While sitting in front of Woody on the pohara beach, the neighbor came by. He is from Auckland and is here with his wife. He started telling about how beautiful it is and talk about some poi. When he left he mentioned that Abel Tasman is a Dutch guy!

It was a tiring trip to get here. We make quite a few kilometers. This island does not seem so small anymore. It takes quite a while to get somewhere, you always have to pass a few mountains or through a pass. The last part we had to cross a mountain, in to the mist, rain, wet and steep! That required concentration and perseverance of woody. But we did get where we wanted to be at a beach. Just a hedge is separating us from the Tasmanian sea. After a day of traveling, we usually do nothing, we take a look in the brochures and lonely planet.

I was going thru my mail and saw a invoice. Not something i was waiting for but it was expected. Also a message from a friends. She wrote “Hope that the journey brings you what you need and that you can be and accept everything there is. Because there is nothing else this is it”.

That made me think again and I just cleared my head. It lead to two questions

• Do I get to understand that “all that is”
• Is there more than I my eyes can see?

I finished reading the book and will re-read 3 chapters. I experience it as an inspiring book and offers me ome kind of tools for my future, and possibly giving me some new direction in life.

A new day and I woke up early. The sun is shining. Sunshine always gives me energy and I felt like hiking and discover the place. Had to do the daily groceries and see the rawhiti caves. A walk of just 3.5 km of which 2.5 km climbing and clambering.

Afterwards it seemed it was a challenge!

So well dressed we went. It took a while before we found the track. It turned out to be quite a trip! The weather was perfect, through the woods or sometimes jungle. I already felt like a real Steve Irwin. We find that the higher we got the path was just gone.

The track was very muddy and therefore also slippery. It had rained a day earlier. The higher we came the more worried I was about how to get down again. Climbing was doable but descending could be a real challenge.

During the climb I felt as if we were being shown the way by the birds there. Graceful birds, as if they were dancing in the air. I thought about the birds in Cinderella and other Disney fairytales.

We were really alone on that mountain. It gave a powerful feeling, but were also depending on each other, and kept a close eye on each other.

The time came that the risks weigh heavier than gain of reaching the caves. The focus went from environment to where we set our feet and where we placed our hands. And this was the easy part because we went up.

Finally decided to go back start the descent again. I climbed a further 2 hundred meters to see if we were almost at the caves but nothing. Together with extreme caution we went down. We had no more eye for the beauty around us, but occasionally a bird around us pointing the way back.

At the dry creek we were able to straighten our backs and laugh. We where we greatly enjoyed the beautiful climb and the tension, and each other!

The next morning it was gray in the air. We looked at the weather forecast, and this day it seemed to be a good day for kayaking at sea. The internet says that at the golden bay, Abel Tasman park, is the place to do it. Done some kayaking in Norway and that was pretty impressive. I hoped this trip would be as impressive as well.

The weather was good to us. cloudy yes, wind too, but dry and not cold. The coast was good and clear to see, and we went close to the coast alternating with rock parties, and beaches, mountains. This past few weeks I enjoyed so many beautiful places. Tui, our guide, told us about the area, and gave some history lessons about Abel Tasman.

She also provided a cup of coffee and chocolate and a NZ snack. Very tasty, and with the 3 of us we had fun! I think it has it’s charmes to be outside the tourist season. We got all the time of Tui to look around, and to talk.

Upon returning, there was still a journey ahead. After coffee and lunch we started driving again, a trip 5 hours (230 km) through mountains and valleys. To Picton, our last destination on the South Island.