Discovering Abel Tasman National Park: What to do in New Zealand’s coastal paradise
Abel Tasman is where you’ll find the best beaches in the South Island
At 22,500 hectares, Abel Tasman National Park is postage-stamp sized next to Fiordland, New Zealand’s largest national park spanning 1.2 million hectares.
But, like the old adage of good things coming in small packages, Abel Tasman delivers some of the best beaches, camping, kayaking, and coastal walking in New Zealand.
Access to the park is easiest from the southern end closest to Nelson. Both Marahau and Kaiteriteri are roughly one hour from Nelson; Marahau is little more than a village, but it’s located right at the entrance to the park. Kaiteriteri is larger and has more amenities, as well as a superb swimming beach, but it is busier than Marahau, particularly in the summer months.
Two nights in either Marahau or Kaiteriteri is enough to enjoy a full day of visiting Abel Tasman.
If you would prefer to escape the crowds, you can also explore Abel Tasman National Park from the northern end, via Golden Bay. Although a longer drive (and a hairy one at that, over the steep and switch-backed road across Takaka Hill) the campgrounds and tracks north of Totaranui are blissfully quiet. You also get the added bonus of exploring Golden Bay, a uniquely hippy part of New Zealand with stunning beaches and walks. It’s well worth spending three nights in the area.
If you’re up for a multi-day hiking and kayaking adventure, you can also take on the Abel Tasman Coast Track, one of New Zealand’s Great Walks.
I’ve visited Abel Tasman probably around six times (I’m losing count) hiking the coastal track, camping, kayaking, and going for day walks. Each time, I fall for the national park a little more. It really is one of the prettiest parts of the South Island.
I’ve gone in from the Nelson end and the Golden Bay end (and if pushed would say I prefer the end closer to Golden Bay) and have my favourite beaches, out of the many to choose from.
If you’re curious about exploring Abel Tasman, these are the best things to do in the park, and some of the tips and advice I’ve collected from my time there.
Abel Tasman National Park at a glance
WHY GO:
Abel Tasman National Park is home to some of the best beaches in New Zealand.
The park is spread along the very top of the South Island, encompassing golden bays and dense native forest. It’s this combination that makes it feel so special to me — there’s something magical about the forest coming all the way down to the water.
HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU NEED THERE:
You’ll need at least two nights in either Marahau or Kaiteriteri, to allow for a full day of exploring the national park.
If you have a bit more time, Abel Tasman is an ideal national park for an overnight wilderness adventure.
And if you’re really unhurried, it’s worth heading over to Golden Bay and exploring the northern end of the park as well.
Abel Tasman Day Hikes
One of the main things to do in Abel Tasman National Park is walk some or all of the coast track.
This is one of New Zealand’s Great Walks, which means it’s one of the best hikes in the country.
It truly is stunning, with sweeping views of the coast and the track frequently passes by beaches where you can dump your bag, strip off, and jump into the turquoise water to cool off.
You don’t even need to be a big hiker to tackle some of the track — you can do small sections combined with a water taxi on day trips, or choose to go for one, two, or three nights.
Starting from Marahau, you can walk as far as you feel comfortable. There are a string of bays along the track, and you can get to some lovely beaches fairly quickly.
I spent a week staying at The Barn Cabins and Campground, which is right at the start of the track, and each day after work I would just set off and see where I ended up.
Kayaking and hiking Abel Tasman
We did a three day kayak and hike trip — two days kayaking, with one day hiking.
We booked with Abel Tasman Kayaks, which although somewhat unorganised when we arrived, provided us with everything we needed. Which to be honest, wasn’t much.
They gave us all the gear we needed and taught us how to pack and manage the kayaks, then after a brief training session on the water we set off and were on our own.
Hiking the Abel Tasman Coast Track as a multi-day adventure
Staying in the huts
For a longer trip, you can book spots in the huts. But, over summer, spaces are very limited and get booked up very quickly.
Camping
If you want to do a multi day trek along the Abel Tasman Coast Track, camping is a great way to go.
That is, unless it rains.
The first time I walked the track, we had torrential rain, which made camping a nightmare. Many hours were spent huddled under wet canvas, trying to resist the urge to have to go pee and killing time by watching random Netflix shows we had downloaded.
I was so disappointed with that trip that I went back and redid a camping trip.
It was much better in the sunshine.
Where to stay in Abel Tasman National Park
You can access Abel Tasman from a couple of directions. Most visitors will enter the park from the southern end, closest to Nelson.
If you’re game for more adventure, I highly recommend going into Abel Tasman from the north. That region is Golden Bay, a remote and well off the beaten track destination that is one of my favourite parts of New Zealand.
In the park
Awaroa Lodge is the ultimate Abel Tasman experience.
