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abel tasman

there is nature in abundance , and i am revelling in it. because it is nature that i need and nature that i miss most living in london. although i will always live in a city, i need opportunity to regular exposure to and contact with trees, birds. i need to be able to stand still in the silence. i need moss underfoot and pine needles overhead. without this i become sour and hard, like a bitter dried-up old seed. it happens gradually, this process of withdrawal, like the slow depletion of a vitamin. but when i get the chance to re-immerse myself in forest oxygen and sea breezes, i wonder how i managed to stay alive without it.

so where new zealand is famous for its spectacular nature, i ‘ve been looking forward to spending some quality time getting reacquainted with the great outdoors. given our time constraints, we can really only do day hikes, and i was so disappointed when the tangariro crossing was rained out. but we finally got our chance.

up at dawn, we bundled in layers against the freezing temperatures and headed up the abel tasman coastal track. in summer one can kayak/hike/camp the whole three day affair. glorious sunshine and blue skies graced us. we walked along shoreline and high into the forest with mountains above us and mountains across the bay. we had an amazing 23 km of the most amazing hike and at the end of the day i was both exhausted and invigorated.

which is lucky, because now it is raining once again…

more photos here

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