Whenever something occurs for the “first time” there is
always a sense of excitement and anticipation. There are anxious feelings that
stem from the steps you are taking into the unknown. It can be quite
exhilarating, but also a bit scary. My solo journey to NZ has been filled with
these feelings on and off and it will continue to occur as I adventure on. My
most recent “first time” experience was backpacking the Able Tasman Coastal
Track. It almost surprises me to think that I am 26 and still haven’t gone on a
backpacking trip in my life! I love the outdoors and have been an outdoor leader
for youth for years, but we mainly did car camping and the one time we were
self-sufficient in the wilderness was on our 4 day canoe trip. There is nothing
like carrying the weight of your survival on your back. It is such a neat
concept. In my 25lb pack, I carried my tent, sleeping bag and pad; food for 3
days, water, clothes, first aid, toothbrush, and flip flops. I initially
doubted (there’s our magical evil word!) that I would be able to carry this
amount of goods on my back for a length of time while hiking, but I definitely
surprised myself! When I initially put it one, it was a bit heavy and my
self-doubt starting flooding my mind, but after about 5 minutes of walking
around my room in it, I barely noticed it. It’s like it became a part of me. Me
and Solveig, a Swedish wwoofer at Kimi Ora, set off down the road and headed
towards the sea where the water taxi was scheduled to pick us up. Once on the
boat we headed over to Split Apple Rock (the most photographed rock in NZ) and
did a mid-sea transfer to another boat. After throwing our bags onto another
boat and jumping onboard with a new group of travelers, we set off for our
destination: Bark Bay. Once at the bay, we ate a quick lunch and then headed
through the inlet towards the track. The tricky thing about the Coastal Track
is that you have to pay attention to the tides. There are several places along
the track where you can only pass through a couple of hours on either side of
low tide. The tides are what dictate where you go and when. It also makes it
pretty exciting and different from any other hike I’ve ever done! Traversing
through the sea to get to the next leg of the track is quite fun! The water we
traversed was ankle to mid-thigh height throughout our journey.
Our next stopping point was at Awaroa Bay and it took us
about 4 hours to get there. We summited some pretty step hills and carefully
made our way down slippery slopes. The pack seemed 10lbs lighter on even
ground, but gained about 20lbs on hills. J
I am not going to lie, there were definitely times where I thought I would
never do something like this again. I was definitely being pushed physically
and mentally!
The last 20 minutes of the hike was along the Awaroa Bay
inlet and the views of the sun setting over the sea was breathtaking. Once at
the campsite, we met some nice guys named James and Danny and proceeded to set
up camp. It was nice to meet some new people on the trail and it doesn’t hurt
to have extra players for card games J.
After the boys headed to bed, another two gents were playing the guitar so I
joined in with them and sang some good tunes while gazing up at some of the
brightest stars I have ever seen.
The next morning, we had to wait until 11am until we could
cross the inlet. Danny decided to join us for the next leg of our trip and it
was fun to have him around. We walked in thigh high water for about 15 minutes,
put our shoes back on and proceeded on. Again, hills were my challenge for the
day, but little by little, I made it! Our next destination was to Mutton Cove,
a small beach campsite on the very northern point of the Abel Tasman. We passed
Totaranui where we had lunch and made the low tide crossing. We crossed over a
few beaches, which is always a fun change from walking through the bush. The
bush here is amazing! It feels like you’re in a jungle and the fern trees are
everywhere! Streams, bridges, mosses, ferns, palms, and lots of different kinds
of trees live in the National Park. It’s magical. The wildlife here is
beautiful! Lots of birds chirping, hedgehogs passing over the trail, blue
penguins in the water and seals swimming and sunbathing! Oh and I did mention
the ORCAS!? I’ll get to that later.
After about 4.5 hours of hiking on our 2nd day,
we made it to Mutton Cove where we set up camp on an amazing beach with very
little people. Between the tree swing and the wild grasses that sat between the
front door of my tent and the beach, I was in a very happy place. That night, I
suggested to Danny and Solveig that we watch the stars on the beach in our
sleeping bags. They were up for it! We huddled together to stay warm as we
watched the majestic night sky. We headed to bed around 11pm and for the 2nd
night in a row, I could not fall asleep! I don’t know if it was the discomfort
or just the stimulation of everything around me, but I found it hard to sleep.
Luckily, my body performed beyond what I expected and it didn’t really affect
my ability to hike and carry the weight.
The next morning we woke up to watch the unbelievable
sunrise. It was slow and every few seconds the red, pink, yellow and orange
colors would change their hues. Remarkable. I think we should all watch a few
more sunrises! They really start your day of right. In that moment, I felt at
complete peace and thanked God for all that He has blessed me with on the trip.
It was in His strength that I could accomplish this challenge on such little
sleep.
That morning, we decided to hike up to Seperation Point
which is the most Northern point in the Tasman. We witnessed seals swimming and
sunning and enjoyed the view from the lighthouse.
After returning to our campsite to pack, we began talking
with the DOC ranger about Orcas in the Tasman. He said they only come 2-3 times
a year and it would be a rare chance for us to see them. Well 5 seconds after talking
to him, I turned around and guess what!! I saw 4 orca fins come up out of the
water!! AMAZING!!!! On our trek back to Totaranui to catch the water taxi, we
kept spotting them in the blue waters coming up for air. So special.
We finally made it back to Kaiteriteri beach where we had
started and were so pleased with the journey we had just completed. I will
definitely backpack again in the future and have learned a few things about
what to pack. I find that weight is the most crucial part of the trek and in
order to streamline it, proper backpacking gear is helpful as well as
pre-cooked food like pasta that is lighter to carry along with your mini camp stove.
All in all, this trip was unforgettable.
What are some places that you’ve been backpacking?
What was the most challenging part of the journey for you?
What three tips would you offer me and others who want to
get into the backpacking world?
Cheers!
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