Abel Tasman

Named after one of New Zealand's early explorers, the Abel Tasman area is situated at the north western tip of the South Island. Does that make sense?

It's a place that most Kiwi's will tell you they go during their holidays as it boasts some of the finest beaches in the country. Not only that, but there are several hikes to do that will often have you grabing the "green rush" as they put it because of the vegetation that grows out there.

In order to get to several of these hikes, you will need to take a water taxi up to one end and hike all the way back. (that is, if you are short on time)

We decided to allocated a day to this cause and were ambitous in wanting to complete a 5-6 hour hike. Once we passed the seal colony, the taxi boat dropped us off and we were on our own for the rest of the day. The hike itself was nice but perhaps not as spectacular as they had pumped it up to be. In the end, there was no "green rush" or perhaps we didn't find it. We did enjoy the hike, though it probably wasn't our most favorite. Our suggestion would be to experience it for yourselves if you have the chance. If not, its not the end of the world.