Abel Tasman National Park - South Island, New Zealand

The Abel Tasman National Park truly occupies pride of place in the New Zealand tourism hall of fame. The golden beaches, idyllic bays and the forested hills converge on amazingly clear waters that will take away the breath of even the most well traveled and seasoned beachgoer.

This beauty can be fully enjoyed by just lazing on the empty beaches, however much of the Abel Tasman Park's appeal is based on its reputation as an enormous playground with endless options for exploration. Some of the popular ones are cruises, sailing, hiking, kayaking, finding your own private beach, swimming with seals and water taxis or a combination of these activities.

Abel Tasman National Park Accommodation

The Abel Tasman National Park has a stunning coastline with long golden beaches, clear waters and bays that beg to be snorkeled. The Abel Tasman National Park accommodation along the coast ranges from economical campsites to luxury lodges. There are also Department of Conservation (DOC) huts, about four of them, spaced at 4 hours walk from each other.

Bookings in advance are essential. These are cosy and comfortable and come with all amenities except for cooking facilities. You have to take your own stove, pans, food and most importantly sandfly repellent. In summer, both huts and campsites have a maximum of 2 nights stay. Online booking for these huts can be made through the DOC website.

Abel Tasman National Park Activities

The Abel Tasman National Park activities are so variegated that the options available can put you in a quandary. If you are oozing energy, then kayaking or hiking is the way to go. If you are the sedate type, then you can go on a pleasurable catamaran cruise, or travel to and from the magnificent beaches in a water taxi.

There are moderate walking tracks for gentle exercise and you can stay at the lodges by the water if overnight stay is required. Most water taxis and cruises operate from Marahau, Totaranui and Kaiteriteri and there is often a running commentary onboard.

You can also hire yachts for certain number of people on a per day basis if you are experienced enough. For those who are not experienced, there are catamaran cruises, or a combination of walking and sailing tours are available for groups, and prices vary depending on the duration. Another major attraction is swimming with the seals.

Kaiteriteri is the place to be for this. The experience involves a 45 minute (approx) water taxi ride and about an hour of swimming with these incredible amphibians. The Tonga Island Marine Reserve is a popular seal colony. Split Island Apple Rock is a famous landmark where an apple looking rock lies broken into two halves.

The Abel Tasman Park has many remote beaches and sea kayaking is the best way to explore them. Imagine exploring coves and inlets with possible dolphins and seals for company, then finding empty beaches for a rest, a swim and a chilled beer. It is the type of paradise a certain type of traveller dreams about but rarely finds.

You will truly cherish every moment of these adventures, especially the freedom and feel of independent exploration associated with them. Marahau is the starting point for kayaking in the southern end and Golden Bay on the northern side of the park.

Most kayak operators offer 1 to 5 day fully guided trips. There is the option of freedom rentals for experienced paddlers where the guide accompanies you for the first few hours and then lets you head off on your own. Prices invariably are on a per head basis.

You also have the option of guided trips combining several activities such as walking, water taxi rides, seal visits and overnight stays. These guided trips range from 1 to 3 days, some providing fully catered camping. The camping gear is hired out by the operators.

Marahau and Kaiteriteri are the base for most operators. If you want solitude, the northern end of the park has a good base in Takaka and Golden Bay. Operators here hire kayaks and conduct half day guided tours. Keep in mind that the wind tends to come up in the afternoons.

For the hiking adventurer in you, the Abel Tasman Coastal Track, covering 51 kms and taking 2 to 5 days, is one of the most popular among New Zealand's Great Walks. The track passes through golden beaches, waterfalls, crystal clear waters and gentle climbs through valleys crossing the path. This track is easy to follow, easy to walk on and does not demand high fitness levels.

If you find a particular stretch tough or do not have enough time, you can take a water taxi to the point you desire to resume your walk. You are always within fairly close proximity (4 hours) to a DOC hut or campsite along the entire track. The peak season is from December to February with tourists from all over the world converging here.

You have to take note of the tides on the day of your walk as there are a couple of tide dependant spots at Onetahuti and Awaroa Estuary. Low tides in the morning dictate that you head north. Low tides in the afternoon means you go south. Also, ensure that you arrange your transport pick ups and drop offs well in advance of the actual trek.

The Inland Track is a 42 km long, 3 to 5 day trek starting at Marahau and ending at Totaranui. It is not the typical tourist delight as the track is hard going, and requires a certain level of fitness and some good tramping gear. There are about 4 DOC huts, each 5 hours apart on this track. These have all the basic amenities save cooking facilities. Again you must take your own stove and pots and pans and food. Outdoor camping is not recommended.

The scenery along this track is spectacular with expansive views of the Park. You can plan to combine the Coast Track hike with the strenuous Inland Track so that you get a good mix of the easy and tough hikes.

If you are setting out on an extensive tour of the Abel Tasman National Park, you can rest assured that this park is one of the few that comes with a variety of accommodation choices and amazing variety of activities.

Check out the Abel Tasman National Park accommodation and Abel Tasman National Park activities listing provided by LookandBookNZ.

Here at LookandBookNZ, we strive to provide you with all the best accommodation and activity options so that you can revel in the time you spend in this magnificent and unparalleled destination.