Māori lived along the Abel Tasman coast for at least the last 500 years, gathering food from the sea and forest. Today, you can walk in their footsteps and experience the breathtaking beauty of New Zealand’s only coastal National Park.
If you’re ready to discover the best of New Zealand, plan your experience using our handy Trip Finder tool.
2400Sunshine hours per year
22530Hectares of striking landscapes
700Years of fascinating history
51km of breathtaking coastline
Sea Kayaking
The Abel Tasman is the kayaking mecca of New Zealand. It is the only national park situated along a coastline with sweeping sheltered coastlines and crystal clear waters. If you're new to kayaking, a guided trip with a local guide is the safest and most intimate way to explore the Abel Tasman. Seasoned professionals can rent a freedom kayak and paddle at your own pace.
The Abel Tasman is rich in wildlife such as seals, dolphins, native birds and penguins. Get closer to this natural beauty with a water taxi who will get you up close and personal with the very best of the Abel Tasman. Be a local for the day and explore the majestic surroundings of the Abel Tasman with a small group and friendly local skipper.
Whether you plan to stay for a day or three, walking the Abel Tasman offers the opportunity to experience the best of New Zealand’s Great Walks. Don’t forget your camera though, the Abel Tasman Coastal Track offers golden beach after golden beach and gentle climbs that reveal the most breathtaking beauty New Zealand has to offer.
The Coastal Track is a trail runner’s idea of paradise. It is well formed, so you can move along reasonably swiftly, but is also undulating and varied enough to make it interesting. With water taxis available to take you to any of the 6 coastal access points in the Park you can run pretty much any section of the track you want, and then either run back to Marahau, or get picked up by a water taxi for your return.
I’ve got two young kids so am always looking for activities that don’t need to be funded through the sale of my non-vital organs. The cheapest way to access the Abel Tasman National Park is by foot. In fact, you won’t pay a bean to enter the Park providing you can find your way to Marahau at the start of the Coastal Track. From there, you simply walk into the Park for as far as you want to.
My absolute top camping spot in the Park, despite its name, is Mosquito Bay. One of its key attractions for me is it is off the Coastal Track so is only accessible by boat. That means it’s quite private and sometimes we have the whole place to ourselves. We get there using our own boat but it is also accessible by kayak, a short paddle north of Bark Bay in the middle of the Park.
I love encountering the many smiling faces and different accents as I wander through the Abel Tasman, meeting people around the campfire at Anchorage or swimming at the beaches in the Southern end of the Park. But for those times when I feel like isolating myself a bit in order to truly immerse myself in
Dasha – Ukraine “Abel Tasman is truly one of the most beautiful corners on Earth, it is definitely the “must-do” thing in New Zealand. The nature is stunning, food is amazing and people are great! There is plenty to do and experience here.… Read More
Nigel – Auckland, NZ “Nothing says New Zealand quite like the Abel Tasman. Our whole day was full of postcard moments - lying in the sun on the golden sand, swimming in crystal clear pools and walking along pristine New Zealand coastline. Amazing!” Read More
Jamie – Wellington, NZ “We will never forget our time in the Abel Tasman. Our boat driver was friendly and knowledgeable. He made the whole experience seamless and easy - dropping us off at one beach and picking us up at another after a… Read More
Steph – Wellington, NZ “The Abel Tasman is paradise on earth. Seriously, it doesn’t get any better than this. Take one of the smaller water taxis, it’s by far the best way to see and explore the best bits of the Abel Tasman.” Read More
Andrew – Holland “This is the New Zealand we dream of now that we are based in Europe - a perfect Abel Tasman experience. Our whole day was full of postcard moments - lying in the sun on the golden sand, swimming in… Read More
