Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand

From Nelson, a kooky bus driver took me out to the Abel Tasman National Park at 07:30, telling his bitter tales of changes to the countryside in recent years over the intercom. A few fours later, I was tramping through the beginning bits of the park. The beaches and views of the ocean are quite impressive with the water an aqua blue and the coastline quite dramatic. And so much changes with the tides! Look at these pictures taken in about the same place 8 hours apart:

Walking along, the landscape along the path kept alternating between lush temperate rainforest and semi-arid coastal environments, as if it couldn't make up its mind between the two. The first night, I stayed at one of the huts the Kiwi Department of Conservation set up along the way (that way I didn't have to carry a tent). They fit 10 people side by side on twin mattresses on top of giant bunks. Hardly luxury, but I survived. The next day's walk was nearly twice as long but had better views and better beaches to enjoy. I stayed at another hut, this one blessedly less crowded. All in all, I walked 26 miles and the unique landscape and spectacular views made it totally worth it. After another night, I was picked up by an "Aqua Taxi" that took me back into town, stopping for pictures of coves, penguins, and seals. Here are a few more photos:

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Details:
From Nelson, the bus to Marahau (Intercity, $11) starts picking people up at Paradiso at 07:15 and makes its rounds to many places of accommodation around the city. The bus drops off most people a little bit away from Marahau for the boat trip start point. There is a pause to buy your water taxi ticket back to Marahau if you still need to, which I did ($24). The stand in Marahau is a few blocks away from the bus drop off point. The bus continues to Marahau and drops you off right at the trail head. If you plan to stay in the DOC huts, make sure you book far in advance (at least 1 month). Don't expect much either, but it will cost about $17/30NZD per night. There are many tidal crossings at Abel Tasman so take care to consult the map and the tide timetables. I stayed at Anchorage the first night, though I could have easily made it to Bark Bay. The second night, I stayed at Awaroa, which seems to be a pretty good stopping point. There is an expensive, but nice, hotel/cafe/restaurant close by as well. Also, it seems as though if it isn't during the highest part of the high season, there is a lot of flexibility with which bus and taxi you can take, despite what your ticket says.