We left the farm went through Pohara and followed the road to Wainui Bay. This is where we took all the photos yesterday.

The gravel road leads to a car park for the walk to Wainui Falls. We were now in Abel Tasman National Park. It is totally unspoilt rainforest. We followed a long path by the river. It started off fairly gently and gets higher gently. After a long while the path is now quite high up and a long drop to the river. Then the upper river bed is level to the footpath. We crossed a wire suspended bridge (like a rope bridge in Indiana Jones) it swings as you walk over it. Climbed up wooden steps and then along the high part of the river we could hear the waterfall. It was quite impressive and as there is a drought at present in this area it makes me wonder what it looks like in full flow.

It is a sacred spot for the Maori and you are not supposed to eat food there!

On return we found there was a cafe area in the grounds of the large house by the car park. We had a Turkish bread toastie

With lashing of cheese and tomato and ham. It was huge and we should have shared one if we had known. It was so lovely there sitting under giant trees called Tasmanian black wood in the sunshine. The lady told us all about the life cycle of the large clicking noisy insects and their discarded shells on the trees.

So our exercise done for the morning! We met an oldish man and wife who said they had just travelled the other way along gravel tracks to Totaranui Beach. They were very excited about it and encouraged us to go. We were pleased we did. It was a gravel road 10 km and took 30 mins to get there going carefully as the road wound up over the mountain and down.

All this is in Abel Tasman National Park. Well the Bay was beautiful with deep blue and turquoise sea, and really orangey sand.

We walked all along it and sat taking in the view. You can travel there by sea taxi too we found out.

Returning along the gravel road didn’t seem too bad as we knew what to expect this time.

It was quite windy by now and the tide was right out so I had a paddle not a swim as planned.while Grandad went to sleep on the sand.

It looks like it may rain tonight. We explored a bit of Rene and Marianne’s farm. Their cows, alpacas and fruit trees. They have a lemon bush full of big lemons. Lots of grapes coming too. They keep pigs and chickens too. A lovely life but a big commitment isn’t it with a b&b and Marianne has an online shop.