happiness abounds: nz day 9: abel tasman adventure ends

On day 9, we finally finished our outdoor adventure in Abel Tasman National Park and spent the night recovering in Nelson.

Nathan's journal entry: "The last day at Abel Tasman was some hard hiking because of the extra equipment and hurting feet, but it was much better than the previous day's walk. I got one sleeping bag attached to Kristin's pack, and I counter-balanced the Santa sack with the wet clothes for an easier time carrying them. We got around early and had a good hike. We made it to the pick-up point over four hours early and caught the first water taxi back. We were ready to be done! But, despite all the problems, Abel Tasman is gorgeous!"

This is our low water crossing for the day. The boat was sailed in during high tide and then became beached during low tide.

Nathan with the Santa sack, getting ready to cross the large tidal inlet.

This is from the middle of our crossing.

Looking down into the water that we were wading through. There were shells everywhere!

The little crabs tried to blend in with the plants when they weren't chasing us.

Kristin's journal entry: "On the final day we hiked to Totaranui, which was a much shorter walk than we had originally thought (thank goodness). The hike was gorgeous - it went through lots of forest and had some terrific views. At one point, I had to go to the bathroom, so we ended up finding a secluded alcove on the beach for me to strip naked and go (I was wearing my one piece bathing suit). We also had to cross a really large inlet with water up to our knees. We liked watching the thousands of crabs. Some chased us, and we chased a lot more. There were also some nesting birds that tried to attack us when we got too close."

Spirits are high as we tramp through the forest.

Wood from the trunk of a fern tree - the cool pattern occurs naturally.

Look for kayakers and swimmers among the rocks. (Click on the picture to see a larger view.)

This was the strangest stream...the water ran red!

Kristin's journal entry: "Even though we weren't scheduled to be picked up until 3:15, we made it to the beach in time for the first water taxi at 10:45. I was so excited that I ran to meet it (despite raw feet and lots of gear). After being dropped off at our car, we went to McDonalds and then back to Nelson."

Looking back on the beach from the water taxi.

Nathan is enjoying the ride...the hiking is done!

That is Arch Point. It would have been great to stop off there, but there wasn't much space at high tide.

After a quick lunch at McDonalds (we ordered burgers that don't appear on the American menu), we drove back to Nelson for some much needed rest and relaxation. This hotel was one of our absolute favorites!

Kristin's journal entry: "We checked into Century Park Motor Lodge (amazing place with kitchenette and spa bath). We took a shower, sat around, sat some more, and then went for a walk around city center. We saw the "one ring" at Jens Hensen's jewelry, looked inside the amazingly pretty cathedral, bought some toys for Jared and Ethan, and then ate a delicious dinner at the Lone Star Cafe. I had steak with blue cheese and vodka sauce, sauteed spinach, and horseradish potatoes au gratin. Nathan had a stuffed chicken breast, and we got lemon meringue pie with a cookie crust for dessert. We went back to the hotel to do laundry and watch TV, and then we slept in the 'most comfortable beds in New Zealand'! I couldn't sleep well, but Nathan was out."

Inside our hotel suite. Their beds are famous for being the "most comfortable" in the country.

The kitchenette, complete with dishwasher!

Spa bath!!!

TV and snazzy radio/boom box system.

After chilling in our hotel room for a while, we walked around the town to see some of the sights. Our first stop was Jens Hansen - the jeweler who made the rings for the Lord of the Rings.