One of the most famous hiking trails in New Zealand is the Coastal Track in Abel Tasman National Park. There is a lot to see on the hike: sea lions, a natural rock pool, beautiful sandy beaches and fantastic views from the coast of the Abel Tasman National Park.
The Coastal Track is 60 km long and it takes about 3-5 days to do the whole track. Who wants to make the complete hike, should book overnight accommodation early. The cabins are usually fully booked in the high season.
For more information, visit the official website for the Abel Tasman Coastal Track: http://www.doc.govt.nz/abeltasmantrack
From Bark Bay to Marahau
We did not want to make the whole hike and decided to do the section from Bark Bay to Marahau.
We booked a Wassertaxi from Marahau to Bark Bay for 66 NZD per Person. The ride with the taxi was already the first highlight. They drive you past the famous Split Apple Rock and a sea lion colony.
Abel Tasman Coastal Track – Watertaxi
Abel Tasman – Split Apple Rock
Abel Tasman Coastal Track – Sea lion
From Bark Bay we went to Marahau. The hike takes about 7 hours.
Bark Bay to Anchorage
The first section of the hike goes from Bark Bay to Anchorage. The section is about 12 km long and takes about 3.5 hours. The coastal landscape is very beautiful on this section. In this part is the suspension bridge over the Falls River. It is possible to jump from the bridge at high tide (at your own risk!).
Abel Tasman Coastal Track – View from the track
Abel Tasman Coastal Track – View
Abel Tasman Coastal Track – Falls River suspension bridge
Later, the trail leads through Torrent Bay Village, the only settlement in Abel Tasman National Park. You can only get there by foot or by boat.
Directly south of Torrent Bay Village is a section of the track that can be walked only at low tide. If you do not come at the right time, you have to take a detour of approx. 1-1.5 hours. Here is the tide calendar of Abel-Tasman Nationalp Park.
From Anchorage to Marahau
The section south of Anchorage is slightly less exciting. There are still a few beautiful views of the sea, but otherwise the track is similar as before and unfortunately not so varied. Nevertheless it is a nice hike!
Abel Tasman Coastal Track – Waterfall next to the track
Abel Tasman Coastal Track – Beach
Tip: If you want to reward yourself with a tasty burger after the strenuous hike, you should definitely go to the FAT TUI. They’re supposed to have one of the best burgers in New Zealand! The restaurant is right at the end of the Coastal track.
