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.
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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.
Some places are just so beautiful you just have to keep returning to ensure your memories have not been distorted over time. The Abel Tasman is exactly one of those places so we get out there and do a different section of the Park every time we get a chance. A walk we did recently was up the Falls River Track. This walk can be completed as a day trip with a return water taxi from Marahau to Torrent and out of Anchorage in the afternoon.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that Jared grew up in the Abel Tasman National Park. His grandparents have always owned a private bach at Apple Tree in the southern part of the Park. When he was just a young fella he once stayed up in the Park for a full month with his family. It was one of these times when he decided what he wanted to do when he grew up: to be a water taxi skipper.
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.
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.
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
