Sea kayaking Abel Tasman National Park with Golden Bay Kayaks

Sea kayaking Abel Tasman National Park, Golden Bay Kayaks, Nelson Region, New Zealand

About Abel Tasman National Park

With golden sand beaches surrounded by coastal rain forest and beautiful turquoise water it's not hard to understand why Abel Tasman National Park has become so famous. It is the smallest national park in New Zealand, but because of its location, climate and natural beauty it is also one of the most popular. (See our 'Map' page for a map of Abel Tasman). It is truly a water fringed bush clad playground.

There are two main walking tracks, the coastal and the inland tracks. The coastal track is 51km long and generally takes 4 to 5 days to walk. There are two tidal crossings so check tide times before walking. To kayak one way takes most people about 3 - 4 days. The inland track is much quieter and lessor known.

There are 22 camp sites in the Park, 8 huts plus several commercial accommodation options in private land bordered by the park. Trampers pre-book and pay for campsites and hut passes from the Department of Conservation.
No charge is made for day visits and there are lots of great walks that you can do in a day or shorter.
There are virtually no shops in Abel Tasman so you need to bring all your food and requirements with you.

Awaroa Bay

Awaroa Hut

Tonga Island marine reserve was created in 1993 and it's fantastic to watch the increase in marine life along this coastline.

The northern Abel Tasman coastal area is much less crowded that the south, so bear that in mind when planning your visit. North of Totaranui round to Golden Bay is also much more quieter on the beaches as there are no water taxis and very little commercial activity.
I get a lot of feedback from my kayaking customers who paddle the length of the Park saying that they enjoyed the northern end best because it is quieter but just as spectacular.

Some suggested day walks in the northern Abel Tasman can be found described on my "About Golden Bay" page.

Any time is a good time to visit Abel Tasman as the weather is never too extreme, at least along the coast. However you can get snow in the inland trails in winter along the tops.

Please remember it is not always sunny like the brochures show, so be prepared for the wet weather that can occur at any time and remember the trees need the rain to grow! However the region does enjoy about 2500 hours of sunshine a year so it is likely you will be needing that sunblock.

For more information on Abel Tasman check out the Department of Conservation website
http://www.doc.govt.nz/templates/PlaceProfile.aspx?id=38455

For the map of Abel Tasman National Park click here

Loaf bread rock

Sepatation point