Three weeks in New Zealand - 4/12 - 5/4/2024

Day 13-Anchorage bay/Hiking, Abel Tasman National Park- 4/22/2024

The boat dropped all of us at Anchorage bay, a key destination along the Abel Tasman Costal Track and is a popular for water taxis, scenic cruises, and kayaking trips.

Our group getting off the boat.

Once every one is off the boat, we were giving directions to hike and to meet up at Bark bay.

The beach at Anchorage is absolutely peaceful and so beautiful.

Lunch was provided with the tour and we decided to eat our sandwiches on the beach before starting our hike to Bark Bay.

The view from the beach is absolutely amazing and lunch was also very enjoyable even though is was just a simple sandwich, some chips, and a piece of fruit.

As we sat down to eat, to our surprise a Weka, also known as the Maori hen which is a sturdy brown birds about the size of a chicken, came off the bush and walked over our table.

It was not scared of us but we were given strict instruction not to feed wild animals.

Weka are native to New Zealand and are considered a vulnerable species. They are protected under the Wildlife Act 1953 in New Zealand. Hunting Weka is prohibited, except under specific permits for conservation purposes. Habitat destruction poses a significant threat to their population. Conservation efforts are in place to protect their natural habitats and increase their numbers.

We are now headed to Bark bay.  The trail is next to the beach and we were told that The hike from Anchorage Bay to Bark Bay along the Abel Tasman Coast Track is one of the most scenic section of the trail and offers a wonderful mix of coastal views, native bush, and peaceful coves.

Starting our hike.

We began by climbing gently through lush forest filled with native trees, tree fern, and beech trees.

Lust forest along the way.

Dirt road along the hike.

The trail weaves along the contours of the land, offering regular glimpses of the turquoise waters below.

View of part of Anchorage bay as we are hiking up the hill.

The trail is well maintained so it was easy to walk.

Tall native trees that create a towering corridor.

We are in the fall now so that is why the trees are bare.

The vegetation is very lush.

Giants fern lining the walkway.

The scenery changes are we are going up.

The sight of a small wooden bridge is a charming and characteristic feature of the walk. These bridges often cross over creeks, wetlands, or narrow inlets, tucked within lush pockets of forest.

We are still going up.

As we are gradually going up, we reach a section where the forest opens up and we can look out across a broad valley.

There are nobody but the two of us on the trail which is really cool!

The ferns are so tall and provided a lot of shade.

We are going up higher...

 These towering ferns, likely mamaku (black tree ferns) or ponga (silver ferns) lined parts of the trail, their wide, arching fronds filtering the sunlight into a soft, green glow beneath the canopy.

The views become more expansive as we were going up, giving us a chance to take in the layered landscape of forest, beach, estuary, and sea.

Bark Bay below is so beautiful.

Walking beneath the tall ferns is really magical.

We passed by narrow walkway surrounded by a beautiful landscape.

We walked through century old trees.

The terrain became a little more undulating but it is still easy to manage.

NEXT... Bark Bay