Abel Tasman National Park

From World travel guide

Abel Tasman National Park is in the Nelson region of the South Island of New Zealand, between Golden Bay and Tasman Bay.

Contents 1 Understand 1.1 History 1.2 Landscape 1.3 Flora and fauna 1.4 Climate 2 Get in 2.1 By car 2.2 By water taxi 2.3 By kayak 3 Fees/Permits 4 Get around 5 See 6 Do 7 Buy 8 Eat 9 Drink 10 Sleep 10.1 Lodging 10.2 Camping 10.3 Backcountry 11 Stay safe 12 Get out 13 External links

Understand

Located in the Nelson and Marlborough Regions on the northern tip of New Zealand's South Island.

History

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.

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.

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.

Get in

By car

There are four carpark entrances to the park:

• Marahau. The southern entrance, 67km on a sealed road from Nelson.
• Wainui. 21km from Takaka. The road is sealed for all but the final 2km.
• Totaranui. 32km from Takaka. The road is sealed for all but the final 13km.
• Awaroa. 31km from Takaka. The road is sealed for all but the rough, final 12km. This road has two fords which are susceptible to flooding.

By water taxi

Most companies depart from the Marahau or Kaiteriteri going to the main beaches of the park.

• Abel Tasman Water Taxis, 64 3 528 7497, 0800 423 397, [1]. Sailing from Kaiteriteri for NZ$24 to NZ$39 one way. There are also round trip touring packages available.
• Abel Tasman Aqua Taxi, [2]. Sailing from Marahau for NZ$23 to NZ$50.
• Southern Exposure, 64 3 527 8424, [3]. Sailing from Marahau and several major beaches for NZ$22 - NZ$34.

By kayak

• Southern Exposure, 64 3 527 8424, [4]. Offering guided and unguided kayak rentals.
  • Guided tours. One to three days for between NZ$95 and $510. The two and three day tours are catered.
  • Unguided rentals. Two to five day rentals for between NZ$99 and NZ$180. Both double and single sea kayaks are available, however for a single you are required to prove competency.

Fees/Permits

The only fees associated with the Abel Tasman park are those required for sleeping in the park.

• Great Walk Hut. If tramping on the Coast Track and planning to stay in huts, you will need to book with the DoC and pay a fee between NZ$10 - NZ$14, per night, depending on the season.
• Standard Hut. If tramping on the Inland Track and planning to stay in huts, you will need to pay a fee of NZ$5 per night.
• Backcountry Campsites. Expect to pay about NZ$7 per night.

Get around

• Abel Tasman Aqua Taxi, [5]. Hut-to-Hut pack transfers for NZ$8 - NZ$12 depending on weight.

• Kayak.

• Walk.

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.

Do

• Abel Tasman Coast Track. A 51km walking track that is classified as one of the Department of Conservation's "Great Walks." It is considered one of the most used tracks in the country. 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.

Buy

• There is nothing to buy anywhere inside the park.

Eat

• All food must be carried into the park. There is no where to make a purchase.

Drink

• Potable water is usually provided at the huts, but be prepared to treat drinking water through boiling, chemical, or filtering.
• As always, be sure to consume plenty of water during your hike, whether overnight or just for the day.

Sleep

Lodging

• Awaroa Lodge, 064 3 528 8758, fax 064 3 528 6561, [6]. 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, [7], 64 3 528 0005, 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.

Get out

• Kaiteriteri. You can pick up petrol, some groceries and find accommodation here.
• Marahau. Accommodation and shopping here.
• Takaka.

External links