green water with forested hills behind with the occasional cove and beach with sometimes a 'batch' (small beach hut /house/shed used at weekends and holidays). The track continued to offer us superb views all day. The first hour was uphill until we reached the high point of 407m - time for a water break. On this first 8km stretch we saw a handful of other walkers. We had started with four Dutch walkers and we leapfrogged each other throughout the day. The track is best described as undulating as it wound it's way along the ridge, down to a saddle and then back up again. At the half way point (in time) we found that we had taken three hours to complete the four hour section - there is life in old dogs yet! With a feeling of superiority we set forth to tackle the next section of 12.5 km. Lunch was taken overlooking the Queen Charlotte Sound and a brief talk to our Dutch fellow walkers. The afternoon's walk was an old bridle track that clung to the steep hillside through lovely beech and fern forest. It was not far in a straight line but the narrow track followed every inlet and promontory. Towards the end I heard a loud commotion down by the shore. This turned out to be several nests of Spotted Shag. I think we would call them Cormorants - we managed a couple of good photos. On the last section there were a few more walkers and the occasional mountain bike (it is an advanced/intermediate track) but for a lovely summer's day there were few folk around. As we completed our 21km I thought I saw a cafe caravan glistening between gaps in the beech trees - probably a mirage sent to torture the weary, hot, walker? But no....It WAS a little cafe! We sat by the jetty with coffees and cold drinks and were joined by our dutch friends. One of them, it turned out, was a football coach and used to take the Dutch U13 side. He has coached many famous names such as Argen Robben. His great mate is Andries Jonker the academy coach at Arsenal and he comes over to London to watch football with him. He told us the the atmosphere in the English grounds is always the best in the world. He also added that he cannot believe how old fashioned our stadiums are and some are even in the middle of terraced housing! What a lovely bloke.
Our water taxi arrived and in Picton we hacked off the sweat, grime and factor 50+ under a shower before setting off to see Steve and family near Nelson. I was pleased that OF1 managed to distinguish between the open doorway and the window this time...
Steve, Helen and Sylvie live in the hills about 15 minutes away from Nelson. It is an enormous house with 5 acres of land. They bought it complete with four sheep, four chooks (hens in the Queen's English), one rooster (cockerel, your majesty) and two parrots! Despite only moving in three weeks ago they have made it very homely but have major plans to change it.
Dinner was delicious fish and chips but with a twist. We went to a pub that sold lots of local beers and ciders (including berry cider!) We then went to the chippie next door and they came in and served it to us in the pub! This despite the pub having it's own menu. Strange.
Today we went with Steve et al to Nelson where we strolled round the highly recommended market. It was brilliant - better than Devizes market or any of the large French or Spanish ones I love so much. All the stalls were local folk selling their craft, food or other goods. It was not cheap clothes but individually crafted clothes alongside painters, toy makers, jewelers, artisan breads, etc.
We then travelled the short distance to the Abel Tasman Park and stopped at a beach (see other picture) of which there are many. Our accommodation is, yet again, excellent with the added bonus that the manager built it himself. We are currently waiting for darkness to fall as there are glowworms in a mini-gorge and stream outside our apartment which you cross by bridge.
Tomorrow is an exciting day as we start our two day hike and staying on a floating hostel - the aquapacker. All will be revealed in the next blog on our return......
No comments:
Post a Comment