Abel Tasman Coast Track
Abel Tasman Coast Track
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- Bryon FDevon, United Kingdom29 contributionsTrekking a real jewel.If you want to walk an incredible bit of nz “bush” country look no further than this coast path. The path is well maintained well signposted and a breath taking part of New Zealand. There are so many options for trekking, free camping in the huts and water activities. We walked via Anchorage ( water taxi’d in ) up to cleopatra’s waterfall back to Maharau. It took a few hours but that’s only because of the many stops we took to take it all in. Good for the soul and recharging the mind this one.Visited September 2023Travelled with familyWritten 7 October 2023
- RebeccaAdelaide, Australia2,215 contributionsA walk with some changing scenery and some lovely places to stopWe did motueka to anchorage, says 3-4h but really depends if you stop a lot. We stopped at every single lookout to take photos and to stare into the ocean. Took about 3h. The distance may be a bit more but it’s mostly flat- easy to walk quickly and there were even people jogging it. Catch a water taxi from different parts of it to return homeVisited January 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 15 January 2024
- What’s Next?Lima, Peru246 contributionsDo it!Excellent way to spend a day! We water-taxied up to Anchorage (great views along the way), then walked the Pitt Loop and headed back to Marahau on foot. Stopping at whatever beach you select is a MUST!Visited January 2024Travelled with familyWritten 16 January 2024
- zg6450 contributionsBeautifulTook boat over with my tour group and walked the trail to Pitt Head and back. Views and wildlife are incredible. Be sure to bring snacks and water as there are no concession stands. There are restrooms at the beginning of the trail. Anyone with an average level of fitness should be able to complete the trail at their own pace.Visited March 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 15 March 2024
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5.0
936 reviews
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GreeceHelena
Whanganui, New Zealand371 contributions
Mar 2021 • Solo
As I was driving from Nelson to Takaka, I decided to make the 10km diversion to Marahau and walk the first 4km of the Abel Tasman Coastal Track. Spotted and photographed a beautiful heron in the estuary. Met a couple who explained that the bench seat which sits around the 3km mark was made by Jodie Pralong's father in her memory. In 2018, Jodie... a Kiwi, was killed in an avalanche in the Swiss Alps. Embedded into the backrest of the seat are two shot glasses... one with a silver fern, the other with a red cross. They are from her marriage to Yannick who is Swiss. Lovely to understand what the seat is all about. I loved the walk and don't mind that I keep being told, the first few kilometers of the track are the least interesting. I will return sometime to do more.
Written 28 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter A
Tawa, New Zealand46 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
We had an awesome 5 day tramp staying in all 4 DOC huts. The tracks were generally in great condition as were the huts and facilities. You have to remember that most of the time you are some distance from civilisation. We were very impressed at the degree of respect that all visitors afforded the park, literally only saw one piece of litter. A hot burger and cold beer at the Park Cafe went down very well at the end of the tramp.
Written 18 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dee G
Auckland Central, New Zealand5 contributions
Dec 2019
We walked the coastal track over 3 days between Xmas and New Year 2020 with an unguided package through Abel Tasman Guides. They were fabulous, this is good value for money, all accommodation, transport from and to Nelson, most meals, packs transported by sea daily, and good maps and local information.While this was a busy time of year, there was enough quiet walking without others around, to emerge feeling restored. It's a very lovely part of New Zealand, beautiful bush with clear blue water and golden sand. Fabulous swimming.
Written 7 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ezra710
Christchurch, New Zealand1,417 contributions
Jul 2020 • Solo
I caught the boat in to Torrent Bay and then crossed on the low-tide 'track' towards Anchorage, before climbing up to the main track back to Marahau. This was the only part that was steady climbing as most of the track was thereafter undulating but steady. Lots of variety in bird life and foliage though. Beautiful and not crowded in the middle of winter. :)
Written 1 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DayTrip21682920588
12 contributions
Jan 2020 • Friends
Bought a 3 day explorer pass with Wilsons which gave us unlimited boat travel for 3 days over a 7 day period, great value. We did the tracks from Apple tree bay to Anchorage bay day 1, Medlands Bay to Anchorage bay day 2 and Awaroa bay to Medlands bay day 3. Truely amazing scenery, beautiful beaches, tracks were amazing and pretty easy overall. Saw weka, bell birds, oyster catchers, tui abundantly. Highly recommended!
Written 12 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David E
Leicester, UK573 contributions
Feb 2020
On day one we walked the coastal track from Awaroa to Medlands beach.
