abel tasman | AAV Explorations

Turquoise blue water from Tasman Bay surrounding you, gentle waves splashing in the distance as they come up on the beaches, feeling the soft sand between your toes, a slight breeze in the air as the warm sun beats down–you’re not in Kansas any more, you’re in a paradise called Abel Tasman National Park. One of New Zealand’s finest coastal National Parks, Abel Tasman may be the smallest park but it’s a gigantic playground for adventurers and those looking to turn-off from the rest of the world and relax.

Create your own adventure
At Able Tasman, it’s up to you to decide the adventure–whether you want to take a day trip, or use several days to explore the park. You can choose from one day pass, three day pass or five day pass. The Able Tasman Coastal Track is 32 Miles (51 Km) long and perfect for walking, but keep in mind this isn’t a circuit track and you’ll need other forms of transportation at either end of the trail. You can always switch it up and decide to sea kayak some of the trail for whole new experience! Though there are no kayak rentals on the national park, you can arrange for a rental before you enter the park. Or, you can check out the awesome full-day and half-day guided kayak tours here.

Whether you want to adventure off into the park, take a boat tour and watch the dolphins swim alongside, kayak with seals, beachcomb, explore the parks natural flora and fauna and wildlife, there’ll be something for all types of vacationers to enjoy.

Accommodation
At Cumar Gold Travel we really love to work with Clare & Peter at the The Resurgence Luxury Eco Lodge. This luxury boutique property is a great home base for active couples who enjoy good food and nature. Set in 50 acres of wilderness with 5km of bush tracks it doesn’t get any more luxurious close to the park. The Resurgence offers rooms at the main house, or if you love privacy, luxurious stand alone cottages. Clare & Peter offer several packages including food and activities and will go out of their way to help you create the experience perfect for you. Activity options include day trips to Abel Tasman (hiking and kayaking), hiking to nearby Mount Arthur, a visit to a winery and much more. When you get home from your explorations and are ready to relax you will find a hot tub and salt water pool, gym and yoga area. You can also get pampered with massages, reflexology, reiki, facials and aromatherapy from their on-call therapists.

Travel Tip: Protecting your electronics on the water
Have you ever gone kayaking or boating and you wanted to bring your phone and wallet with you but you just didn’t know how to keep it dry? Have you ever taken your phone out then a wave hits your kayak and you drop your phone…and it’s gone to its watery grave? If you found yourself saying yes to these situations, or have been in similar ones, then you know you’re fed up with having to purchase new phones when something like this happens.

Whether you’re an avid adventurer or new to water activities, obviously you’ll want to take photos or videos to capture your experience. For $30 plus shipping you can get a waterproof case from Epic Kayak that allows you to store and use your phone in the bag. The bag is waterproof up to 30 M (100 ft) and the magnetic strips won’t interfere with your phone or credit cards. If you don’t feel like spending money on a waterproof bag, you can always go the el cheapo route and use a Ziploc bag. It’ll keep 99 percent of sand and water out and you can still use your phone’s touch screen through the plastic.