Abel Tasman Coast Track is one of the ten Great Walks in New Zealand. The Great Walks are a series of premier tracks that are well established and relatively accessible. This particular track is located at the northeast of the south island and features beautiful scenery as it follows the coast along multiple bays. It is usually recommended that you take 3-5 days to complete the track from start to finish.
Getting to Nelson
Nelson, the city closest to Abel Tasman National Park, is not too far a drive from Christchurch. However, we were trying to get there and back as quick as possible to avoid missing many classes so we decided to fly. The flight was only 55 mins and reasonably priced from Air New Zealand. After landing, we called an Uber to transport us to The Prince Albert Hostel where we stayed before beginning our tramp the next day.
Day 1: Marahau to Torrent Bay Village
The first day we decided to kayak from Marahau to Anchorage. There are a few companies to choose from but we went with Marahau Sea Kayaks and opted for their ‘freedom Anchorage’ package. This allowed us to take 2 tandem kayaks leaving Marahau around 9:45am and we didn’t have to be at Anchorage until 3:30pm. The company also offered transportation from Nelson to Marahau and bag transportation from Marahau to Anchorage. We paid for both services because the prices were good and it seemed easier than trying to coordinate with different companies.
If you’re lucky enough to catch a nice day, the paddle from Marahau to Anchorage isn’t too long, maybe a little under 3 hours. We had a calm day so we decided to stop at Watering Cove beach along the way. It was about two-thirds the way to Anchorage and a good place to rest before the hardest part of the paddle. Even if you don’t stop at the same beach, all of the golden beaches are breathtaking. I highly recommend taking a minute to sit in the sand and enjoy this part of your trip!
Once we started up again, it was about an hour to Anchorage. The wind was not in our favor but we managed and arrived at about 2:30pm, an hour before our bags were dropped off. Given the time, we took a quick dip in the ocean and ate a lunch with the food we had packed in the kayak. When our bags arrived, we put our boots back on and started our trek to Torrent Bay Village.
The trek was quite easy. It only took us about 2 hours and there was not too much change in elevation. When we arrived, it was time to set up camp and eat dinner. We found a spot at the campsite to set up our two tents and had dinner on the beach. We didn’t carry a burner and there was a total fire ban so we mostly had canned food. The sandflies didn’t take any pity on the long day we’d had so we were eaten alive on the beach before we retreated back to the campsite. We put up hammocks in the trees and ended up falling asleep in them before we could stargaze!
Day 2: Torrent Bay Village to Awaroa Campsite
The second day was all walking. We trekked about 12 miles from Torrent Bay Village to Awaroa Campsite. The track is right along the shore, varying elevation. Sometimes you are on a cliff looking down at the bays and sometimes you’re right at sea level crossing a sand bank at low tide. We took about 4 hours to get from Torrent Bay Village to Onetahuti Bay where we broke for lunch and a swim.
After a 2 hour break we put our packs back on and continued to Awaroa campsite. We took the high tide track because we were not aware there was a low tide track. If you find yourself on this part of the trail 4 hours before or after low tide then you may consider the low tide track. To do so, bear right at the sign that points to the Awaroa lodge and take the track down to the beach. Follow the orange markers and you’ll arrive at the campsite in less than half the time.
When we reached the campsite it was once again time to set up our tents. Unfortunately there weren’t great places to set up a hammock due to the sandflies. Nonetheless we ate dinner and relaxed in our tents until it was time to go to bed.
Day 3: Awaroa Campsite to Marahau
After waking up covered in sandfly bites, we had a lazy morning and read books, played cards, and hammocked for a short while. We waited until about 3 hours before low tide and were able to cross the low tide track to get to the Awaroa lodge. We got beers and fries to hold us over until we were back in Nelson.
At 3pm we caught the Marahau Water Taxi at Awaroa beach back to Marahau. Upon request our driver took us around one of the small islands close to shore to see the baby seals. They were so cute!
Once back in Marahau we grabbed some real fruit ice cream and boarded the shuttle to Nelson that we purchased through Marahau Sea Kayaks. We stayed at The Prince Albert for another night and went to The Indian cafe for dinner which was amazing!
Getting Back to Christchurch
Last morning in Nelson we enjoyed a complimentary breakfast at the hostel and caught a ride with Safe cab to the airport. There’s no security if you’re flying domestically so no need to get there super early before your flight. Our plane ended up being cancelled due to weather conditions but we got rescheduled for later in the day and still got back to Christchurch safe and sound.
Do’s and Don’t
- DO book your campsites ahead of time
- DON’T rely on uber in Nelson to get you to the airport (they only have about 3 drivers in the city)
- DO bring insect repellent for the sandflies
- DON’T leave your food unattended or your bags outside the tent at night or the Weka will steal it
- DO plan your hike around the tides
- DON’T feed the various birds near the beaches and campsites as it will only encourage them to eat human food
Last Thoughts
Even though we didn’t complete the full track, I am very happy with what we saw. As a university student these longer trips are tough to do on weekends but certainly worth it. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend it!
Thanks for reading and have a great trip!
