Abel Tasmen---Christmas trip

Christmas Trip----Abel Tasmen---

We started the trip out right: 3 girls, 3 bikes and plenty of vineyards to choose from! The journey began on Dec. 22nd when Sylvie, Jen and I drove up the coast to Blenheim where we stayed the night at a campground. The next morning we rented or as they call it ‘hired’ 3 bikes to tour the Marlborough vineyards, which are really popular wineries in New Zealand. It was a great and I thought quite a unique way to visit the different vineyards. We tried acting all posh and sophisticated as we daintily drank our tastings….but that wore off quick….really who were we trying to fool…the more you tasted the more fun it was on the bikes! We were determined to get as most out of the trip as possible and we just made it too the last winery before it closed for our final tasting, however this made us rather late for the return of the bike rentals….opps! We received some grief from the owner but all was well…I mean what were they to expect….three drunk girls on bikes….there is no way we would be on time plus we ‘mis-placed’ the map! We headed into town where we waited for the boys to arrive. Once they arrived our group was complete all 7 of us: 6 Canadians and 1 Irish. (Canada plus 1) I was happy to be along on the Christmas Journey for I really didn’t know anyone other than Paul, who I use to live with in Calgary, so the others were taking a chance on me....mawahhhh! (the total group was: Sylvie (Paul’s girlfriend), Jen (Sylvie works with), Dave (Jen’s Husband), Forbes (friend of Dave and Jen’s from Nova Scotia) and James (random Irishman…..joking, Dave, Jen and Forbes roommate!) so that was the group…just to keep everyone straight!) We then continued up the coast and arrived quite late into our next camping spot. Which was called ‘The Barn’ it was a really cool spot! I stayed in a Teepee with Paul and Sylvie it was very comfy, outfitted with bedding and mattresses, it was great!

The next morning, Dec. 24, we drove to Kaiteriteri where we hired sea kayaks for our Abel Tasmen adventure! The Abel Tasmen is a coast line with a series of really great beaches, the Abel Tasmen is also known as one of ‘the great walks’ in New Zealand (there are a number of ‘great walks’ in NZ, these tracks have to be booked in advance and take special hut passes). We headed out to a beach called Te Pukatea which became ‘our beach’ for we spent the next 2 nights here and was where we spent our Christmas! We pretty much had the whole beach to ourselves, it was paradise! So for those of you, who felt bad cuz it was my first Christmas away from home……after you see the pictures and stories you will no longer feel this way! It was a very beautiful! Although with that said, Christmas to me is all about family and friends and I was definitely missing out this year by not being with the family. I was very thankful that I was able to get a hold of all of them just as they were about to sit down for Christmas dinner! So it was very nice to hear every ones voice in the background, and just for the record I did have a tear or two in my eye. Okay enough with the sappy stuff, on with the adventure… So the next two days we spent hanging out on this beach… Santa came to visit every ones tent and I was surprised to see a delicious reeces peanut butter cups awaiting me! Sylvie and Paul bought everyone beach toys for Christmas so we had plenty of toys to play with and of course us girls picked up some sleazy romance novels, cuz really what is a beach day with out a romance novel! We lazed around, fished from the kayaks (I even caught one…but I think it was too small to keep, so we tossed it back in), and played with all our toys. You know you are relaxing when your only worry in the day is: if the beer is still cold, and moving up the beach as the tide comes in, so your towel doesn’t get wet!

On Dec. 25th Christmas day, we had an amazing Christmas dinner….Kayaked in a whole ham, fresh broccoli and asparagus with cheese sauce along with sweet potatoes (which they call kumar here) fresh buns and plenty of wine for everyone! DELICIOUS!!! All I was missing out on was the perogies! Dave, Jen and Forbes got everyone team tee-shirts, so we couldn’t get lost! At the last minute before I left I wrapped up Canadian chocolate coins and they were a perfect dessert after our great meal! With full bellies and lots of wine and beer to drink we hit the beach for an amazing evening of star gazing! Jealous yet? The next day we kayaked to the most northern point that we could go to stay at our final beach before we had to start making our way back. On the way to this beach, Onetahuti Beach, we stopped by a island rock to check out the seal colonies. They are very cute but they smelled a lot! On our way to the final beach we had a section of water that was CRAZY….it was very windy and it really felt like we were not moving at all. You could not stop paddling because if you did, you would get pushed back. I think the section we were paddling was only suppose to take us about 20-30 min. to paddle but it took us close to 1 ½ hours to get to where we wanted to go! I was lucky enough to be in the single kayak so, needless to say my arms were very tired when we finally got to shore!
This campground had a lot more people in it, for most were doing the Abel Tasmen track. We put up camp and still had the better of the late afternoon and evening to chill. A couple of us, plus some Polish boys decided to go for an adventure and scope out some caves that were supposedly accessible at low tide. Well it happened to be low tide, so I was determined to find these caves! So away we went, we climbed on rocks for about 2 hours looking for these caves...couldn't find anything...my crew wanted to turn back...but I was still curious in finding these caves..so the Polish guys and I continued our search! They were just wearing flip flops and the rocks were slippery so their feet were all cut up....but you know when you just want to see what is around the corner...so I told the boyz just one more corner I will be right back.....so I turned the corner and kept on searching for these caves...by this time I am hot and I have to pee....well it just turned out that when I turned around another corner there was a beautiful beach with CAVES!!!! WAHOO....so I got to the beach and took off my jacket cuz I was soo hot...I was excited to be able to pee and scope out these caves..I started heading toward the caves while undoing my shorts to pee when out of the darkness came charging a SEAL...a really pissed off Seal...it was barking at me......now....one would only think that these fat little creatures can't move...well let me tell you!! THEY CAN!!! ( I have learnt from this experience...in a flight or fight response...I am defiantly a flighter) I ran as fast as my short little legs would take me....probably let out a squirt of pee while I was at it!! As I was booking it across the sand....another Seal came charging out of another cave that was closer to where I was intending to go.......I defiantly let out a 'HOLY F*&#H' probably screamed like a little girl....but hurdled the rock that I was heading for...and hid for cover!!! HAHHA my little ticker was a racing........once out of sight the seals were just hanging out on the beach barking at me.....but like any good tourist...I had to capture this moment on film...so I took out the camera for some pics...well I was shaking so damn much that I couldn't even take a descent picture!! I got a couple.....you will have to check them out when I get all my pics up! So I made it back to the polish guys and they were like are you okay we heard screaming and we were coming....I was laughing trying to tell them the story..and I think they thought I was nuts when I said...I needed a hug!! But I got my polish hug!!! I am not sure what kind of damage a seal would do to you....but after asking few people a tad bit more knowledgeable then myself...told me they would have and could have done some serious damage.......So that would have been a bad way to go.......smacked by a seal flipper, gnawed on and sat on by 500 tons of blubber!!

The next morning it was pouring rain, lucky there was a shelter that we hung out in… I think we stayed in the shelter for close to 4 hours…..eating and talking to the various groups who would come and go. We didn’t mean to stay in there that long but we thought we would wait out the rain, but it seemed the longer we waited the worse it got!! But then to our surprised the skies cleared and it turned out to be a great day! So we paddled to our final beach called Observation Beach where we caught fresh fish from the ocean and a good feed on fresh mussels. The final night was pretty low key, with the evening full of random competitions from the longest head stand to how long you can balance on camping stools…performed by Dave and Sylvie! The next day we kayaked out to return our boats and then made our way to a campground called ‘Old McDonalds Farm’ to spend the night.