- Round The World Trip Destination Wish #3: Great Walks in New Zealand
- Milford Track Booked For April 2015
- New Zealand, On The Road Again After a 2 Month Break
- 8 New Zealand Great Walks in 8 Weeks
- Preparing for The Great Walks and Waiting Out Cyclone Pam
- Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk Day 1: Onepoto to Panekire Hut
- Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk Day 2: Panekire Hut to Waiopaoa Hut
- Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk Day 3: Waiopaoa Hut to Marauiti Hut
- Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk Day 4: Marauiti Hut to Hopuruahine Landing
- Wairoa and Taupo, In Between Great Walks
- Tongariro Northern Circuit Day 1: Mangatepopo Hut to Oturere Hut
- Tongariro Northern Circuit Day 2: Oturere Hut to Waihohonu Hut
- Tongariro Northern Circuit Day 3: Waihohonu Hut to Whakapapa Village
- Wellington, Christchurch, Mount Cook, and Queenstown, In Between Great Walks
- Routeburn Track Day 1: Routeburn Shelter to Routeburn Falls Hut
- Routeburn Track Day 2: Routeburn Falls Hut to Lake Mackenzie Hut
- Routeburn Track Day 3: Lake Mackenzie Hut to The Divide
- Milford Track Day 1: Glade Wharf to Clinton Hut
- Milford Track Day 2: Clinton Hut to Mintaro Hut
- Milford Track Day 3: Mintaro Hut to Dumpling Hut
- Milford Track Day 4: Dumpling Hut to Sandfly Point
- Te Anau, In Between Great Walks
- Rakiura Track Day 1: Oban to Port William Hut
- Rakiura Track Day 2: Port William Hut to North Arm Hut
- Rakiura Track Day 3: North Arm Hut to Oban
- Stewart Island, In Between Great Walks
- Kepler Track Day 1: Te Anau to Luxmore Hut
- Kepler Track Day 2: Luxmore Hut to Iris Burn Hut
- Kepler Track Day 3: Iris Burn Hut to Moturau Hut
- Kepler Track Day 4: Moturau Hut to Te Anau
- A Return to Milford Sound
- Coastal Pacific Train, Hitchking, And Nelson, In Between Great Walks
- Abel Tasman Coast Track Day 1: Marahau to Anchorage
- Abel Tasman Coast Track Day 2: Anchorage to Bark Bay
- Abel Tasman Coast Track Day 3: Bark Bay to Awaroa
- Abel Tasman Coast Track Day 4: Awaroa to Whariwharangi
- Abel Tasman Coast Track Day 5: Whariwharangi to Totaranui via Gibbs Hill Track
- Heaphy Track Day 1: Brown Hut to Perry Saddle Hut
- Heaphy Track Day 2: Perry Saddle Hut to James Mackay Hut
- Heaphy Track Day 3: James Mackay Hut to Heaphy Hut
- Heaphy Track Day 4: Heaphy Hut to Kohaihai
- Riding The Tranzalpine Train in New Zealand
- In Review: 69 Days of Backpacking in New Zealand
Previous entry: Day 2 – Anchorage to Bark Bay
Part of the New Zealand Great Walks Journal
Journal entry for May 3, 2015
Distance Hiked: 13.5 km
After not sleeping very well throughout the night, I woke up at 7am and sat on the porch of Bark Bay Hut, watching the sun rise as I listened to music on the phone. A very enjoyable experience. The tide was also rising very quickly.
![Rising tide by Bark Bay Hut, Abel Tasman Coast Track](http://kevinstravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DSC30601-1024x576.jpg)
![Rising tide by Bark Bay Hut, Abel Tasman Coast Track](http://kevinstravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DSC3071-1024x678.jpg)
Right after Bark Bay Hut, the trail climbs 200 meters. It felt steep this early in the day.
![Abel Tasman Coast Track elevation profile](http://kevinstravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Abel-Tasman-Coast-Track_elevation-profile_web-1024x341.jpg)
![Abel Tasman Coast Track](http://kevinstravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DSC3077-768x1024.jpg)
My plan was the stop at the Tonga Quarry (almost nothing remains of it) for lunch, but when I got there and saw two guys skinny dipping, I moved on. I could do without the nude show with my meal. I ended up stopping at Onetahuti Bay, which had fantastic views.
![Onetahuti Bay, Abel Tasman Coast Track](http://kevinstravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DSC3105-678x1024.jpg)
![Onetahuti Bay, Abel Tasman Coast Track](http://kevinstravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DSC3114-1024x678.jpg)
![Onetahuti Bay, Abel Tasman Coast Track](http://kevinstravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DSC3115-1024x678.jpg)
![Onetahuti Bay, Abel Tasman Coast Track](http://kevinstravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DSC3117-1024x678.jpg)
I walked on the sand along the entire Onetahuti Bay, and crossed a stream on a recently built bridge. In the past you would have to wait for low tide to cross this stream, but with the new bridge that is no longer necessary.
![Bridge by Onetahuti Bay, Abel Tasman Coast Track](http://kevinstravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DSC3120-1024x678.jpg)
The trail moves inland. I see a sign at a fork to Awaroa Lodge and Cafe. I was already dreaming of a flat white coffee when I read a different smaller sign stating that the cafe was closed after April.
Moving on, the Awaroa Inlet soon becomes visible. I could see a few buildings and a small landing strip in the distance.
![Awaroa Inlet, Abel Tasman Coast Track](http://kevinstravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DSC3124-1024x678.jpg)
After descending from the hill to sea level, the trail disappears and you follow the sandy beach along the inlet for a while, until you reach Awaroa Hut. The sun was punishing, and I was glad to reach the shade under the hut’s porch.
![Awaroa Hut, Abel Tasman Coast Track](http://kevinstravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DSC3134-1024x678.jpg)
The tide by then was low, and a German girl and two NZ guys at the hut had just crossed the river coming from the north side. I would be doing this same crossing the following day.
![Sea shell collection, Awaroa Hut, Abel Tasman Coast Track](http://kevinstravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DSC3139-1024x678.jpg)
One nice thing about huts on the Abel Tasman Coast Track is that they have outdoor showers. The water was freezing, but since the sun was still up, I decided to take a quick and refreshing shower.
![Shower by Awaroa Hut, Abel Tasman Coast Track](http://kevinstravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DSC3136-678x1024.jpg)
As I was starting a fire back in the hut, Tomo and Kozzie from Japan surprised me and came to say hi. I had met them a couple of weeks earlier at a hostel in Stewart Island, and now we were meeting again hundreds of kilometers away. Coincidences like this have happened often during my trip around the world. I chatted with them into the night, until they retired to the campsite next to the hut. I ended up having a whole bunk room to myself since we were only four people in the hut that night.
More info:
NZ Department of Conservation’s brochure and video for this walk.
Next entry: Day 4 – Awaroa to Whariwharangi Bay
Part of the New Zealand Great Walks Journal