I have never stayed here myself, but each time I have hiked past I have stopped for lunch and a coffee at the restaurant. It’s a bit of a treat to have a deluxe meal in the middle of the wilderness.
Marahau
This is the most popular starting point for the Abel Tasman Coast Track — the most popular route is from Marahau to Totaranui, from where most hikers catch a water taxi back to the start of the track.
The Barn Cabins & Camping is a nice campground right at the start of the coast track. I stayed in a dorm room here, even though I was travelling in my van at the time, as the price of a bed was basically the same as camping.
I shared the dorm with other interesting travellers, including a woman and her teenage son — I thought it was nice to see more than just backpackers.
Kaiteriteri
Golden Bay
Most people explore Abel Tasman National Park from Marahau, near Nelson.
The first time I heard about Golden Bay was at a house party in Auckland.
A friend of a friend was visiting from Nelson — he had long hair and baggy pants, crude tattoos and disarming charm. Drawn to his novelty, we clustered around him and listened awed as he talked about the magical land of Golden Bay.
First, he said, you journey over a hill. The expansive views as you crest this hill smack you in the face and leave your jaw hanging open.
Then you’ll drive down into the lush lowlands of the area, he went on.
There’s a town full of art, and communes where hippies live in houses cobbled together from reclaimed wood and clay. There are rivers of water clearer than anything you’ve ever seen before, and people are barefoot, sometimes topless, always free.
His rhapsodising sold me. I went to Golden Bay and it was everything that was promised to me. I went back again a year later, and again after that.
Now I’m the one who talks about Golden Bay at parties, telling people about the crescent beaches and rolling hills interspersed with small towns where artistanal products and local creatives are celebrated.
Golden Bay is well worth visiting for incredible beaches, short coastal walks, and a bohemian, hippy vibe in Tākaka. Close to Nelson, Golden Bay is a great place to get off the beaten track while still seeing some of the South Island’s incredible natural highlights.
Hiking into Abel Tasman from Golden Bay
This means that the last section of the Abel Tasman track, from Totaranui to Wainui, gets much fewer visitors.
This is my favourite part of Abel Tasman. The small campgrounds are more peaceful. I spent several nights camping in Mutton Cove and enjoyed walking sections of the Abel Tasman track from there.
It’s only a 2 hour walk from the Wainui carpark at the Golden Bay end of the track to Whariwharangi Bay, where there’s a historic DOC hut for overnight stays.
You can also easily do this walk as a day hike,
Tākaka, the main town in Golden Bay, has an artistic, bohemian vibe.
Along the main street you’ll find art galleries, small shops selling locally crafted jewellery and ceramics, and hippie clothing stores.
Te Waikoropupū Springs discharge 14,000 litres of water per second, making this the largest freshwater spring in New Zealand.
The bright blue water bubbling out of the ground is some of clearest water in the whole country.
At Paine’s (or Payne’s) Ford the river is a pristine bottle green, flowing between limestone bluffs in a remnant patch of forest.
The rocks around here form jagged islands in the middle of the river. You can climb up onto them for better views of the water below.
Wharariki Beach is a remote beach on the northwestern tip of the South Island.
To reach the beach, you have to walk for 25 minutes across farmland, before emerging into the dunes.
Wharariki is famous for its epic sunsets, as a west facing beach, and for the drama of the Archway Islands jutting up from the waves just off the coast.
At sunset, these islands are silhouetted by the sun.
The beach itself is a huge expanse of sand, so you can spend several hours walking around here and admiring the scenery and looking for seals.
It’s not a safe swimming beach, and it’s often windy so not ideal for picnics, but you won’t be disappointed by a sunset walk out here.
The Historic Langford Store & Post Office is a little slice of history in Golden Bay.
The store has been open since 1928 and it lovingly pays homage to days gone by. Inside the store are shelves lined with retro and vintage homewares, along with treats like classic lollies and homemade jams.
Green-lipped mussels are an essential New Zealand delicacy, and one of the best places to try them is at the iconic Mussel Inn in Golden Bay.
The Mussel Inn was established 30 years ago, with a single-minded vision — the goal of creating a welcoming space for people to gather and enjoy good food and good music.
Today, The Mussel Inn is a stalwart of Golden Bay. Swinging by for a meal and music is one of the best things to do in Golden Bay, and a surefire way to experience local culture.
The pub is simple but cosy, the menu simple but delicious.
Feast on mussels and garlic bread, or enjoy dishes made with vegetables grown in their own garden, while you soak up the atmosphere and make plans to move to Golden Bay.
Itineraries that pass by Abel Tasman National Park
You can visit Abel Tasman even if you only have around 10 days in the South Island. If you would like help planning your itinerary, take a look at my itinerary planning service.
Thanks for reading this far. I hope this helped you plan your visit to Abel Tasman. If you enjoyed my recommendations, you might also like these articles:
