Sun, sand and sore legs

After Nelson, we made our way up to the Abel Tasman which promised sun and sandy coves. 13 years ago Sam kayaked here, so this time (and having just had a wonderful kayak trip in Marlborough) we decided to run the track.
Since Sam was here last it has been developed and a host of water taxi companies have sprung up, meaning what was a fantastic, secluded walk, with camp sites only accessible from the track or by kayak, is now positively crowded (sidebar: we are probably sounding like outdoor snobs, but it felt a little wrong that people inappropriately dressed and kitted out for the conditions could be ferried to what was once a 3 day walk away and then scowl/get in the way of others...more on that later).
We stayed in a local camp site overnight and booked on the first water taxi out in the morning. After a lot of faff (but with the promised sun and sand) we got dropped up at Awaroa bay, the penultimate taxi stop and ~40km from the camp site and set off running back.
As it was one of NZs great walks, the track is well kept and undulates up and down the hills and in and out the coves.

With the occasional great view (of which we have few photos as we were running too fast to stop!!):

For the first two hours it was a fantastic run, with few people and lovely weather. As we neared the more populated bits of the track we came across more and more people, few of whom responded to our calls of 'hello' or friendly smiles.
Anyway, by 3 hours our legs had started to hurt and our hamstrings were rapidly shortening. As the ascents were gradual, the entire track was run-able (all our previous runs in NZ had a significantly steeper section requiring more of a fast walk, thereby giving some respite to running muscles). In addition, the large tides led to the tracks being submerged in places meaning wading was required.
We eventually reached the end of the track after 4.5 hours with very stiff, sore legs. After a quick dip in the sea to relax our legs and a swift shower at the campsite, we proceeded to the local burger van for a bite before a well deserved night's sleep in Gerty, with the second of NZ's great walks conquered.