Bark Bay to Awaroa
Day 4 of our Abel Tasman adventure. Thursday January 17th.
This day seemed longer than the stated 11.5 Km and 4 hours.
The track climbs steeply from Bark Bay to a saddle. Here we are exhausted at the top.
Beyond this there are stands of manuka before the track drops down to the abandoned Tonga Quarry. Blocks of granite and a few building remnants are all that remain of the operation which existed for a few years at the beginning of the 20th century. Tonga Island is offshore at the centre of a marine reserve. 
Following a quick up and over is the vast expanse of Onetahuti Bay with its golden beach. The track then climbs over Tonga Saddle and descends to the Awaroa Inlet.
Nico and I made the journey from Onetahuti twice – we went back to help the kayakers with our excess baggage that they had been carrying since Tuesday. On the second journey the tide had come in. Most of us had taken the high tide route but Sarah, Sam and Nico had to wade across one of the smaller estuaries.
There were lots of sea birds all the way around the coast including many nesting oystercatchers. Several pairs had one or two chicks running around with them while others were still incubating eggs.
This is the hut at Awaroa
with Andy completing his daily essay in the visitors/intentions book.
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