We caught the 9:00 ‘Sea-Shuttle’ boat from Kaiteriteri and arrived in Awaroa at 11:15, and caught the 4:45 boat from Medlands beach arriving back in Kaiteritera at 5:30. The walk is billed as being 13.5 km and taking 4 hr 45 min, but actually that is a very generous time (and we are no longer young) and we had plenty of time to swim whilst awaiting the shuttle to take us back to Kaiteritera. The path was excellent throughout, and whilst there are some steepish inclines they are not too long. We would have benefited from walking poles for some of the descents. The scenery during the walk is stunning on the paths through the forests, particularly as one catches views of the beautiful bays down below, and of course when the path emerges onto wonderful beaches.
On day two we drove to the entrance to the National Park at Marahau and walked the coastal track to Coquille Bay and back. The walking here was much less strenuous, but perhaps not quite as rewarding, but did have the advantage that we were not tied to the times of public transport and could decide how far we wanted to walk. Coquille Bay has a lovely beach.
We caught the 9:00 ‘Sea-Shuttle’ boat from Kaiteriteri and arrived in Awaroa at 11:15, and caught the 4:45 boat from Medlands beach arriving back in Kaiteritera at 5:30. The walk is billed as being 13.5 km and taking 4 hr 45 min, but actually that is a very generous time (and we are no longer young) and we had plenty of time to swim whilst awaiting the shuttle to take us back to Kaiteritera. The path was excellent throughout, and whilst there are some steepish inclines they are not too long. We would have benefited from walking poles for some of the descents. The scenery during the walk is stunning on the paths through the forests, particularly as one catches views of the beautiful bays down below, and of course when the path emerges onto wonderful beaches.
On day two we drove to the entrance to the National Park at Marahau and walked the coastal track to Coquille Bay and back. The walking here was much less strenuous, but perhaps not quite as rewarding, but did have the advantage that we were not tied to the times of public transport and could decide how far we wanted to walk. Coquille Bay has a lovely beach.
Written 8 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rosebud
Kew, Australia10 contributions
Dec 2022 • Solo
I just completed the 5 day walking / kayak experience with Wilsons. Unfortunately for me, even though I paid a full single fee and did everything instructed in their pre trip welcome, including corresponding with the office to give my food preferences, never was it mentioned at any time that I did not tick the correct box to include me in on the kayaking on day three and day five of the walk/kayaking experience. In the debrief on the Tuesday at approx 6pm, Jack informed me of the bad news. I did not want to make a fuss so after him informing me that they only had three kayaks being delivered, two doubles and one single, i exited the debrief. Only three people were doing this part of the experience and Jack and a trainee were supervising. I was so upset that Jack couldn’t have even made a phone call or radio to wherever the kayaks were coming from or even offering me an alternative, never at anytime did he get back to me with an explanation. This episode ruined my entire trip, as a sole traveler, and also being my first overseas experience on my own. I got a distinct vibe from Jack that he took a dislike to me and his attitude to his job was very unprofessional. Only on the Friday, after one of the kayakers said something to him about my disappointment did he actually offer me a feeble alternative, with extra cost and of course safety issues. I chose to get the boat back entirely on the Friday.
All in all, i met some delightful co walkers and the pick up from the bus was all excellent, sarah our main walking guide was knowledgeable and efficient but unfortunately due to the fact that it is advertised as walk/kayaking i would have to say the company needs to adjust their false advertising and get a guide for that part of it with more empathy and ability to go the extra mile. I would not recommend this experience.
All in all, i met some delightful co walkers and the pick up from the bus was all excellent, sarah our main walking guide was knowledgeable and efficient but unfortunately due to the fact that it is advertised as walk/kayaking i would have to say the company needs to adjust their false advertising and get a guide for that part of it with more empathy and ability to go the extra mile. I would not recommend this experience.
Written 4 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Libranace
New Plymouth, New Zealand215 contributions
Mar 2021
We walked from Marahau to Awaroa and stayed in the the three DOC huts namely Anchorage, Bark Bay and Awaroa. Backtracked on the last day and walked to Awaroa Lodge for a delicious pancake brunch. Took water taxi back to Marahau and the Captain stopped and showed us the Fur seals on Pinnacle Island and then we stopped the boat and were in the middle of a pod of Bottle-nose dolphins which was magical. The walk was steeper than we had been lead to believe by the DOC map and other people's assessments and we are both very fit experienced trampers. We enjoyed the scenery. The only drawback was that we deliberately booked during term time to avoid school children and over 100 of them were swarming over Anchorage Hut when we arrived. Thank goodness they were only doing a day walk. At Bark Bay there were four very noisy unruly children with ineffective parents who the other adults in the hut had to request to be quiet. Their parents had taken them out of school to do the walk. I am all for children tramping but not to the detriment of the other trampers' enjoyment of the walk and facilities. Lovely scenery on the walk. Track is wide.
Written 28 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mk1D
Melbourne, Australia19 contributions
Mar 2023 • Solo
Just completed the Wilson’s Abel Tasman 3 day northbound hike with guides as part of a group of 12 people. Really well run, good quality food and accommodation. The guides Cici, Doc and Jackson were informative and showed a real passion for their job. I would highly recommend this even if you have only moderate fitness, as you can opt to jump on a boat at various points.
