24 carat sparkling golden beaches, turquoise waters, emerald lush forests, silver springs and inlets… nature offers a surfeit of exquisite and precious landscapes at New Zealand’s Abel Tasman coastline. A 60 km walk, the Abel Tasman begins at Kaiteriteri. Cross Marahou, Anchorage, Awaroa, Whariwharangi and finally reach the end point, Wainui. Walk through crescent shaped beaches with regenerating rainforests in the background. The Abel Tasman track is not a circuit but many water services to take you back or to get you to another destination en route are easily available.

The stretches of sand offer sudden and unannounced treats to the keen walker. Like fur seals perched on granite rocks, the sudden disappearance of land during high tide, a school of dolphins ushering the water taxis to destination, birds and penguins pecking about, unmindful of the hundreds of hikers pausing to stretch their quads.… the list is endless.

The high point literally is the 47 m long suspension bridge at Bark Bay, hung above a streaming inlet. Abel Tasman is not about just walking. It is about a tryst with the terrain. Wading through the sea in low tide, climbing ridges, kayaking, stopping in your tracks to listen to bird songs (sure, they sing!) are all part of the deal.

A walk is usually the best way to have conversations with self. In a way, embark on a voyage of self-discovery. Discover your endurance limits, learn life lessons as you realise that the only way to go forward is to put that foot down and take it one step at a time!