Awesome Abel Tasman !
Saturday 1 March
Geoff, Nick, Ralph and I hopped into the car for a drive down to the beach and a swim, then it was a quick lunch at the Boat Shed, before we dropped Geoff off at the Marina with the laundry, and us three went to do the second humongous supermarket shop of the week. So many groceries and drinks, it was all go and at one point I was losing the will to live wandering up and down the aisles trying to find everything. All done, shuvved in the car and back to the Marina where Kate and the boys had arrived and it was bloody mayhem, with what seemed like fifty shopping bags sprawled across the salon floor, the contents of which we had to find space for. Fortunately, this boat has been beautifully designed, and every available nook and cranny configured for storage, so we found a home for everything.
All sorted by 5pm and then we were off to explore the beautiful Abel Tasman National Park region again. Abel Janszoon Tasman was a Dutch seafarer and explorer and best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 when he was with the Dutch East India Company. He was the first European to discover the west coast of New Zealand, which he named Staten Landt, but later renamed Nieuw Zeeland after the Dutch province of Zeeland. Back up to the lovely anchorage which is sheltered by Adele Island, we settled in for the night and were happy to relax and take it easy – it had been an extremely full-on day!
Sunday 2 March
Anchor up and a little further north into Torrent Bay where the boys were ecstatic to spot the diving pontoon just waiting for them to tackle, they couldn’t wait to get over to it, so Geoff anchored close to it and off they all went, with scaredy-cat me staying on board to be the official photographer! And then it was into the dinghy and across the bay to the Torrent River, the wind had picked up and it was a choppy ride over Admiralty Bay which I wasn’t too thrilled about, but we made it, slightly wet, and the scenery around the river entrance was unbelievably beautiful. The colours of the sea around here are stunning shades of turquoise – almost like being back in Tahiti. This truly is a coastal paradise with its blue seas, golden sandy beaches, crystal clear streams with mossy valleys down to the ocean and granite and marble formations which fringe the headlands all of which are cloaked in native forest. No wonder so many keen international hikers have this place on their bucket list!
We tied the dinghy up to a tree and made our way over the very cool new Kākāwera suspension bridge which only opened on 5 November last year, the previous one having been left unusable by a slip in August 2022 only ten people allowed on at a time. Our destination was Cleopatra’s Pools, a series of natural rockpools at the base of the Torrent River. Wow! What a sight greeted us with boulders, rocks, waterfalls and a natural moss-lined chute. Geoff and I did a bit of boulder-hopping and sat on the rocks and watched the hardy souls who braved the pristine, chilly waters and chute, they were all certainly having a great time!
Then it was back to the dinghy and oh oh…. the tide had completely gone out leaving the dinghy sitting high and dry amongst a load of driftwood! Nothing for it, we all flexed our muscles and lifted it up over all the wood and branches and carried it down the river back to where the water was, and pushed it along until it was deep enough for us to hop in. The water around the estuary was very rough and tidal and Nick did a great job negotiating us out and back into the bay to the boat. And I have to say, I was happy to be out of that dinghy and back on Salanjo, sadly I have no still photos of myself on this ride and I can’t post videos, so you have missed out on seeing an hilarious film of me once again, clinging on!
Back to Tonga Bay where we dropped the family off and they walked over Awaroa Head to the other side whilst we cruised around to meet them and anchor for the night in Awaroa Bay
Monday 3 March
We had a fabulous walk this morning around Tonga Bay. We started at Awaroa Lodge and took the steep route up - good for the heart rate and the steps - and what a view from the top – Salanjo, looking very majestic, and the only boat, in the bay, and then we took the easier, but longer route back. Lots of hikers speaking in plenty of different languages, most of them with their trekking poles and in full hiking gear whilst we passed them with no poles and wearing crocs! We certainly earned our coffee on the terrace of Awaroa Lodge on the way back to the boat. Magnificent scenery - yes, I know I keep saying this, but we are so fortunate to live in this stunningly beautiful, scenic country with its incredible native wildlife.
We took the boat across to the other side of the bay so the kids could enjoy being on the tidal river mouth of the Awaroa River and muck about on the sandy banks before the tide came back in, and also have some fun being pulled along on the paddleboard by the dinghy! And that was it! Thank you very much Abel Tasman, our time here has come to an end and we’ve enjoyed every minute. As I am writing this we are currently sailing, yes – sails up, which hasn’t happened a lot lately, en route back to our old friends at d’Urville Island. Blimey it got very rough out there and there was a bucket needed on the deck! Hit 16.5 knots a few times and there were plenty of big 4-to-4.5-metre waves – the only highlight for me was the arrival of a huge pod of dolphins which were breaching and frolicking in the waves around the boat as we neared Greville Harbour on d’Urville Island. It got gloomier and gloomier and by the time we anchored in what was quite a roll in the bay, it was hosing down. A few sickly people around in the cabin so it was a quick dinner for those who felt like it and then an early night all round!
Tuesday 4 March
Geoff was keen to show the family the beautiful Pelorus Sounds so we carried on despite the very miserable weather and at one point were rewarded with a fabulous rainbow, not often you see a rainbow complete from end to end. We finally anchored in a pretty sheltered spot in Grant Bay where we could feel a gentle rocking whilst seeing all the white caps a bit further out
Wednesday 5 March
You just never know what is around the corner and I have had to make a quick dash back to Auckland. Not easy when you are anchored in a bay in the middle of the Pelorous Sounds, miles from anywhere. Geoff was onto it though, after lots of phone calls, including trying to get me on the mail boat which unfortunately I had missed by about an hour, he booked me a private water taxi. And that’s another story…..more to come!