Written 31 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KiwiDave13
Auckland, New Zealand33 contributions
Jan 2022 • Solo
So beautiful and makes me so proud to be a kiwi. Did the whole track and am pleased I did. Especially loved the novelty of tidal crossings. I used Abel Tasman Guides to organise everything and would recommend them as you need to time low tide and that can have a big impact on the order in which you hike the different sections. The instructions i found to be the minimum essentials and I'm pleased I trained for it.
Written 9 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Debbie T
Auckland, New Zealand
Do you need hiking boots to walk the Tracks or will decent walking/running shoes suffice in March/April?
Written 3 February 2024
Hi. Walking trainers should be fine. The tracks are really well maintained. Running trainers might not support the ankles well enough.
Clear this will all depend on whether is dry.
I hope this helps.
Written 5 February 2024
Hi I'm walking the whole 60km track over 5 days in February. What equipment do you recommend I take and approximately how long does each day of walking take for someone with average fitness who hasn't completed a multi day hike before
Written 6 January 2020
You gonna have so much fun! My partner and I did it also in 5 days. My fitness level is very average and it was our second multi-day hike ever. If you stay in the huts, then count 4 to 4.5 hours per day, counting lunch break. You also will have plenty of time to enjoy the beaches and rest. If I remember well there is one day that's a bit longer. Basically we found that the estimates of the department of conservation pretty accurate. Some people go faster, but for us it was right on time. The track is not to hard. Some parts are a bit steep but never long enough to be really trying.
As for equipment... do you hut or tent? You can Google the DOC list of things to bring on a hike, again it's pretty good. Don't forget mosquito repellent (although it wasn't too bad), candles for the evening, rain jacket just in case, etc. Also a portable gas cooker and pot as the huts don't have any. One little gas canister should be enough. Dry or light-weight food. We had prepackaged pasta, dry mashed potatoes, dehydrated milk and coffee, precooked rice, chocolate, hard cheese, hard bread, canned tuna, sachet soups, etc.
There are water refill stations on the track but I would advise to take plenty of water still, especially in summer. No specific equipment for hiking as the path is in good condition (except for hiking shoes).
In terms of other tips : on day 2, Cleopatra Pools are really cool. It's 30 mins extra but it's a nice little break.
Don't skip Separation Point (last day - on the way to Whariwharangi hut). It's not much longer and it's really cool.
Try to cross the Awaroa inlet as close as possible from the low tide. We have seen people being late and having water almost to the waist. I didn't look dangerous but definitely cold!
The Awaroa village can be skipped, nothing special there.
Have fun!
Written 7 January 2020
Hi there,
We are walking the track from Sth to Nth and need to get a bus from Wainui carpark to Totaranui in the morning to meet our water taxi. The daily buses don't run in winter so wondering if anyone has any suggestions for private shuttles? Any help appreciated, thanks
Written 10 August 2019
What level of walking ability do you need to walk from Abel Tasman Quarry beach to Medlands beach.
Written 29 June 2019
Pretty fit take your walking boots it does have some fairly steep parts & steady climbs some rocky paths .. Hope this helps
Written 19 July 2019
Hi, I will be doing the trek in a month with some friends. I was told there would be places to have a campfire. I am just wondering what the wood situation is. Are we allowed to find wood scattered around, or we require to hike wood in?
Cant find an answer anywhere
Written 10 February 2019
Fires are banned due to bush fire risks - hope this helps
Written 24 February 2019
Si alojamiento y guía en español
Written 16 October 2018
Hay centro de negocios o supermarke en Abel Tasman???
Written 16 October 2018
Bonjour peut-on faire cette randonnée sans guide ? Nous sommes deux adultes avec un bébé d'un an et demi. Ça sera en janvier. Merci.
Written 14 October 2018
michelleboydbell
Auckland, New Zealand
Hi there,a group of us are walking the Abel Tasman Track end Oct 18. I have heard rumours that their are alot of wasps around does anyone know if this is correct?? Thanks
Written 16 May 2018
I'm planning on doing (mostly running) the whole track in one day. People here who have done it? am in good physical shape so I don't think that would be a problem. Is there only one spot where i have to take into account the tides?
Written 11 January 2018
jpkmckenna
Boonah, Australia
My family would like to walk the ATCT from north to south in dec this year. Is there anywhere in marahau or motueka that we can securely park our car
Written 29 June 2017
Hi jpkmckenn, to be honest I am not sure, however I would think the area is pretty safe regardless, you would be recommended to not leave any valuables out though. If you are getting to the start of the track with an operator such as a water taxi, they have secure parking available.
Written 8 July 2017
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