The Bailey Expedition

Golden Bay and Abel Tasman National Park

After an extended period of traveling during the weekends, we finally had a week of relaxing at home before heading to Abel Tasman park. Friday we went to a rugby match of the Christchurch team that is international champions (see other photos). It was an interesting cultural experience as the Crusaders played the Chiefs (no symbolism there). On Saturday Pamela and Mark took the opportunity to go to a concert in the really beautiful town hall (left). This hall contains a special Swiss Organ that we hope we will get a chance to hear. The hall had amazing acoustics, but that was not what was truly unique about the experience. Ludwig's piece was played masterfully and the audience loved it, so as the pianist took her encore bows the mature and staid audience began to...madly stomp their feet in a thunderous roar. While still in a bit of shock from this display, we rose for intermission and watched as the aisles filled with vendors selling...ice cream cones!

On Sunday Evening March 16th, our family joined in a global vigil for peace. At 7:00 hundreds of individuals from Christchurch joined together in harmony to begin a rolling wave of pacifism that swept through hundreds of countries as it made its way through each time zone (see MoveOn for details). It was a very moving experience, one that appeared to be lost on our president.

Traveling to the North of the southern island was engaged through the center of the island. We went from the rolling Cantabrian plains to the more mountainous North. To the west of us was the Kahurangi National Park as we approached Abel Tasman and Golden Bay. However before we arrived we took a short side trip to Nelson to rendezvous with Nancy and James (Colleague and friends from Eugene). Having been here two weeks, they offered the highest praise for this region and suggested numerous places for us to visit. After repast and ice cream and armed with annotated map, we parted ways to allow us to get to our cabin in Pakawau before evening. What a place, three rooms and right on the beach. We may never leave (view off deck is on right).

It is not often that this family wakes for a sunrise, but facing East and having a beautiful bay 50 ft. from our cabin motivated us for an inspiring start to the day. After a bit of breakfast we rented a sea kayak and alternated our time dancing above the waves and splashing beneath them. Towards evening we set out at low tide to tidy up the beach by collecting a bounty of shells. After discovering dozens of fresh clams, a thoughtful discussion ensued regarding their potential consumption with the walrus staked to one side of the issue, and the carpenter presenting the antipode. A consensus was eventually reached that we were not empowered with the right to take the life of another creature, even if that other is a shellfish. Seeing how other individuals on the beach were not so inclined (including clammers and sea gulls), the remaining hours of visible light were filled with the deliverance of uncountable shellfish back to the bay by a young activist and his brother. Upon our discovery that a favorite type of shell that washed up on the beach tended to contain a hermit crab as a resident, we then proceeded to check every spiral shell on the beach. Only three that we surveyed were unoccupied, and were summarily claimed as recompense for the legion who were reunited with the bay. What will these creatures do after we are no longer here to watch over them? The day ended with a bonfire on the beach and the sacrificial burnt offering of marshmallows.

Today was another wonderful day from dawn to sunset. We all rose to catch the sun rise over Golden Bay and to search for any shells that had escaped yesterday's quest. Quinn and Griffin then spent a few more hours frolicking in the surf as mother reposed on the beach and dad caught up the status of SARS and Sadam. After lunch we moseyed out to Farewell Spit, a "wetland of international significance" to watch black swans, kingfishers, and migratory birds poised for the flight to Alaska and Siberia. Finally we hiked out to Wharariki Beach on the west coast where we divided our time between observing a family of seals frolicking in a small tidal pool, and watching our own brood frolicking in the sand dunes. As a bookend on the day we observed a magnificent sunset before picking our way back to the car well after it was dark. We might still be there if we had not been in the expert hands of one "Mr. Green" who led us back to our vehicle.

Well, all good things must end and so after another Sunrise stroll to repatriate loitering shellfish to the surf, we headed south to Abel Tasman park. As we waited to check into our cabin, we took a very short hike to "The Grove". This was a quirky local haunt with a vantage point over the bay. What made it stunning was the large number of trees with trunks growing on top of rocks dozens of meters high with roots wrapped around and snaking down to the forest floor. After checking in we decided to take a short hike to Tui Point and visit Wainui Bay along the way. When we reached the bay it was obvious that we would go no further that day. Wainui had two other groups of visitors for a short time, and then the beach was ours for the remainder of the day. Very gently sloping pristine sand beach in a small cove, warm water, playful waves, suits optional. It was marvelous. Another sunrise to sunset day. When you reach paradise you wonder why you would ever leave. With few mundane incumbrances, we chose to stay another day.

A substantial hike under the Abel Tasman canopy was the first order of the day and we chose to head up to Wainui Falls. This was a lovely stroll through a lush forest along the Wainui river. After crossing a 50 Meter swing bridge (below) we alighted at a deep cool pool at the base of a beautiful falls (see right). Syllogism; hikers get hot and sweaty, we are hikers, therefore we should return to Wainui Bay. And this time it was all but vacant for the first hour and ours till sunset. Today the bay was completely waveless, windless and silent except for the occasional bird call or whoop of the wild swimmer. We are in awe of the natural resources in Golden Bay and in this National park.

If the success of expeditions to the beach is measured in numbers of collected shells, quantity of consumed sunscreen, or amount of sand in our cabins, this has been an unqualified success. It has been warm, wet and wonderful. This bliss will linger long past our return to Christchurch. While we are a bit concerned about New Zealanders' cavalier attitude towards such essentials as ice for drinks and quality marshmallows, we have had another stunning trip to one of the many natural gems in this country. ....(Don't forget to view all the photos of this expedition)