Golden summer days are simply beautiful on the Abel Tasman coastal walk, but the serenely placid silver days of autumn are just perfect.
I'm sitting on the porch of Meadowbank homestead taking in an idyllic scene.
The tide is pushing into the inlet, creeping over the golden silica sand in a timeless ritual.
The sky is deep blue, the air cool and crisp, the sea a soft translucent turquoise.
Our group of walkers on Wilson's three-day guided walk on the Abel Tasman track have this picture-postcard scene to ourselves.
The summer hordes are safely back home cherishing fond memories and viewing their digital images.
The sparkling beaches are virtually empty and the murmuring streams and fairy glades are ours to enjoy.
Our guided walk through New Zealand's smallest, most accessible and most popular national park begins in Motueka.
Tour guide Connie, who hails from Germany, is strikingly tall.
She works summers in Nelson and winters in Nepal.
We appreciate her wry sense of humour when she says, "We need to know if there are medical people on the trip - we don't need to know the lawyers."
As it happens, Sasha, from the UK, used to be a practising lawyer.
Mike and Nori are from the US and plan to kayak the last leg of this trip.
Alan and Janice hail from Paraparaumu and Alex and Paula are from the UK.
Paula is a Kiwi girl but moved to London "for the weather".
Our happy band of trampers is taken by bus to Kaiteriteri beach to board the Wilson's catamaran.
During the two-hour cruise to Totaranui, assistant guide Averil points out a quaint little cove.
Medlands beach used to have one of the few remaining 1950s-style private baches along the coast, which were required to be demolished on the death of the owner.
It seems that Mr Medland's son Vern occupied the bach for five years during which time the local ranger made numerous visits asking after the father's health and whereabouts.
Each time, by an amazing coincidence, he was out fishing, hunting or visiting Nelson.
When Vern's bluff was called, the ranger became threatening.
"You know what you have to do, Vern, or we'll do the demolition. By the way, can I have the oven out of the bach?"Vern was so incensed by this, he stuffed sticks of dynamite into the oven and blew the bach to smithereens.
The only thing remaining was the toilet seat, which he cemented on top of nearby Pinnacle Island and called "the loo with a view".
It was replaced recently by a radar antenna.
The oven door was found later on the hill above the bach.
"All our movements over the next two days will be dictated by the tides and today we plan to cross Awaroa Inlet at the 3.30pm low," Connie explains at our briefing on Totaranui.
"When you arrive at Meadowbank Homestead, your overnight bags will be waiting for you in the rooms - we are tramping in style."
When friendly mosquitoes join our party, she has more comforting words.
"We need these critters to keep us moving; otherwise, people just stop and stare at the marvellous scenery and block the track."
We hug the coastline on the easiest stretch of the 38km track then enter the fairy dell called Pound Gully, where the melodious chimes of bellbirds ring out in the still air.
This is virgin forest, whereas much of the track is regenerating after the extensive clearing operations of the early settlers.
Connie revitalises us with honeydew from fungi-blackened beech trees.
The pure glucose is sustaining and comes in minute droplets, which we collect on our fingertips, relishing every succulent drop.
At this point, Connie tells us about the female scale insect which penetrates the bark, taps into the tree sap and excretes the by-products through an anal tube sticking out of the bark.
"The excreta forms tiny droplets that look like morning dewdrops," she says, with a subtle grin on her face.
Meadowbank homestead is an elegant replica of William Hadfield's grand 1884 two-storeyed home built for his wife, Adele, on the best foreshore site in Awaroa Bay.
Our group settles into comfortable rooms named after the original family members and enjoys a hearty home-cooked meal, fine local wines and some sinfully rich desserts.
Staying in this historic lodge is the icing on the cake.
Another cool crisp still day dawns and we are offered a breakfast choice of "omelette or ancient crushed grains", which we correctly deduce is porridge in Connie-speak.
Caretaker Pete recounts some of the curious questions he's been asked at the lodge, such as "Who controls the estuary gates to let the water in and out?", "Is this salt water?" and "What elevation are we here?"The lodge is almost too comfortable to leave but we climb over Tonga Saddle, take a refreshing paddle in the shallows of Onetahuti beach and reach Tonga Quarry, where there are rough-sawn granite blocks from the batch that provided foundations for Nelson Cathedral and the old Parliament Building in Wellington.
Connie has a cornucopia of treats for the Bark Bay lunch stop, including tuna, muesli bars, cake, coffee, hot chocolate and camomile tea, plus a surprise bottle of wine plucked ceremoniously from her bulging backpack.
Descending through the bush to Torrent Bay inlet, we realise that we are an hour too early to cross the channel on a falling tide.
Connie wades in to find the water is thigh-deep and she makes the magnanimous offer to carry her people across.
One fearless individual steps forward in a spirit of camaraderie and whimsicality and is hoisted on the powerful shoulders and carried to safety.
Halfway across, he has a sudden onrush of fear, thinking Connie is intent on plunging her burden into the tide.
The rest of the party make their way safely across under their own steam.
Much good-hearted ribaldry results from this and Connie is frequently commended for both leading the group and carrying it as well.
Torrent Bay Lodge retains all the charm of the Wilson family's relaxing holiday home, sitting just above the tide line on the edge of a golden beach.
The lodge is renowned for its hospitality, having taken in all manner of lost, hungry and injured trampers.
One senior recorded his ordeal in the visitors' book.
"This old crock fell on a rock, arm in a sling, still managed to sing."
On day three, we skirt the estuary, make a final ascent and wind down to the Marahau track end.
While crossing the intertidal zone, Connie gives us our last gourmet treat, a taste of glasswort seaweed.
We are not told what special nutritive properties this tasteless morsel contains, but eat it out of respect for our intrepid leader.
On the bus returning to Motueka, Connie reveals that we have been a closely-knit "dream team", which we find quite pleasing.
Averil calls us Team Extreme, which is probably just a tad overstated, given that one unidentified member did require a traditional portage across an innocuous tidal channel.
Extreme adventurers are made of sterner stuff than this.
Those kindred adventurous spirits who are contemplating the Abel Tasman walk should not hesitate.
You will enjoy it at any time.
It's a park for all seasons, especially autumn.
Paul Rush is an Auckland-based travel writer.
Fact file
• Air New Zealand flies to Nelson from all main centres.
There is a regular airport-city shuttle service.
• Wilson's Experiences offer fully guided tours in the park, from a two-day sea-kayaking trip to a five-day walking/kayaking trip.
• Prices include local transport, equipment rental, instruction, luggage transfer and full-board accommodation in luxury beachfront lodges.
One-day tours are also available.
• Websites
Nelson Tasman Tourism: www.nelsonnz.com
Wilson's Experiences: www.abeltasmannz.com
Email: info@abeltasmannz.com
