Day 13-14 :: Kayak Adventures in the Abel Tasman

Day 13,14 - Adventures in Abel Tasman

I spent the last two days on a grand kayaking adventure exploring South Island's Abel Tasman National Park (from the water) and the adjacent Tonga Island Marine Reserve (like a national park, but on/under the water). With me were 5 companions (all hailing from different lands) and our our wicked-awesome guide Stephen (from Wellington). First, there was a nice couple - Bob and Virginia from beautiful Idaho (USA). Another couple - Fiona and Dwayne hailing from Van Couver, British Columbia (Canada). And last but not least, our beloved comedian Kevin (from Ireland).

Across the 2 days, we would kayak 27 km from the north at Shag Harbour and back south to Kaiteriteri. Along the way we would skirt rocky shores, land and swim on golden-sand beaches, befriend sun-basking seals (though Kevin was set on some good old-fashioned seal-clubbing), power through rocking waves, form a make-shift sailing vessel, learn about nature and history, play bumper-boats, peer into shallow turquoise waters, explore coves and inlets, circle islands of seal colonies, camp and dine on beaches, explore tide pools and gaze upon clear skies and the milky-way. If you haven't already, check out pictures of our adventures here! Check out a map of our routes here.

One really great experience in particular was learning how to catch crabs. In the evening of the first day, we were left to our own endeavours. I decided to walk out to the beach. Kevin was just about to go for an evening swim (in chilly waters), when we both saw low-tide had brought the water far out... about a 10 minute walk from our campsite (rather than 10 seconds). With no interest in hiking to swim, he withdrew. This would turn out to be a very good idea, as I would find out later on.

I ventured on and noticed an old man and his grandson approaching the beach with a big iron rake and a burlap sack. "Out to catch dinner?" I asked. "Just a small appetizer," the old man answered, "You like crab? If you come along, you can have some for dinner." I followed as they combed the shallow waters at the edge of the beach, disturbing armies of crabs of all sizes from their burrows just centimeters beneath the sand. We had let several dozen smallies escape the rake, before we found big-mama crabs that were succulent and rotund enough for eating. The man's grandson screamed in delight, excitement and fear of getting pinched by one. In a matter of an hour we caught half-a-dozen fat crabs, and I learned a new way to catch crabs and how to grab these fierce little beasts without drawing (my own) blood. Good times.

The weather had gladly cleared up. And though we all suffered a little bit of sun-burn, I can't complain about the warm weather and sunny skies. It sure beats kayaking and camping on grim gray beaches an paddling through rain and choppy water!

Before I leave you off, I must tell you that aside from being a knee-slapping-funny guy and strong paddler, Kevin is also a world traveler. He's on a 15-month journey to explore the breadth of the world, starting in New Zealand and venturing west through Australasia, Asia, Eurasia and then the Central and South Americas. Good luck to him! Check out his progress on this amazing travels on his blog @ www.worldwidekev.com - he has some funny stories off the beaten path.