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Abel Tasman National park in a glimpse

Located in the Nelson and Marlborough Regions on the northern tip of New Zealand's South Island. The park is closed to vehicles, and access is either on foot (from one of the various carparks mentioned below) or by boat, or if you've got money to spend it is possible to charter a helicopter or small plane (Awaroa only).

Some of the land in the park is privately owned - mainly in Awaroa Bay and Torrent Bay. It is important to remember this when visiting the park - the locals are friendly but they don't want loads of travellers walking through their backyards all the time! However these areas are clearly marked so you shouldn't have any problems.

True Story

The first European to visit the area around Golden Bay was Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer, on December 18, 1642. There he met a settlement of Maori, the native peoples, briefly fought with them and left.

Around 1855, more Europeans began to arrive and permanent settlements began to spring up. These settlements began to pillage the land's resources - logging for homes and ships, mining of granite, and creation of pasture through burning.

The park, created out of protest due to concerns about heavy logging in the area, was officially opened in 1942, 300 years after Abel Tasman's first visit. The initial grant was 15,000 hectares of government land and has since grown to over 22,000 hectares. It is, however, New Zealand's smallest national park.

Landscape

The most notable feature of the park are its beaches. The golden sands bring many visitors, some for just a day, others for overnight trips. However, moving away from the beaches and inland, the park is mountainous and rough.

Some areas of the park are very tidal. Watch out in particular for the estuaries at Torrent Bay and Awaroa - these can drain almost completely at low tide! So be aware of this before anchoring your boat in some places. In fact, at low tide it is possible to walk from Torrent Bay to Anchorage by walking across the empty estuary - this takes about 25 minutes, whereas the track around the outside of the estuary takes closer to 2 hours. Some beaches also have unusual sand bars - if in doubt, don't go too close to shore in your boat, or you might run aground unexpectedly!

Flora and fauna

Much of the nature vegetation has been destroyed by the area's early inhabitants, but left alone, the park is slowly renewing itself. All four species of Beech trees can be found within the park, an unusual find.

Wildlife, like much of New Zealand, consists mostly of avian life, but also like much of the country, the rarest birds, such as the kiwi, are not present. Other wildlife, such as the blue penguin, can be found in the more isolated areas of the park now that their population have begun to dwindle. You can still see lots (and hear!) lots of birds - keep an eye out for wood pigeons, tuis (you will definitely hear these even if you don't see them), wekas (rare, flightless birds), oyster catchers (by the sea) and cormorants.

Much of New Zealand's native wildlife is under attack due to introduced species and the Department of Conservation (DOC) along with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) are trying desperately to halt these attacks. Stoats, a relative of the ferret, were introduced into New Zealand to control rabbits in the 1880s. However, those stoats, then and today, prefer the native animal populations such as the blue penguins over rabbits or their other "normal" prey.

When exploring Abel Tasman or any other national park, you may observe traps for introduced species such as the stoat or the possum. Please do not disturb these efforts to maintain New Zealand's natural wildlife.

Climate

The Abel Tasman National Park is in one of the sunniest places in the country with over 2000 hours of sunlight per year. There is moderate rainfall that is spread out over the year and snow is occasionally found in the park's higher elevations.

• Average Temperatures
• Summer, December - February. High: 72F, 22C. Low: 55F, 13C.
• Fall, March - May. High: 64F, 18C. Low: 46F, 8C.
• Winter, June - August. High: 55F, 13C. Low: 37F, 3C.
• Spring, September - November. High: 63F, 17C. Low: 45F, 7C.

You MUST See

• Seals. Fur seals can be seen in a number of places in the park and there is a large colony at Tonga Island. Do not get closer than 20 meters of the seals.
• Tonga Island Marine Reserve.
  • Approach on foot. Start from Awaroa Hut toward Venture Creek and then over Tonga Saddle to Onetahuti Beach. If coming from the carpark at Tonga Quarry, a low tide crossing is required.
  • Approach by sea. The nearest boat ramp is at Totaranui and caution should be used due to unmarked reefs as well as strong winds.
  • By bus or hired boat. Consult the visitor centers in Motueka, Takak, or Nelson.
• Cleopatra's Pool. This is a beautiful rock pool with a natural, moss-lined waterslide! It is located about 1 hour's walk from both Torrent Bay and Anchorage. If you follow the high tide track between these two places, you will eventually reach the turn-off to Cleopatra's. A couple of things to be aware of - firstly, the track to the pool crosses the river (there's no bridge, you have to hop across a few rocks), so if it has been raining over the last couple of days, it can be quite dangerous to cross. Secondly, the bottom of the 'waterslide' sometimes has a few hidden rocks - check it and clear away any big rocks before using the slide.
• Falls River bridge. An impressive footbridge which crosses the Falls River. It is located on the track between Bark Bay and Torrent Bay.
• Cascade Falls. A beautiful waterfall hidden in amongst stunning bush. The river, while cold, is also a good spot to cool off. Cascade Falls is located about 1.5 hours walk from Torrent Bay. This is one of the more difficult tracks as it is quite steep in parts, but it is definitely worth the hike! Set out from Torrent Bay on the High Tide track to Anchorage and follow the signs - the turnoff to Cascade Falls is approximately 15 minutes from the Torrent Bay campsite.
• The Kaiteriteri Webcam - Kaiteriteri Webcam

You MUST Do

• Abel Tasman Coast Track. A 51km walking track that is classified as one of the Department of Conservation's "Great Walks." Plan on three to five days to complete the entire track. There are several crossing that are dependent on the tide.

