A love letter to: Abel Tasman National Park

Devin Abrams.

There is one place in this beautiful country that always leaves me feeling completely fulfilled - Abel Tasman National Park.

It has some of the most amazing views, beaches and campsites. The first time I visited the park was at age 10, tramping with my family.

It was on this trip that I became captivated by the great outdoors.

The second time was when a good friend came out from the United States. We were both 18 and had every intention of multi-tasking, tramping/swimming by day and drinking whisky by night.

The clear nights lent themselves to many great conversations and shared memories. I can still recall several of those intense formative political debates that took place in the serenity of that environment.

The last trek I made there was many moons later with my wife and a dear friend. We hired a couple of kayaks and loaded them up (as you do when you're a little older and have the luxury of some extra storage) with an assortment of wine, cheeses and other New Year's Eve necessities. The park still had all of the magic I remembered: the beautiful native bush, manuka scent, glassy and absurdly clear waters, white sand beaches, friendly wildlife.

The beauty of it represents something that we should never take for granted and something that every New Zealander should experience at least once in their lifetime.

Devin Abrams is a Wellington-based songwriter and producer with a solo project under the name Pacific Heights, and founder of the band Shapeshifter.