So many options, so little time - A guide to things to do in the Abel Tasman when you're short on time.
We get an interesting mix of visitors who come into our operating bases to book an AquaTaxi trip for their day in the park. At one end of the spectrum will be people TIME who have done their research and have decided to do a specific section of the Abel Tasman Coast Track, for example, the walk from Bark Bay to Anchorage because they want to walk across the Falls River Swingbridge.
At the other end of the scale are visitors who have heard the Abel Tasman is a must-do but don’t have any firm ideas of what they want to do. The second group might even ask, “So, the Abel Tasman. What’s good?” For this second group, we try to guide them towards doing the trip we think they will have the best experience doing. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but we actually want every single person who visits the Abel Tasman to have a wonderful experience.
The Abel Tasman Coast Track is roughly 60 kilometres long, winding its way from Mārahau in the south up to Wainui to the north. The track can be loosely divided into sections between the different bays or the six Coastal Access Points (CAPs) where water taxis are permitted to drop-off and pick-up passengers. The idea of these CAPs is to provide visitors with options to complete a small section of the track by taking an AquaTaxi to one bay before walking through to the next bay to be collected and dropped back at your original departure point. Another option is for walkers to either get dropped at a CAP and then walk back to Mārahau, or alternatively, people can start their walk in Mārahau and then get picked up wherever they choose to end their walk, whether that’s a three-hour walk to Anchorage or a three-day walk to Tōtaranui.
The track sections between the bays are all different distances, have a variety of terrain profiles and their own unique characteristics, views and highlights. This all makes it perfect for a great number of half-day, full-day and multi-day adventures, depending on your energy level and specific interests. However, it does mean visitors need to choose between the gazillion options available and this
is enough to furrow the brow of even the hardiest of souls accustomed to making a good choice when presented with an array of options. Adding another layer of complexity are the various sections of the Coast Track where there are both low and high tide routes with the low tide routes typically being shorter than the high tide options, so this impacts walk distances/ times. It should be noted that by necessity, the walking times below and on the DOC signs through the Abel Tasman can be indicative only, as they depend entirely on your walking speed and your propensity to stop and take in the sights.
Rather than using my own subjective judgement as to what are the “best” sections of the track to walk I am going to let the people decide. To do so, I’m going to focus on the three most popular Abel Tasman AquaTaxi trips based on the number of our passengers booking those trips.
This is by far and away the most popular option, and I would argue it is the best value full-day experience of any paid activity in the country.
Although the trip can be done in reverse, most people choose to AquaTaxi from Mārahau to Anchorage in the morning and then to take the rest of the day to walk back to where they parked their car, stopping to relax, swim or picnic on any of the beaches along the way. Seasoned campaigners will time their arrival back into Mārahau to coincide perfectly with happy hour at Hooked where they will rehydrate in the garden bar with local craft beer and wine.
Mārahau to the Anchorage
Distance: 12.4km
Walk Time: 3-4 hours
Difficulty: Medium
The first major Coastal Access Point for water taxis in the park is The Anchorage, or just Anchorage to the locals, the Abel Tasman’s most popular beach for people doing day trips. As with every trip from Mārahau the AquaTaxi will first head a short way south to show you the second most photographed rock in the southern hemisphere, Split Apple Rock/Toka Ngāwha. Then it’s a short trip back to the north, through the Astrolabe Roadstead and in the lee of Fisherman and Adele Islands, past the beaches on the mainland that you can visit on your walk back to Mārahau. There is something wonderful about being able to see the beaches from the water and then being able to visit them from the land. They are all wonderful in their own way but a smart observer will be paying attention when passing the
beaches on the boat so they can work out which ones they definitely want to call into on their walk south on the Coast Track.
Watering Cove, Cyathea Cove, Akersten Bay and Stillwell Bay
After a bit of a climb out of Anchorage all of these delightful beaches are an easy walk further along the ridgeline and they all have a variation of the magnificent view across the Astrolabe Roadstead to the islands. The Adele and Fisherman islands provide some protection from the ocean currents and also a rather wonderful backdrop as you gaze out to sea.
