Coming from California, I've experienced some pretty spectacular National Parks - Abel Tasman, however was a completely unique experience.  The only two ways to even get into this park were either to hike, or take a water taxi - there are no roads for cars to drive in.  We opted for the water taxi, and hiked most of the way out of the park (about 15 kilometers or 9 miles.)

The weather on this day was perfect, so the colors in the water were crystal clear and truly amazing.  Along the water portion of our journey, we stopped at Split Apple rock, and Tonga Island Seal colony, both amazing sites to take in. 

The water taxi arrived at the shore, literally pulling right onto the beach for us to disembark.  From here we hiked first to Barks Bay, eventually ending at Torrents Bay.  The timing of our hikes corresponed with low tide, so we got the luxury of playing along the huge outstretch of beach, which was so neat. 

The views along our hike were mesmerizing, at times almost making it easy to slip off the edge while not paying attention to where we were stepping.  We even crossed a swingbridge, which was a thrill to jump up and down on, as some of the video captures.

I truly felt energized after our day at Abel Tasman, one of the most gorgeous places I have ever had the fortune of experiencing in my life.