On what turned out to be the last day of good weather for quite some time, I did my first proper tramp – a chunk of the Abel Tasman Track; from Torrent Bay back down to Sandy Bay

I drove in the morning to Sandy Bay where I caught a water taxi up to Torrent Bay. It was stunning weather and we also got a bit of a tour – saw Split Apple Rock and some baby seals. I love cruising around by speed boat 🙂

Abel Tasman is also known for having golden sand, which was gorgeous. These pics really don’t show it off well, but it was lovely. I also came across some other cool things on the walk – the most exciting being mushrooms that are like the ones from children’s books! For some reason, I always thought colourful mushrooms were imaginary – nope! There are tons of “magic” mushrooms all over NZ 🙂

One part of the walk I was excited about was visiting Cleopatra’s Pool – a natural rock formation in a river that people use as a waterslide!

I got there at a good time – it was probably about an hour’s walk from the start and I was quite warm and in need of a cooling dip. I didn’t realize quite how “cool” the water was going to be! I have never been in such bracingly cold water in all my life, let alone willingly and of my own volition. I was in for less than a minute and I can now understand how men feel in cold water…But I braved it twice and am glad I did.

After spending a bit of time in the Pool, it was time to carry on; after all, there were several hours of walking ahead of me. There were lovely views and for the most part it was quite peaceful. I would wander down little side tracks and end up on the shore looking across Tasman Bay at the peaks of Queen Charlotte Sound.

About an hour after I left Cleopatra’s Pool, I ran into a group of guys who seemed to know me. I had no recollection of them, but turns out I had given them a tasting at Obsidian two months prior and had left such an impression that they recognized me straight away, bedraggled and sweaty, tramping around in Abel Tasman! Funny ol’ world, isn’t it? I must confess was nice to have company for the final stretch of the walk.

After successfully completing my first tramp, I treated myself to a cider and a good view. While the estimated 6hr walk took only a little over 4hr, I still deserved it 🙂