Stilwell is named after Welby Stilwell who purchased two acres there in 1926 and had camping holidays there before building a cottage. Stilwell took visitors on excursions along the coast in his launch, Terepa around the same time that Newt Nalder was doing the same in the Kotare. Akersten Bay was presumably named after William Akersten who came to the Nelson area in 1855 where he set up a ship chandlery and built wharves which include what is, in present day, Nelson’s Main Wharf. Durmont d’Urville named Cyathea Cove because he found an abundance of the gully fern trees there. The bay is now more famous as part of the area leased by Pérrine Moncreiff, who played a crucial role in the establishment of the the Abel Tasman as a national park in 1942*. The bach built by the Moncreiffs is located in the Moncrieff Private Scenic Reserve. d’Urville also named Observation Beach, where an observatory was
set up to view the transit of Venus across the sun, as well as Watering Cove where his crew replenished their fresh water supplies.
*Sources: Abel Tasman Area History by Dawn Smith – DOC http://www.theprow.org.nz/places/streets-and-quays-of-port-nelson/ and Down The Bay, Philip Simpson.
Apple Tree Bay
Further to the south you’ll find a newer section of track that deviates inland briefly, up a short steep rise, before rejoining the older track. This is one of a few new deviations you will encounter along the length of the Coast Track, all of which were put in when a weather event caused sections of the track to slip and become unstable. The track is still well-formed and pleasant to walk on, but these unexpected climbs, even if they are short, can be sharper than what you may have been expecting moments before you encounter them.
Apple Tree Bay is one of the longer beaches in the park with a tidal estuary behind it. It is also one of the beaches in the park that has a privately owned bach, though you will also come across single baches or small clusters of them elsewhere throughout the park. These small parcels of land were privately owned before the Abel Tasman became a national park in 1946 so were not handed over to the
Crown. Originally named La Grande Plage by d’Urville, the name was changed to Apple Tree Bay presumably around 1928 when Lionel (Leo) Manoy bought four acres of land there for his family to camp for a few weeks every year before they built a bach*.
*Reference: Abel Tasman Area History by Dawn Smith – DOC
Coquille Bay
A little further on, you’ll find yourself looking down at a little beach called Coquille Bay, a classic, Abel Tasmanesque, crescent-shaped, golden-sand beach. Coquille is fringed with native bush, including punga ferns, so it looks rather magical from the lookout on the track above. It is also the first beach in the Abel Tasman, from the south, that has deep water during all tidal conditions. The bay is named after d’Urville’s vessel La Coquille, the original name forwhat was later renamed the Astrolabe.
Tinline
After descending a short hill you will find yourself on the grassy clearing that is the Tinline campsite. Tinline was named after John Tinline, a local man who acquired a block of land from Mārahau to the stream in 1857. Tinline, a much respected local figure who devoted his life to government service, farming and philanthropy, was commonly known as ‘Old Fizzlebilly’ because of his flowing beard. John Tinline learned to speak Te Reo Māori which led him to the position of interpreter for the Nelson magistrate in 1844. The prominent point above Tinline is the site of a former pā that was occupied when Jules Dumont d’Urville visited the area in 1827*.
After a bit over 1km, there is a sign to Stu’s Lookout, a high point located on a side track a few metres on the sea side of the track, providing perhaps the best views back towards Mārahau and also the southern end of the Astrolabe Roadstead to the north. The Astrolabe is the stretch of water between the mainland and the Fisherman and Adele Islands. A roadstead is an old nautical term for a body of water sheltered from ocean swells where ships can sail reasonably safely. The Astrolabe was named by Frenchman Jules Dumont d’Urville during his visit to the area in January 1827. D’Urville named the area after his vessel, previously called La Coquille, Adele Island after his wife, and Fisherman Island after observing Māori fishing there.
You will shortly arrive back at the southern entrance to the park, which is marked with an intricately carved waharoa (entrance way). Depending on the tidal conditions, when you walk across the raised walkway leading to the waharoa, you’ll either have water on either side of you or be surrounded by sand with the sea out to your right several hundred metres. Either way, it’s a nice way to end your walk in the Abel Tasman.
*Source: Down The Bay, Philip Simpson
This is AquaTaxi’s most popular packaged return trip. It includes the AquaTaxi fare from Mārahau to Anchorage and back.
The main reason for the popularity of this trip is that it caters to a wide range of options for walking, swimming, and relaxing. It is the quickest and cheapest way to spend the day in the Abel Tasman and is perfect for families with small children or groups where some may want to walk while others just want to lounge around on the beach for the day. Typically, people will travel up to Anchorage on the first sailing in the morning and then travel back to Mārahau in the late afternoon.
