Abel Tasman and his park

We woke up this morning to some rather low cloud and were a bit concerned about our boat trip in Abel Tasman National Park. According to plan we went to the market in Nelson after a very good breakfast at the B&B. The market was excellent – lovely local produce and very interesting things to buy to bring home – not tat! However, did it ever rain!! Still, it was so warm we were not too alarmed at being pretty wet! Undaunted we set off on the drive to the National Park. The rain was sheeting down and the sea seemed to thunder in (you know how much I worry about rocking about too much on boats). As we took the very scenic drive the weather stared to cheer up and by the time we reached the beach where the boat came in the weather was bright and warm, although not with sparkling sunshine. Nigel is very keen for me to write about something that made us laugh a lot. When we reached the beach I began to worry because I could see no jetty. When Nigel told me that we had to board the boat there I wondered how on earth I was going to get on because I imagined that we’d have to paddle out and climb a rope ladder. As you know, I am far from nimble!! I didn’t tell Nigel of my anxiety because I didn’t want him to worry for me. You can imagine my relief when they dropped a kind of metal bridgehead from the front of the boat onto the beach, I told Nigel much later on about how I’d been wondering how on earth I’d managed a rope ladder and we laughed and laughed. If I had told him at the time he could have relieved my anxiety because he realised what would happen!
Now Nigel - The boat was basically a sort of water taxi taking people to sandy little coves where they would either lie on the beach or go on walks. The coves were delightful, really golden sand and pretty well deserted, surrounded by green hills. The boat just drew up to the beach and extended a gangplank, there was no rope ladder. Every time there were strict instructions to use the toilet on the boat. Not so much as a wee in the wild. We were on deck so the views were very good and as the afternoon went on very clear. The park was superb a true wilderness. There were also basking seals offshore. The only fly in the ointment was a large group of Germans who boarded on the way back, now I have nothing against Germans but in the middle of world class scenery all they could do was talk and talk.
We returned to the little beach where we started and had an iced coffee. Then it was a drive back to Nelson a city we are coming to appreciate. We had an informal dinner outside at a pub on what was now a perfect evening. Before this I had a run along the seafront, however at 29 degrees it was a little hot.
Every where we go we talk to people, even me. There are two groups of travellers, young people working there way round and oldies like us, while actually we are at the young age of the oldies. Everybody compares itineraries. I now wax lyrical on Pinot Noir as opposed to Cabernet Sauvignon.