On Monday we drove north to board our aqua taxi which would take us and a guide into Abel Tasman National Park. Abel Tasman, along with Tasman Bay here in Nelson and the Tasman Sea between here and Australia, is named for a Dutch explorer. Lore has it that one night Abel found of his crewmen missing. Seems they had annoyed the local Maori and were being served for dinner one evening. Abel left town.
We drove to Kaiteriteri which is where we thought our taxi sailed from. There was a nice booth but nobody there. We called and found out we needed to go down the road another 9km. As we were the only customers for the 1:30 sailing, not a problem if we were late.
We checked in at Marahau, the correct location, had a bite to eat and met our 1/2
Maori guid
e, KP.
We drove to Kaiteriteri which is where we thought our taxi sailed from. There was a nice booth but nobody there. We called and found out we needed to go down the road another 9km. As we were the only customers for the 1:30 sailing, not a problem if we were late.
We checked in at Marahau, the correct location, had a bite to eat and met our 1/2
Maori guid
e, KP. It was a warm windy day, and the sea was a bit rough. We traveled north for about 30 minutes. Our taxi driver deftly backed the taxi up to the beach. Off with the shoes and up with the pant legs and we were on Awaroa Beach. KP took us for a 45 minute walk, telling us about the Maori, the settlements that used to be where we stood and about the local flora. Lots of ferns and fern trees again. Some palm trees and tall 
black beech trees.
black beech trees. We came on a beautiful small waterfall with a crystal clear pool at it's base. So clear that in the picture I took you could not tell there was any water, it just looks like sand.
We finished our walk at Tonga Island beach where we waited for our return aqua taxi.
We finished our walk at Tonga Island beach where we waited for our return aqua taxi.
The sea was a brilliant blue green, the sands a golden brown. The beach was deserted, just the 3 of us. Our taxi pulled up, off with the shoes, up with the pant legs again. This time there were other customers on the boat. Backpackers are dropped off and picked up at various beaches in the 
park.
They have a unique way of transporting customers to/from the base at Marahau to the sea. You board the boat on land at the taxi company's office. The boat is on a trailer and is then pulled by a Ford farm tractor to the sea, driving down the beach till he finds a place deep enough to release the boat. Same returning. The tractor goes into the bay, about 1/2 way up it's wheels and the boat sails right onto the trailer. The tractor takes us down the street to the taxi office.
A short drive back to the lodge and we joined our hosts for wine and nibbles and brief but interesting discussion about American politics. Then off to Mapua for dinner at the Smokehouse, on the water.
Today's observation:
They drive on the left here. Fortunately, we do too!
park.They have a unique way of transporting customers to/from the base at Marahau to the sea. You board the boat on land at the taxi company's office. The boat is on a trailer and is then pulled by a Ford farm tractor to the sea, driving down the beach till he finds a place deep enough to release the boat. Same returning. The tractor goes into the bay, about 1/2 way up it's wheels and the boat sails right onto the trailer. The tractor takes us down the street to the taxi office.
A short drive back to the lodge and we joined our hosts for wine and nibbles and brief but interesting discussion about American politics. Then off to Mapua for dinner at the Smokehouse, on the water.
Today's observation:
They drive on the left here. Fortunately, we do too!
Chocolate pudding is not pudding. Discuss
2 comments:
Is Chocolate pudding the same as blood pudding?
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