On The Sea Shuttle... Kaiteriteri To Totoranui

 Seeing I couldn't walk the Abel Tasman Track just now,

for various reasons... I decided the Sea Shuttle would

be the next best way to have a look.

This service will take you there and back or drop you off

to walk part way and be picked up again.

 Leaving Kaiteriteri behind...

 The colour of the sea was amazing...

 Split Apple Rock... Made of granite the cleft to produce two sides

of the 'apple' was a natural occurance...

 Anchorage... Torrent Bay... This is the DoC Rangers house.

I was impressed to learn that it is completely powered by 

the solar panels you can see...

 It was blissful, cruising along this beautiful coastline

visiting all the little bays.

 Kayakers pottering around... You can kayak the whole track...

 All these beaches are part of the 'track'. I have walked

bits of it over the years but never as a whole walk.

Maybe next spring before it gets too hot and too

many tourists...

 Awaroa and the inlet into the huge estuary...

 Some of the privately owned land and houses that can still

be bought and sold in the Abel Tasman National Park...

There is a very upmarket lodge here - Peppers... To dine or stay.

 Another camp site here... Behind the trees...

Amazing rock formations, you can kayak right through

the biggest hole.

 This is Bark Bay... A privately owned house on leasehold land

that won't be renewed. Bark Bay is so named because

the first people to live here gathered the bark of the Black Beech 

trees processed it for the tanin and used it for waterproofing...

 We stopped here to pick up walkers and kayakers...

All people and gear were loaded on board... It's

a great service...

It was getting dark... And cold... Time to go home...

Kaiteriteri... Place of Golden Sands...

 This was the view out the front windows of my bus this morning...

As soon as the sun came over the hill.

 It was a brilliant day.

 Kaiteriteri beach as I set off for a walk about mid-day.

 Blue and golden...

 Just like all the post cards.

 At the south end of the beach is an estuary...

Treacherously rapid volumes of water run under the bridge

that I am standing on...

Along the side of the hill... There are signs warning of the

tide and fast currents...

 Out to sea... Only to return when the tide changes!

 I walked over the hill to Little Kaiteriteri... 

To the south and Torlesse Rock...

 And to the north and Kaka Island.

 It's a beautiful beach... A lot of housing

development... Mostly holiday houses...
Basking in all day sun.

 Everywhere I went there were these signs...

'No Overnight Staying'.

It was the same in Marahau... Not at all welcoming

for self contained vehicles.

 Back on the main beach. The whole area is Kaiteriteri Bay...

According to my map.

The tides out... Boats are coming in...

The afternoon is ending and shadows lengthening...

Time to wander home to my bus.

I sat on the wall on the beach till the sun went

down behind the hills... At 4.30pm...

It was cold again and the beach deserted...

And the pale colours of the waning light.

Time to go and light my fire... It's dark at 5.30pm.

Abel Tasman Track... Beautiful But Cold!

 A perfect day as I set off on my walk...

 Over the first bridge and I left the information kiosk behind.

 The tide was in...

 Absolutely beautiful... But cold!

 There are three of these bridges...

 Over the tidal estuary.

 The track is very well maintained.

 The surface is sand so not at all slippery to walk on.

 Everything was well signposted...

 A deserted beach... Lots of footprints but no one there.

 The track follows the edge  of the coast line. Up a few

gentle hills with glimpses of the sea...

 And onto the next point of interest.

 A magnificent South Island Black Beech.

 And here was my destination for the day.

 Left over the bridge goes to a flat grassy camping area...

 Turn right and the track goes to Tinline Beach.

I had planned to sit in the sun and have lunch here

but it was wet and stony and in the shade so far too cold.

The temperature in the shade was about 5 deg. My breath

made foggy huffs. Lots of the track was in the shade but

in the sun was beautiful... About 10deg and I needed lots of

warm clothes on.

 So I beat a hasty retreat back the way I had come...

 Back to Porters Beach... In the sun.

I sat on this log in the sun and ate my lunch

as the tide disappeared and left large sandy flats.

 Homeward bound... Back to the three bridges...

My bus way over there... In the distance.

Beautiful golden sandy flats...

And I was home to a hot cup of tea
and to light my fire.