Abel Tasman Part - 2

We drove to the northern end of Abel Tasman National Park. We made a short stop along the way.

A common sight in Golden Bay

We walked up a trail to Wainui Falls. We crossed our first swing bridge with a 1-person limit. 

Wainui Falls

1 person swing bridge to Wainui Falls

Then we drove to Totaranui and walked the Abel Tasman Coastal Trail to Waiharakeke Bay and back.  Parts of the track, take you on the beaches along this coast.  One of the sites along the beach was a small waterfall on the edge of the lovely, bush covered cliff.  Along the upper part of the trail the bush is made up of older growth tree ferns, nikau palms, beech and manuka trees.  The trunk of one of the tree ferns caught G’s eye as something had affected it making it look like a totem pole.

G checking for rain on Abel Tasman Coastal Trail

Waterfall on beach

Totem pole/fern tree?

That evening, we walked to the beach in Marahau.

B trying a new sport - yeah, right!

The next day, we drove north to Takaka and Collingwood.  We stopped at Pupu Springs and Milnthorpe Park.

Pupu Springs was an amazing place.  The National Geographic Society said these springs are the clearest fresh water in the world.  At one of the springs, they have a viewing station set up so you are looking under the surface of the water.  You can see all the way across the spring – viewing fish, freshwater coral, and underwater plants.  The springs bubble up on the surface of the water.

Underwater view across Pupu Springs

Pupu Springs

We walked over an hour on the beach at Milnthorpe Park.  The beautiful beach was deserted except for the oyster catchers, gulls and us.

Beach at Milnthorpe Park

Last evening, we drove south to Kaiteriteri – much more resort-like than Marahau.  The tide was out and we were able to get out to an island and go tide pooling.  Climbing over the rocks and looking at the life in the tidal pools was great fun.  B was particularly impressed with the rock formations.

Kaiteriteri - low tide

Tide pooling at Kaiteriteri

View at Kaiteriteri 

Our trip to Nelson Lakes National Park was a pretty drive through farmland. We had a nice walk on the edge of the lake.  The best part was listening to all the bellbirds.  The reason so many bellbirds were there is that these nectar-feeding birds feed on the sweet remaining waste product of the honeydew scale insect that feeds on beech trees. As you walk through the forest, you notice two-inch hair-like filaments are all over the outside of the tree.  The bellbird feeds on the drops.  We tasted a few drops and it was very sweet. 

Lake Rotoiti - Nelson Lakes National Park

Brunner Peninsula Walk

Brunner Peninsula Walk

Droplets sweet to the taste

scarlet flycap

Today, we walked from our cottage to Tinline Bay on the Abel Tasman Coastal Trail.  We walked through the water exploring the caves and had a quick dip before the tide came in. 

Tinline Bay - Abel Tasman National Park