Abel Tasman National Park in New Zealand is actually the country’s smallest, but size isn’t everything, and this place packs a real punch. It boasts a 60km long coastal track with some incredible campsites and huts dotted all the way along making it the perfect spot to go sea kayaking, sailing, or powerboating and spot orcas, seals, penguins, dolphins, sting rays, and more.
Location and History
The south end of Abel Tasman National Park is just over an hour’s drive from Nelson, the closest city with an airport and regular flights to Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. This makes it pretty accessible. There is also a bus service a couple of times a day from Nelson to Mārahau (the village at the south end of the national park) via Motueka. As the bus is not that regular, check the timetable and book in advance to be sure.
The national park gets its name from Abel Tasman, the Dutch seafarer who was the first European to discover New Zealand. Abel Tasman anchored in the area in 1642 and had some tense exchanges with the local Maori. To commemorate his discovery and mapping of the area, the national park was created and named after him exactly 300 years later.
As Abel Tasman National Park is right at the top of the South Island, the temperature is pretty mild in winter and nice and warm in summer, with temperatures over 20 degrees celsius.
Mārahau: the Gateway to Abel Tasman
Most people start in Mārahau, a small coastal town with a few cottages, campsites, and lodges. The town is also home to plenty of outdoor activity operators like kayak rentals and guides, fishing trips, small boat tours, water taxi services, and more. And there are more activity operators in Motueka who offer even more options like canyoning, plus more sea kayaks. Motueka is about half an hour from Mārahau, so these operators would likely shuttle you there in minivans.
There is a large car park at the entrance to Abel Tasman National Park beaches, walks and all. If you park up here, keep an eye peeled for wekas. These chicken-sized native birds are often mistaken for kiwis but are a lot more common and quite cheeky. Keep an eye on your pack lunch, or they might run off with it.
I have never had a problem parking in winter, but during summer the car park can get very busy. The main car park is free but could fill up during the summer, especially at weekends, so you may be forced to use another car park in Mārahau, which is not free.
Remember, Mārahau is where most people start because it is closest to Nelson; you could always start from the other end at Wainui. It will add a couple of hours to your drive, but the nearby Golden Bay has some lovely beaches and more options for pre/post-hike accommodation.
Abel Tasman National Park Hikes: The Rundown
First off, tramping is how Kiwis typically refer to bushwalking or hiking, of which Abel Tasman has plenty. The most popular route is the coast track. Over the years, I have hiked parts of this track, run other sections, and kayaked alongside it.
The Abel Tasman coast track is one of NZ’s ten great walks, all of which are incredible, world-class tracks that are very well maintained and conserved but…busy. In summer, the four huts along the route can be booked months in advance, so when it comes to Abel Tasman National Park hikes, planning ahead is crucial. If you don’t mind camping, it makes things a lot easier. I counted eighteen campsites along the route with varying capacities.
To book any Abel Tasman National Park camping or huts, the Department of Conservation or DOC website is your go-to. DOC is the government agency responsible for national park conservation, track maintenance, huts and campsites. They have rangers on the ground in Abel Tasman all the time during the peak season to keep things running smoothly and make sure everyone is safe.
Planning Your Hike
Okay, so you start from Mārahau and hike 60km with four huts in between and a bunch of campsites, but what do you do at the other end? For most, a water taxi is the best option. Otherwise, you can drive back from Wainui Bay, where the track ends, which takes almost two hours, versus shorter boat trips.
Water taxis operate along the coast during peak times with varying timetables, so be sure to check their website and book in advance. Apparently, some of the water taxi companies will pick up your bags from the hut each day and ferry them to the next location, so you don’t have to carry as much. I have not used this service, so I recommend checking with one of the water taxis to see if it is possible.
I have walked and run the first 20-ish kilometres of the track plenty of times, and I’ve tramped to the Awaroa Hut, which is about 15km from the end. On that occasion, it was the middle of winter when water taxis were rare and expensive, so I walked back the same way to the car.
Check out a map of Abel Tasman National Park and see what looks good to you. There are plenty of options, but planning ahead for campsite, hut or water taxi bookings is important.
Campsites and Huts
My favourite campsite is actually very near Mārahau. At Apple Tree Bay, you can camp right on the sand and collect green mussels off the rocks for dinner (further along the walk is all marine reserve, so be careful where you collect seafood or fish). If you are just visiting for the day, walking to Apple Tree and back is a great way to see some pristine beaches and clifftop views.
If you’re going during summer, I reckon camping is the way to go, but that’s just one man’s opinion. The huts are great with foam mattresses, cooking areas and running water, but they get very busy. If you don’t mind a few midges and a bit of extra weight in your pack, camping gives you way more options. With the number of campsites, you could easily walk for five hours one day, then eight the next.
Abel Tasman National Park Kayaking
In July 2023, my partner and I headed to Abel Tasman for a sea kayaking adventure. It was not a nice day, as you can see by the rain below, and there were no other sea kayakers out, but we persevered. You can rent sea kayaks for the afternoon, day or even week. As it was the middle of winter, we opted for an afternoon expedition, although I would love to rent a sea kayak and camp along the whole track at some point.
We used Kahu Kayaks in Mārahau to hire one double kayak, which cost about $60 each (this could be more in summer). The Kayak centre guy was bemused as to why we would want to go out in the drizzle but very Kiwi about it and got us dressed in some warm thermals, wetsuits and lifejackets (all of that is included in the price). He gave us a quick demo of how everything worked and told us there was a flare in the dry bag for emergencies.
We then got driven down to the beach, kayaks in tow and launched into the water. After about two hours of paddling, we reached a small bay for lunch. After lunch, we set off to Motuareronui, a small island off the coast where seals live. Sure enough, there were tons of seals backing about on the rocks and diving into the ocean. You can often spot dolphins in the water around there, but visibility was a bit low.
Abel Tasman National Park: A Must For Adventure-Lovers
This little national park is a spectacular place to spend a week, weekend, or day at any time of year. Whether you fancy sea kayaking, a day walk or a week-long tramp through the bush, Abel Tasman is the place to go.
