VictoriaApril 3
We could have done the Abel Tasman walk in three days, but decided to stretch it to five to allow for lazy days in between our hikes so we could enjoy the lodges.
Today was our off day. We relaxed in the morning and walked on the beach in the afternoon.
We wanted to go kayaking today. However, the tide wasn’t in our favor. In fact, as you can see, all the water is completely gone in front of the lodge compared to when we arrived yesterday.
The National Park here lives and dies by the tide schedule. Hikers have to time their walks exactly right or they get stranded. It’s truly amazing to be walking along the beach in the morning only to have it completely under water and impassable several hours later. The tide schedules are posted along the route, so if you’re walking unguided, you really need to pay attention.
We’ve met lovely people again on this trip — Kiwis, Dutch and Canadians. Since it’s a smaller group, it seems more cohesive than some of our larger guided hiking groups.
For our day off, I enjoyed sitting on the deck overlooking the bay, walking some more on the beach and relaxing to some great views.
Mitch took the optional six-mile hike to the neighboring Awaroa Lodge, walking across the bottom of the Sea without water and along the beaches hiking up to various outlooks for panoramic views. He described it as steep with rewarding views.
Just before dinner, we took some picture as the sun was beginning to go down.
After dinner, a few of us retired to the lounge to chat. An hour or so later, we walked back to our room. Or at least what I thought was our room. They all look exactly the same with sliding glass entries.
I pulled the door open and mistakenly walked into the wrong room, to another couple lying in bed in their pajamas, reading (no one locks their doors here). Mortified and profusely apologizing, I closed the door, ran to the correct room next door and burst out laughing. For a split second I thought, why is someone sleeping in our bed? We all had a good laugh about it the following evening.
Here’s a nice overview of Meadowbank Lodge that highlights where we are.