The most relaxing option for spending the day is simply to lie on the beach at Anchorage. As a major campsite, it has all of the facilities you need, and with Anchorage being a long, sweeping bay, you’ll easily find your own stretch of sand. The second most relaxing option is to walk the 20 minutes from Anchorage over a short rise to Te Pukatea, and then return via the same route in time to catch your AquaTaxi back to Mārahau. Te Pukatea is a classic Abel Tasman-esque bay; golden-sanded, crescent-shaped, with rocky headlands at either end. A short climb up the track to the north of the beach takes you to a viewing platform – the perfect place for photos.
Most people doing this trip will complete the Pitt Head Loop track as it is only 3.4km and takes 1-1.5 hours. The whole Pitt Head area has been extensively trapped for predators by the Abel Tasman Birdsong Trust, so it features some of the best birdsong in the park. The elevated views looking north across the bay to Torrent Bay and back to Anchorage are stunning.
Just across the estuary and to the north of Anchorage is Torrent Bay, the largest collection of private holiday houses in the Abel Tasman. This is only a 20 minute walk during low tide conditions, or a 1-1.5 hour, 4km walk around the estuary when the tide is high. If you are curious about what a couple of million dollars worth of spare cash will buy you, wander over to Torrent and check your next potential holiday home!
Cleopatra’s Pool is located about halfway between Anchorage and Torrent Bay as you take the high tide route around what is a wonderfully picturesque walk. A short side track leads you to this incredible fresh water swimming hole with a natural waterslide that runs between smooth rocks.
This is our second most popular packaged return AquaTaxi trip. It includes the fare from Mārahau to Bark Bay and the return trip from Anchorage back to Mārahau. It’s an ideal trip for those looking for a longer walk that includes the spectacular Falls River Swingbridge.
Bark Bay is where Project Janszoon, in partnership with DOC, has reintroduced kākā into the park. If you wander out on the estuary at the right time you might spot kākā returning for a feed at the aviary where they were first housed when relocated.
The 7.8km track from Bark Bay to Torrent Bay starts gently enough, passing the tiny but lovely Medlands Beach before crossing a side track down to Sandfly Bay, a narrow beach and large tidal estuary from which the Falls River flows to the sea. The outlet of the river has a habit of switching from one end of the beach to the other, depending on where the tide and weather conditions shift the sand to.
There is a little bit of rock-hopping required to get right down to Sandfly, but it’s worth it. Don’t let the name put you off – there is no evidence that anyone has ever been eaten alive by the sandflies from which it takes its name.
Continuing south, you’ll soon cross one of the major attractions; the newly upgraded Falls River Swingbridge, with magnificent views down the river and out to sea. After the bridge, the track climbs up to the ridgeline, and with its series of switchbacks, this will raise your heart rate even if you’re fit. It’s easy going from the top though as you’re mostly walking along a ridgeline from which there are wonderful views looking down to bays along the coast, particularly Frenchman Bay with its picturesque lagoon below.
The aptly named Halfway Pool, a small creek located halfway between Torrent and Bark Bay, is a great spot for a fresh water dunk in the small swimming hole next to the track. Just before you descend into Torrent Bay, you’ll get a wonderful view of the Torrent village and across to Anchorage.
There is a public path through the village, or you can walk along the beach to the southern end, where you either cross the estuary to Anchorage during low tide conditions (20 minutes/0.9km), or you will need to skirt around the high tide track which is 1-1.5 hour/4km. The estuary walk is one of the most underrated sections of the Coast Track, so if you’ve still got energy left in your legs, it is well worth it – even if you could have opted for the straight shot to Anchorage across the sandflats at low tide.
Water Taxi – One Way Fare
Water Taxi | Half Day
Beaches & Bays
Walking & Hiking | Full Day
Pitt Head Walk
Walking & Hiking | Half Day
Words by Brendan Alborn (Owner Operator)
Images: Stan Mariette and Brendan Alborn
Brendan has a long association with the Abel Tasman, visiting it for the first time when his parents moved to Marahau in 1997. After spending much of his life overseas, Brendan and his family moved to the area at the end of 2010. When Brendan is not spending his time in the outdoors he seems to spend much of his time creating even flimsier justifications for spending more time in the outdoors.
