The nice thing about making friends with other exchange students is that we’re all excited to explore New Zealand and make the most of our time here. A group of us (nine in total) rented two cars and one Airbnb before setting off for the northern part of the South Island. Our plan: spend the weekend in Abel Tasman National Park. We left Friday morning, driving seven hours (not including stops). Luckily, we designated three drivers per car (I was one of them!) so it wasn’t too bad. I was very nervous at first to drive on the left side of the road, but I got used to it! Our Airbnb was located just outside the park and the beach was a five-minute walk away. Friday night consisted of a family dinner, a pretty sunset, and birthday brownies for dessert. One of the girls, Sydney, turned 21!
We packed our lunches Saturday morning and drove to the park for a day hike. At the Wainui Bay carpark, we chose a trail that would take us to Separation Point and back. The trail was wide enough for two people most of the time and there were great views of the coast!
A little more than halfway there, we came across Whariwharangi Hut, a good sized, English-style cabin of sorts set in a big patch of grass. After walking through a beech forest and areas of dense vegetation, the large open clearing surprised me. It looked very nice and well maintained, but the man-made feature seemed very out of place in a national park. However, given the number of people that backpack through the park, I knew it was important to have designated sleeping areas and toilets for hikers.
Five minutes later, we reached Whariwharangi Bay. I was a clear, sunny day and upon seeing the empty beach with gentle waves lapping the shore, we immediately decided to stop there for the time being. Most people went for a swim while I walked along the beach, camera and tripod in hand. The contrast between the lush green forests, golden sand, and aqua blue water was beautiful!
I came across a river draining into the ocean and the way it carved out the sand reminded me of rock formations in Utah and Colorado (although the sand carvings were way more fragile).
Apparently, while I was walking along the beach, one of my friends, Aaron, was getting buried in the sand. When my phone buzzed and I saw the photos, I couldn’t help but laugh! Only his head remained above the sand!
We ate our lunches, put on our shoes, and continued towards Separation Point. What sounded like a large flock of birds (I thought maybe gulls?) became louder as we near the end. Instead of live animals, we discovered a speaker and a bunch of roosting bird mannequins. Very confused, we eventually noticed a sign that explained the Department of Conservation and Project Janszoon had built the setup in an effort to establish a gannet colony. Gannets only breed in colonies, so this fake group was supposed to attract a real colony. I’ll admit, it was a little weird and the constant noise became annoying, but I hope it works.
That night, another delicious family dinner was followed by games and a bit of stargazing. On Sunday morning, we packed our stuff, cleaned up, and drove to Wainui Falls. It was a short half hour walk from the parking lot, leaving us plenty of time to swim at the base of the waterfall. It was a great way to wrap up our visit to Abel Tasman National Park!
