The Abel Tasman National Park is an easily-accessible coastal paradise, with inviting sandy beaches, crystal clear streams that tumble down mossy valleys to join the ocean. Granite and marble formations fringe the headlands, which are cloaked in regenerating native forest. There is a walking track that follows the coast and offers some spectacular scenery and adventures. You can choose to explore the park from land, on the water, or in the air. There are a range of cruises, water taxi services to walking tracks, kayaking options, heli-tours and sailing catamarans.
At Te Puketea Bay, a perfect crescent of golden sand, a walking track leads up Pitt Head to an ancient Maori pā (fort) site. Terracing and food pits are still visible, and it’s easy to see why the location was chosen as a defensive site – the views are huge. Native wildlife is an essential part of the scenery. Tui and bellbird song fills the forest; shags (cormorants), gannets and little blue penguins dive for their dinner; fur seals lounge on the rocks around the edge of Tonga Island and Adele Island.
The park is accessible from the towns of Mārahau and Kaiteriteri in the South, and from Golden Bay and Totaranui in the North. Most water taxi services depart from Mārahau or Kaiteriteri and travel only as far north as Totaranui. You can have a day visit, stay in the park at a resort or there are comfortable private lodges at Awaroa and Torrent Bay that you can combine with multi-day walking experiences.
Classed as one of New Zealand’s ‘Great Walks’, the Abel Tasman Coastal Track takes between 3 and 5 days to complete. It climbs around headlands and through native forest to a series of beautiful beaches. The track is walkable at any time of the year. Or for those with only a day to see Abel Tasman National Park, water taxi companies can provide a personalised mix of sightseeing by boat and track walking as well as kayaking. It’s easy to arrange pick-up or drop-off points at various points along the tracks and a day experience can be tailored to specific needs.