Abel Tasman, 2018, 1

One of the world's great treks is the Abel Tasman "Great Walk," which we did in 2009, all the way from Marahau to Whariwharangi, and again, less happily, in 2014, from Marahau to Totaranui. For me, this was to be the rubber match; alas, it was a losing effort. But we did a bit more, a few days later, near Wainui, and, despite the weather, the bugs, even the bed bugs, I am game to do it again some day...as a series of day hikes, no tents, no huts, and the farther from the Marahau crowds the better. All this will be explained. Previous posts on our walks on the the Abel Tasman (for those contemplating a trip, those writing a doctoral dissertation on this blog, or those with terminal insomnia) are:

http://roadeveron.blogspot.co.nz/2009/01/mozzies-boaties-and-turning-custard.html
http://roadeveron.blogspot.co.nz/2009/01/time-and-tide.html
http://roadeveron.blogspot.co.nz/2014/02/abel-tasman-1.html
http://roadeveron.blogspot.co.nz/2014/02/abel-tasman-2.html
http://roadeveron.blogspot.co.nz/2014/02/abel-tasman-3.html
http://roadeveron.blogspot.co.nz/2014/02/abel-tasman-4.html
http://roadeveron.blogspot.co.nz/2014/02/kayaking-on-abel-tasman.html.

We had wonderful sunny weather in 2009. In 2014, it was warm, humid, even foggy the first two days. In 2018, there was torrential rain our first day out. Five (5) inches. This and the previous tropical cyclone had washed out bits of the trail. We wisely elected to take the water taxi from Marahau to the Anchorage Hut and to carry on from there as the weather cleared. We spent the afternoon and evening at Anchorage, enjoying conversation with a Kiwi couple we kept seeing later on down the trail, and with an Australian couple, our age, whose trekking experience dwarfed ours, at least in New Zealand and Nepal. They had done the Everest trek to Gorak Shep and Kala Pattar twice and also the Annapurna! My hiking bandana ("My home's in Montana, I wear a bandana...") is a map of the Himal Khumbu, and it was fun to retrace routes and experiences. Alas, we did not know it at the time, but at Anchorage Hut we also slept in one of the worst bed bug infestations yet, which began manifesting itself as the next day, the hike to Bark Bay, unfolded.

Part of the hut at Anchorage; wet clothing and gear hanging
everywhere; it rained, hard, all day, stopping early the next
morning

Anchorage welcome and weather

In the commons area

Next morning

Washed out bridge

And sign

Water taxis at Anchorage

Kayaks and taxis

Tidal flats to be crossed at Torrent Bay

Typical Abel Tasman; on a nice day

Always turn your boat over before torrential rain

Many of the creeks, pools, and waterfalls are crystal clean; others
display tannin from the abundant fetid rot and corruption of the bush

Vicki climbs through one of the slips

Approaching Bark Bay

Slips and slides on the trail here