The finale of my New Zealand trekking adventures was meant to be a meandering coastal walk through Abel Tasman National Park, situated on the northern tip of the South Island. Meandering would insinuate “easy.”
Not so.
Combining a couple 30km days with far more climbs than one would expect from a trail that runs along the beach turned out to possibly be the most challenging hike of the whole trip. Wet feet make for blistery (and stinky) feet, and warm temperatures make for a significantly more draining experience than the previous hikes.
Moaning aside, the 3-day hike was a distinct contrast to the Alpine crossings I’d grown accustomed to. Dense forests, hidden beaches, waves crashing, tidal crossings, and star-filled skies added yet another element to New Zealand’s repertoire. The trek took some significant planning as well, due to the tidal changes of over 15 feet. Entire bays, bone dry at low tide, become impassible later on in the day, filled with water. It was really quite striking to cross nearly a kilometer across shell-filled terrain in the afternoon, only to see your path completely covered the next day, save for trail markers floating in the water across the bay. On one afternoon, a quick swim and clothes washing was in order as we waited for the tide to roll-out, like a giant drain plug was pulled somewhere off the coast.
We passed kayakers making their way from bay to bay, sunbathers soaking up the sun, and new golden sands around every (steep) hill. I think my body somehow got a hold of my brain and found out that my New Zealand hiking time was just about over, because it began to ache, bark, and give out the closer I got to the end. The final kilometer from the end of the trail to our car had to have been the hardest of my entire month on the trails!
And so, it is finished. After nearly 200 miles’ worth of trails, 5 Great Walks, countless bags of tuna and trail mix, and significantly looser pants, my New Zealand trekking is complete.
Easy as.