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In all the guidebooks one of the must see destinations mentioned is the Abel Tasman National Park so we decided to see what all the fuss was about. We were not disappointed and here are our five reasons why you should visit.
The stunning coastline - Abel Tasman is the Amalfie Coast of New Zealand. Tall cliffs lined with golden beaches and magnificent rocky outcrops. Of course it is much less populated than its italien counterpart but just as dramatic.
The amazing flora and fauna - the cliffs are covered in native woodland that resembles a jungle with ferns, trees and creepers. It contains all five native trees of New Zealand but I'm sorry to say I can't name them! The forest is very noisy with the many insect calls and strange tunes of the bell bird. Along the rocky shoreline of some of the islands we spotted seals and their pups. While sitting on the beach we also saw cormorants, fulmers and oyster catcher type birds.
A great place to walk - the path is clearly marked and easy to follow but as with all coastal routes it does go up and down a bit. This does mean you get stunning views in the clearings at the top of the climbs. The footpath is well maintained and can be done in trainers but we also saw people sporting flip flops.
The water taxis - there are very few roads in the national park so the best way to get to the beaches and different sections of the coastal path is by water taxi. Several companies ferry visitors on speedy boats dropping a gang plank onto the sands so they can operate whatever position the tide is in. It was great fun bombing up the coastline getting a real flavour of this wonderful bit of coast.
The dip in the sea - we opted to do an 11 kilometre stretch of the coastal path from midland bay to anchorage bay. After completing all the ups and downs we reached our destination with half an hour before our ferry was due to pick us up, just time to enjoy a refreshing dip in the sea. It was so invigorating and a great way to finish a lovely day.
The Abel Tasman park is named after a Dutch man who landed here in 1642 but two of his crew were killed by local moari. white man didn't return to settle for another 127 years.
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