Hongi group’s second full week was filled with lots adventure (and quite a bit of rain). We started off the week at Whenua Iti headquarters, where we were briefed on the week ahead of us, by our two leaders, Rob and Joe. Our original plan was to hike the full Abel Tasman trail over six days, but a forecast full of rain caused us to change our plans to accommodate a more flexible itinerary. While a little a disappointed at first, our mood quickly improved after an afternoon of exploring the high ropes course at Whenua Iti HQ. The course included a series of wooden platforms to jump across, a water-soaked log to balance on, and a tightrope to walk across while holding on to a series of hanging ropes. The exercise was a great way for the whole group to get active while preparing for the trip ahead. We ended the day by packing up and moving to Marahu outdoor education centre, where we spent the night.
Tuesday started with a drive out to the commentary caves, where we spent the day underground. We split into two groups and started from opposite ends of the cave to meet for lunch in the middle. It was a new experience for almost all members of the group, and we all enjoyed the experience. To end the day, we returned to Marahu covered in mud and ate dinner and marshmallows by a fire.
Wednesday was our first day of hiking, and was a great learning experience for the group. Many members our group had never hiked with a backpack before, so it was a great challenge for everyone. We hiked along the coast of Abel Tasman National Park, admiring the golden beaches and lookouts along the way. Our first day of hiking done, we settled down for the night at the camp right next to the beach.
Our second day of hiking was another challenge for the whole group, as it involved less distance than the previous day but also more hills. However, Hongi group met the challenge head-on and we powered through all the way to bark bay, camping on a small spit of land surrounded on two sides by the bay and a tidal lagoon.
On Friday, we left our gear at camp and hopped in wakas to paddle around the coast of the park. We encountered many different sea creatures, and even got to swim right next to a group of juvenile seals. On our way towards a small island which was a seal colony, we encountered a pod of dolphins and paddled over to say hello before heading back to camp. We then had some solo time to admire the beautiful beach exposed by the tide and reflect on the incredible amount of sea creatures we saw earlier.
We started Saturday morning at the early hour of 5 am, and were on the water before sunrise. The group quickly realized how efficient the waka is compared to hiking, after realizing we were able to cover the distance from our second day of hiking in just under an hour. We continued to paddle through the rainy weather, eventually having some brunch on the beach before paddling or wakas to their final destination and exchanging heartfelt goodbyes with the leaders of our group for the week.
All in all, it has been another productive week for the Hongi group, filled with lots of activity. The group is looking forward to having a couple days to relax and recover while getting ready for our next adventure and planning our student directed travel.
-Teddy