Claire opted for a day poking around in Nelson and visiting with Rosie. Mark, Pat and I headed off about west northwest to Abel Tasman National Park for a day of "tramping" and kayaking. The park is inaccessible by car. We drove as close as we could then boarded an aqua taxi with four other tourists and our guide. The boat is towed to the beach by a tractor which then backs the boat into the Tasman Sea and off we go about 10K to Torrent Bay, a beautiful beach within the park. We headed off on a 2 1/2 hour guided hike (tramp) up and down along the coastline. we saw tons of ferns, ancient trees, orchids, and birds. Darren, the guide, looked like a SoCal surfer. He did a fine job of describing the landscape while keeping up a challenging pace. we had lunch at Back Bay beach, then boarded two man sea kayaks for three hours of seal watching and beach cruising as we made our way back towards Torrent Bay. Around 4 PM we boarded another aqua taxi for the return trip to our base, a shower, coffee and the trip home. The day was outstanding. One of the few with bright sunshine and minimal wind all day. I found the kayaking quite a challenge and was very thankful for the benign conditions. It would have been gmuch more difficult in cool or rainy conditions or with a strong headwind. As it was the surf was occasionally fairly active with waves coming up over the boat as we paddled. The water temp was mid 60s, warm enough for the occasional splash to be more refreshing than anything else.
