Raining in the Rain Forest

Up by seven, showered, packed, breakfast, and two sandwiches made for lunch and we were bused off to catch our water taxi to the start of our track. The road curled and twisted alongside a mountain, mostly all we could see outside the window was the surrounding rain forest rushing past us, but occasionally the trees and ferns would thin enough to be able to catch a peak of the ocean. The water taxi took us all along the Abel Tasman coast area. Our driver gave us a little lesson about the area. We learned one legend about the Split Apple rock formation, the legend he told us us was that it is the first site where Captain Cook met Maori people
The captain was trying to frighten the Maori and fired a gun that hit in the rock and with a huge noise it broke it in two halves.
From that moment as they thought that the Captain and his men had the power of God , welcomed him ashore .
Thus the relationship was born between the British and the Maori.

The boat ride was beautiful(then again, what isn't in this country?!) if a bit chilly. 

By the time we reached our start point we were all wearing every single layer we had brought, and still freezing! Kasey and I (the two Minnesotans)  took off, knowing that the faster we walked the faster we would warm up. By the time we had cleared the beach to the forest, I was stripping layers. When we stopped for a break a short while later, I had gone from wanting my hat and scarf, to wearing just a t-shirt. 

The hike it's self was beautiful. 21 kilometers (that's about 13 miles for us crazy Americans)through gorgeous rain forest, walking up and down hills, twisting along mountains, following the coast  for the majority of the time. There's something totally different about walking among the ferns and palms of a rain forest. It felt like we were in the tropical section in a zoo, except with real Tui birds chirping instead of recordings. 

 

The best part of the hike was towards the end, when it started to rain-oh how I love the rain! Particularly when it's raining in a rain forest. It lasted just long  enough to soak us, before it dropped to a sprinkle  as we took a detour to Cleopatra's pool.

We started on the beach at Tonga bay, ate lunch on the shores of Bark Bay,  and ended at Anchorage. It never felt like 13 miles, even with all of the hills we climbed, the scenery was just too stunning, and the people were just too much fun. With Jane in the lead we power-walked the entire thing, everyone kept up, and we got to Anchorage an hour early-the fasted group Jane has ever had! 

Looking down over Anchorage

We made it!

We're spending the night on the Cat-A-Rac, a floating backpackers. We warmed up with mugs of tea or coffee before a delicious supper of steaks, rice, home made coleslaw, and bean bake-Mmm, real food finally! As easy as it would be to fall in to a food coma, it was game night. First a game of Fish Bowl, which is like a combination of catch phrase and charades. Followed by a game of Mafia, which is basically a grown up version of Frogger. Both made for a night full of smiles and laughter.

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