New Zealand Adventure: Tasman Trekking

The moa (shown above) may be extinct, but backpacking is alive and well in New Zealand. This is truly a mecca for 20-somethings from all over (we met kids from Germany, Scandanavia, US, France and UK, in addition to Kiwis) who are keen to get out into the wild (with the occasional stop at an Internet cafe), toting large backpacks filled with their sleeping bags, food and clothes in tow. Of course, some splash out to rent a van (see below). The van rental companies promise adventure with such names as Cheapa Camper, Jucy Rentals, Maui Campers, Tui Campers, Cruzy Campers, and the simple Britz. Many are colorfully decorated, shades of Ken Kesey:

Of course, the attraction is the hiking (or "tramping", as it is known here), through Abel Tasman National Park. The park is named for the Dutch navigator who "discovered" New Zealand in 1642, only to have an ill-fated encounter with Maori natives, who mistook the sound of the trumpets on board the ship as a war cry, and responded by ramming a Dutch schooner with their canoes and clubbing four sailors to death.

Today's journey is rather more peaceful, as one wanders through thick tropical growth of palms, rata trees and ferns above the Wainui river. The park includes Wainui Falls, one of the coastal waterfalls that is reached by crossing what the guidebook describes as a "spidery but sturdy" swing bridge. The sign by the bridge warns that the "max load is one person", which you can well appreciate, given its width (see photo).

The highpoint is the trail itself, which meanders along the coastline on a path levelled out of the mountain itself, affording incredible views of the many inlets of Golden Bay (sorry to get touristy again, but this is truly a visual wonder).

The other end of the park is accessible both by foot and sea kayak, both of which give access to small beaches that are otherwise unreachable, and totally undeveloped. Apple Tree Bay was a particularly inviting destination for the few who ventured there.

Heading back east (more or less) brings you along an estuary to Havelock, the self-proclaimed greenshell mussel capital of the world. At the marina, there are large sacks of ropes from which the mussels have been stripped off to take to market, which will be reused to harvest more mussels.

And just what is a greenshell mussel? See my dinner below, at the Mussel Pot.

South of Havelock is the famous vineyard area of Marlborough, where the hot flat Wairau Valley produces grapes that make superb Sauvignon blancs, as well as Rieslings and Pinot Noirs.

There are many excellent wineries to visit and sample, including Nautilus (see their symbol below), Cloudy Bay, Allan Scott, Montana, Stoneleigh, Hunters, and Wairau River (no, I didn't sample all of them, and after a while, one sauvignon blanc tastes pretty much like another).