• Abel Tasman Inland Track. An easy to moderate 3 to 5 days through the park's hilly interior.

• Hunting. By permit only and not allowed from the third Monday in December until Waitangi Day. Check local papers for specific dates. An additional permit is required to bring a hunting dog.

• No cycling and No horse riding. Neither activity is allowed in the park.

• Swim - the beaches in the Park are quite safe - the surf is minimal and there is little risk of riptides. The water is also quite warm during the summer. Some of the more tidal beaches are also quite shallow just before and just after high tide, so are really great for young children.

Lodging

Beachfront lodges:

• Meadowbank Homestead - Awaroa Bay web Wilsons Abel Tasman National Park, +64 3 528 2027, FREEPHONE 0800-223 528
• Torrent Bay Lodge web Wilsons Abel Tasman National Park, +64 3 528 2027, FREEPHONE 0800-223 528
• Awaroa Lodge, 064 3 528 8758, fax 064 3 528 6561, web. Built in 1991 and located at the northern end of the park on 19 hectares of private land, the lodge offers 12 suites, 10 deluxe rooms and 4 family rooms. NZ$230 - NZ$380, depending on room, view and season.

Camping

• Department of Conversation Huts. The DoC has 8 huts within the park, 4 on the Coastal track, 4 on the Inland track. All of the huts have heating and mattresses.
  • Coast Track. Bookings are required between October 1 and April 30, web, 64 3 5469339, 0800 422 358. Backcountry hut tickets or passes are not valid for the Coast Track.
    • Anchorage Hut. 24 bunks.
    • Bark Bay Hut. 28 bunks.
    • Awaroa Hut. 22 bunks.
    • Whariwharangi Hut. 19 bunks.
  • Inland Track.
    • Awapoto Hut. 12 bunks.
    • Castle Rock Hut. 8 bunks.
    • Moa Park Hut. 4 bunks.
    • Wainui Hut. 4 bunks.

• Totaraniu Campground. Camp office, potable water, flush toilets, cold showers, fireplaces and car parking, but no electricity. Totaraniu is split into two sections:
  • Coast Track Campground. This section of Totaraniu is used by trampers on the Coast Track and is limited to one night. Bookings are required year round.
  • Main Campground. An extremely popular 850 site campground at Totaraniu. A ballot system is in place for bookings between December 1 and February 10. Stays longer than one night are allowed.

• Other DoC Campsites. All 20 sites have water supply and toilets. Some have cooking shelters and fireplaces. Bookings are required year round. Campers do not have permission to use hut facilities. Camping limited to two consecutive nights at any given campsite.
  • Apple Tree Bay. 15 tent spaces.
  • Stilwell Bay. 3 tent spaces.
  • Akersten Bay. 3 tent spaces.
  • Observation Beach. 6 tent spaces.
  • Watering Cove. 5 tent spaces.
  • Te Pukatea Bay. 7 tent spaces.
  • Anchorage. 50 tent spaces.
  • Torrent Bay Estuary. 6 tent spaces.
  • Torrent Bay Village. 10 tent spaces.
  • Medlands Beach. 5 tent spaces.
  • Bark Bay. 40 tent spaces.
  • Mosquito Bay. 20 tent spaces.
  • Tonga Quarry. 10 tent spaces.
  • Onetahuti Bay. 20 tent spaces.
  • Awaroa. 18 tent spaces.
  • Waiharakeke Bay. 10 tent spaces.
  • Anapai Bay. 6 tent spaces.
  • Mutton Cove. 20 tent spaces.
  • Whariwharengi Bay. 20 tent spaces.

Backcountry

• Adhere to standard Leave-no-trace camping and hiking. Do not stray from the beaten path as this practice causes permanent damage to the landscape. Be sure to carry out all trash and pick up after others.

Stay safe

• Safety is your responsibility - always let someone know before you head into the backcountry. Leave your intentions with a local DoC office.
• Be prepared. Check the weather and consider your equipment. On the coast track be sure to consider the tide schedule before starting - there are two crossing that must be made during low tide.
  • Insect repellent. Sandflies (small biting insects) tend to be very bothersome.
  • Sunscreen. The sun can be very powerful.
  • Spare food and fuel. Always be prepared to stay an extra day or two.

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