Abel Tasman and Stuff!

The Abel Tasman Area: Day 1 (Feb 7-8)
Before I get started, I would like to share that Maia is very BRAVE! On our way to the Abel Tasman area, we passed a cable swing bridge. Alisa was required to carry Maia in a pack across, but coming back, Maia refused to get back in it. She insisted she was going to walk it and said, "Maia BRAVE". Brave indeed!

Alisa and Maia on the way across swing bridge

Maia BRAVE!

Somewhere around 5 am the call of the Tui-tui bird began to sound through the river valley we were in, then the sheep started in around 6, followed by MILLIONS of different birds around 7! It was actually really nice. It had a very “kiwi” feel about it. After breakfast, we headed out towards Farewell Spit which is clear around the other side of Golden Bay which is the western side of the Abel Tasman National Park. 90 km took about 3 hours to cover by car.

View down to Abel Tasman area on our way out to Farewell Spit

You need to understand that straight roads do not really exist in the Kiwi road-building mentality; those are reserved for airport runways, the Expressway outside of Auckland, and the main streets in town centers. Outside of those areas mentioned it is 15-50kph (that is 9-30 mph to us Americans), with brief stretches of 100kph areas where crazy kiwis will pass you going uphill on a blind curve with a logging truck on its way down on the other side (all the while you are trying to maintain the mental clarity to keep driving on the LEFT (i.e.WRONG SIDE OF THE FREAKIN’ ROAD!). There is one thing you have to realize about New Zealanders; they love to race. Now that is not confined to just cars on a track. No, they will race boats in 6 inches of water through an obstacle course, sailboats, kiteboards on the open ocean, Formula 1 cars, dogs, horses, horses with carts, stock cars, airplanes, bikes, etc. You name it, if it can go fast and engage in an innumerable series of turns, the kiwis will find a way to make a race out of it.
Halfway there we stopped at a beach in Kai Teriteri to soak up the sunny day and play on the golden sands of the Abel Tasman area. Here Maia and Alisa contemplated a project NOT authorized by any Coastal Commission or Building Authority...

Alisa & Maia set to staking out the limits of their project

Nearing completion

Maia contemplating her creation

Then, we saw this BIG ray cruising by in the water. It looked to be somewhere between 4 and 6 feet wide. It just sauntered by in about a foot of water. I approached it from the side and it really could care less. It just kept cruising down the beachfront to some people's amazement and to others shock (that was actually kinda funny!)

So, we finally get to the other side of Golden Bay to the Possum Café for some good road kill around 4:50 pm, and they stop serving their “regular menu” and now there is only “lighter fare”. Mind you, there is still 10 minutes left but alas the cook is now gone. We have some cakes and coffee (lighter fare) and ask about other possibilities for dinner. Yep, there is an option. 10 km back up the road we came is the Mussel Inn…owned by the brother of the owner of the Possum Café…and (wait for it)…the cook there is the same one that just left the Possum Café. Funny how that works! Ya just got to say “Good on ya Mate” or “Sweet As” and roll with it. So, off we went to the Mussel Inn, had some fine country-seafood fare and wandered the road back home with the sun setting behind us.