Row row row your boat
Trip Start
Dec 06, 2006
1
61
188
Trip End
Ongoing
Abel Tasman,
New Zealand
Sunday, April 15, 2007
I asked Louisa if she fancied joining me and we planned an adventure which was going to be a day kayaking then the next day walking then jumping in a water taxi back to my car. After my horrendous night in a tent, and bearing in mind Louisa is 6 foot tall, a night camping wasn't on the cards. The huts were fully booked so that left AquaPackers, a backpackers, yes, that's right, on the water
001 beach
. Stupid idea. It included tea, brekkie and a packed lunch so it didn't look bad value. We booked it and the next day grabbed our stuff and headed off.There was a major flaw in the plan, a lack of a kayak. Everything else had gone so smoothly but this element was quite fundamental and we'd turned up too late to be able to get one for a day hire. We explained what we were trying to do and were offered a Royale with Cheese. Royale with Cheese? I hear Samual L Jackson say. Well, it's the longest kayak in Abel Tasman and we'd just signed up for it. We planned on walking in, sleeping on a boat then they would take us further up and we'd kayak all the way back. Brilliant.
So that's basically what happened. We set off and enjoyed a nice walk in the clear blue sky, popping in to see the odd sandy beach with the azure waters lapping in to the shores. After 4 hours or so we arrived at Anchorage Bay when Mr Aqua the packer came out to meet us in his speedboat dinghy thingy. We jumped on board and were first in line to get allocated our bunks. We were told by Mr Packer with a smug look that we'd been upgraded, they were probably a bit surprised when we looked a bit shocked and disturbed that we were being put in a double room. The initial thoughts were, hmmmm private room, no bunks, but then the reality of the odd situation hit home and we explained we weren't together and a bunk would be just fine
002 another one with some kayakers
. So they showed us below deck to what amounted to a converted cupboard only suitable for the 7 dwarfs. Definitely not suitable for people with limbs. After a few quick measurements we realised that maybe the luxury of overhanging feet was worth it as we looked at the horror of baby beds. So we changed our minds and went back up to ask if we could take the double after all. We were told we'd have to wait and see, and before we knew it an asian couple who were probably a total height of less than 6 foot were unpacking in the normal sized bed. They could have easily fitted the pair of them length ways in one mini bed. No justice. There was still another room, but for some unknown plainly spiteful reason they were determined to give it to someone else and sure enough we ended up in the bunks just because we'd shunned their unnecessarily presumptuous offering.It actually worked out ok, there was a double at the end which I nabbed and slept diagonally on and Louisa got a top bunk and she could stretch her legs over the end. Then it was tea time. Mmmmm tea time. Might have been more appealing if we'd not had a similar pile of sausages cooked as a bonus in the hostel just a few nights before. But still it was food and we were hungry so ate plenty and went back for a few more of the cheap steaks that were also put on the bbq. I had a couple, I think Louisa decided 4 was enough in the end
003 nice isn't it?
. We also had vegetarian surprise, a pie we were told, but it was basically a big metal tin filled with stuff and topped with cheese. Rubbish. After a surprisingly good nights sleep (maybe the rocking of the boat helped) breakfast wasn't much of a luxury, weetabix and toast and then we were shown to the skank we were expected to form in to a packed lunch. Cheap bread, cheap processed meat, battered fruit and some tomatoes. I had a tomato and left the rest. Cunningly this lunch could be ignored as we were getting lunch provided as part of the kayak trip. We said our fond farewells to the pair of spiteful shits at Aquapackers and got in the water taxi which took us up to Brod Bay to the start of our kayak. I'd not kayaked before so Louisa let me have the fun seat in the back where you get to steer and occasionally skive as the person in front can't see (shhh don't tell her). After the usual safety briefing and an embarassing ice breaker (what super hero would you be?) we were off. I really enjoyed it, it was great fun paddling about. We stopped for lunch and other than a destroyed muffin that I'd crushed in my bag it was very nice indeed. In fact, the mushed remains of the muffin were still tasty. We had a post lunch wander around some rocks to look at some rocks which was interesting as the rocks seemed to be covered in incredibly rough sand paper and the guide was walking bare foot
004 spacious accomodation for midgets
. The rocks we went to look at weren't particularly interesting. We squeezed through a cave and emerged out to what looked like the same bay. After that we were back in the kayaks and paddling onward taking a look at baby seals and more unspoilt beaches. The guide was good fun and informative although we started to become suspicious of his 'facts' when he started telling us about the tree climbing penguins. Louisa and I burst out laughing because it was obviously a lie and probably that sort of nonsense is how he keeps sane doing the same trips day after day. He managed to snare an idiot with his bait though and Loudmouth Miss De Montfort who we didn't like showed off her poly education by asking if he was telling the truth and then believed the man who'd just lied when he said yes.It started getting a bit choppier later on which made it more fun although it also made our bums a bit wetter and by the time we got out we were soaked through pretty much. Still even with an uncomfy ending, it was excellent fun and topped off by some tasty fush and chups on the way home.
