Trekking and Slack Packing in the Abel Tasman: Day One, From Nelson/Motueka to Meadowbank Homestead, Awaroa via Totaranui

Day One, Tuesday February 16, 2016

We packed our overnight Wilson bag (that had been delivered to our Nelson accommodation the previous day), and our backpacks and were ready to be picked up at 10:30am at our hotel on Tuesday 16th February. We joined the other 22 from the club and had a 50 minute drive to Wilsons offices at Motueka where we collected our very substantial lunch (meat roll, quiche, scone with butter, chocolate cookie and apple), complementary water bottle and Wilson's mug. We left our suitcases and valuables at the Wilson Office and got plastic liners and repacked our backpacks and made sure our Wilsons overnight bag was watertight. The weather had been overcast all morning but now started to drizzle. We then climbed back onboard the bus and were driven further up the coast to Kaiteriteri where we got onto the Wilsons ferry. It started to rain hard so most of us sat downstairs. It was a lovely one and a half hour ride along the densely forested coast to Totaranui where the walk was to start. Along the way we encountered a large pod of bottle nosed dolphins who frolicked in the boat's wash for several minutes. Some of us got good photos, I want one of them. We passed the famous Split Apple rock, that really looks like an apple.

After stopping several times to let passengers off at various beaches along the way we got to Totaranui beach. By then the rain had stopped. We got ashore with out getting wet and started the 6.5 km walk back along the coast. We walked through beautiful forest enhanced by the recent rain. The path was clear, wide and flat. There were several very steep climbs and descents but it was easy underfoot. There were two short stretches of walking along beautiful sandy beaches, with no one else except us. The forest was beautiful, leaves were wet, lots of silver ferns, beeches, mosses and tall trees. All regrowth after the area was cleared by timber felling. We saw lots of yellow wasp traps mounted in the trees. Wasps are a terrible problem, causing sooty mould that is killing the trees. We reached the Awaroa River estuary which we had to cross to get to the accommodation lodge. Because the tide was in it was too deep to wade across so we were ferried across in small groups in the punt right up to the steps of Meadowbank Homestead our accommodation for the next two nights.

Meadowbank Homestead is a lovely two story wooden Victorian style house. It was built in 1994 and is a replica of the original 1884 homestead (rotated 180 degrees). The lounge, dining room, kitchen and some accommodation is in the main house. Other accommodation is in a separate single story wing overlooking lovely gardens, even in the rain. There are 13 twin and double bedrooms accommodating 26 people so we had the place to ourselves, along with three guides, Garrick, Amy and Whitey and two cooks. The accommodation was very good, but the best was the excellent dinner. Dips first, then entrée salad of roast pumpkin on lentils and beans, sprinkled with feta. Main course was a choice of beautifully roasted rack of New Zealand lamb or local grilled snapper, with fried rice salad, green leaf salad and roasted pepper salad. Desert was a choice of profiteroles or blue cheese and fig confit and crackers. Wine was available for purchase and many of us took advantage of this. The large tables ensured that there was plenty of lively conversation and reminiscing on our lovely first day on the Abel Tasman Trail.

Fiona Campbell