Hello everybody! We just got back from a four day backpacking trip on the Abel Tasman coast. Although it was very flat and easy going, my feet, legs, and back were killing me by the end of the trip, but I have seem to developed new muscles and a new tan which I like. The walk was incredible, starting out along the coast then heading into the jungle a while then back out again. We stopped at many beaches along the way, swimming and lounging around, which was awesome. The jungles were unreal, reminding me of Jurassic Park, and the ocean was the clearest blue ever against golden sand. Sometimes hiking throught the jungle you could look through the trees and see the ocean. It was really incredible. Then on the last day we hiked about 7 hours strait, not to mention up THE BIGGEST hill around which was supposed to be a short cut, that's why we went over it, but it turned out to be the same as going around it. It was awesome though; we got to the top and had a nice veiw around us at all the rolling hills behind and the beaches ahead of us. We stayed in huts for three nights, which was an experience. The huts have bathrooms, kitchens, and usually two rooms in which about 14 people sleep all lined up. On the second night we happened to get stuck in a room with a bunch of old men that snored, and of course we were in the middle because we got there late, so there was a symphony of snorers around us all night. The third night we stopped at a restaurant along the way to our hut, drank a couple of beers then had a little difficulty finding our hut after that, although it was fun. I feel so good being clean again. Anyway don't have much else to say, love you all!
~Mary

Cheers! I have fully fallen in love with this country and especially this island! We just got back last night from our coastal trek in Abel Tasman National Park (the smallest of NZ's National Parks and the one with the most coastline) and oh, my God, it was beautiful! Just like one of those magazine covers you see when you say, "That's where I want to go!"- golden beaches, CLEAR blue-green water, and jungles of fern trees, and pools filled by water cascading down over a jumble of mossy rocks. I think Mary may have gotten a tad bit annoyed with me when I didn't even realize I was stopping every 10 feet to look at something. I was not the only one along the way who wondered if we could get anywhere with such incredible views and opportunities to stop and swim on one of those beautiful beaches or whatever! People along the trail all acknowledge your passing like on Colorado trails, only you'd hear a "Hiya!", "Gidday!", "Hello!", or "Hi!". The beaches and fern trees were the highlight for me. In the true spirit of backpacking, we made sushi the first night and soon realized we had not brought enough chocolate, so when we were surprised with the Aworoa Lodge near our hut our last night out, we truly enjoyed our cold beers and stocked up on chocolate desserts for our final day. We were ready to "take our feet off" by the end of it, but, we came back to the Holiday Park in Motueka and got cleaned up again and are now heading back to Nelson for the day and will head on down the east coast. Oh, part of the trek was a Marine Reserve and saw a few starfish- a cool little one kind of octaganol=shaped with blue tips.
Love, Holly