Abel Tasman National Park via Nelson - Day 274

Trip Start Jan 31, 2008
1
195
251
Trip End Ongoing


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Where I stayed
In my car somewhere
(Auckland hotels)

Flag of New Zealand  , South Island,
Sunday, November 23, 2008

Woke up to a misty drizzling morning high on the Lewis Pass. Hit the road soon after waking and descended from the pass and stopped for some breakfast by the side of the road. A guy in his fifties with a big backpack came out of nowhere and approached the car. He asked if a could give him a ride to Wakefield just outside Nelson. I was heading in that direction so I said sure, he seemed a nice guy. He'd been fishing for 4 days, but cut his trip in the wilderness short due to the worsening weather and the crap fishing. Unfortunately he'd lost his wallet too somewhere in the bush, so all in all I think he'd had a shit couple of days. I was glad to help him out by giving him a lift. We had a good chat about the beautiful Kiwi wilderness before I dropped him off at his destination.

I arrived in the coastal town of Nelson just before midday and put my raincoat on and had a wander around town in the drizzle. Weather hasn't improved like I'd hoped after descending down to sea level. I was thinking of staying in a backpackers in Nelson tonight but I've decided to hit the road again and continue along the coast to Abel Tasman national park. I followed the winding coastal road through the towns of Motueka and Takaka stopping off at a few lookouts along the way, where most of the views were obscured by thick cloud. Headed into the Abel Tasman national park along a tight dirt track where I had to occasionally weave around landslides blocking parts of the road. Reached the Totaranui camp site by the coast where I'm staying tonight. The camp site is one of the resting points for trampers doing the 51km Abel Tasman coastal walk which cuts across the national park. My friend in Wellington has done the tramp and said it was awesome, but unfortunately I don't have the time to complete the 3-4 day hike. I'm planning to have a look around the area tomorrow, weather permitting of course. It's still throwing it down as I write this blog entry in my steamed up car, it's actually getting worse. I'll keep my fingers crossed for an improvement tomorrow.
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