New Zealand Great Walks: Abel Tasman Coast Track

The Abel Tasman Coast Track will delight anyone backpacking in New Zealand with its beautiful ocean views, calm beaches, and lush forests. Combine hiking and laying on the beach for a paradisal backpacking experience.

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What You Need to Know

For more details on traveling to New Zealand, see our post: How to Plan a New Zealand Backpacking Trip

For more details on the gear we used in New Zealand, see our post: Backpacking in New Zealand: Trip Overview and Gear List

Weka – These flightless birds are menaces to hikers. They are intelligent, bold, and outright determined to get into your things and find a meal. They can even open zippers. Do not underestimate these birds! Make sure your things are in your tent or out of reach, and do not turn your back for too long.
Sand flies – there are lots of these nasty little bugs at dusk and their bites itch like mad. Be sure to bring tropical strength bug spray and clothing that can cover you well enough to avoid bites.
Awaroa Inlet Crossing – there are a few inlet crossings along this track. While the others offer alternative routes if you miss low tide, there are none for the Awaroa Inlet Crossing. You will have two 2.5-hour windows per day to make this crossing. Make sure to consult the tide tables for the date you plan to cross to make sure this will not be an issue.
Water Taxi – depending on your trip and amenities, you may need a water taxi to travel from Totaranui in the north to Marahau in the south. There are many services to choose from. The one we used can be found here. Note that the northernmost pick up location is Totaranui which is south of the track’s northern terminus. Keep this in mind as you plan your trip, as you may need to backtrack as we did if you want to complete the entire trail.
Book huts/campsites well in advance. Like all of New Zealand’s Great Walks, you will need to book your stays in the huts and campsites ahead of time or face a heavy fine. The sooner the better because they can fill up fast. We booked our trip about two months in advance and faced limited availability. You can find booking information here.

Our Trip

Being the third of the four Great Walks we completed on a month-long backpacking trip, we were feeling in need of some rest. The Abel Tasman Coast Track provided us just that – delightful hiking with plenty of room for relaxing on the beach. On this track, hikers will find a well-maintained trail, beautiful scenery, and plentiful wildlife.

Here is what our trip looked like:

Day 1: Marahau to Torrent Bay Village Campsite (~12 miles)

We left our hostel at Marahau and walked two miles to the southern terminus of the Abel Tasman Coast Track. The trail was wide and smooth, except for a few choppy ups and downs. The morning light illuminated the mountains across the bay:

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After soaking in the beautiful view from the beach we continued along the track.

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Cleopatra’s Pool

Farther along the track, we took a short side trip to Cleopatra’s Pool – a worthwhile detour for anyone backpacking along the Abel Tasman. An icy creek flowed through the lush forest and spilled over boulders into the pool. A perfect natural water slide is there for anyone willing to brave the chilling water. In addition to the scene’s beauty, a freshwater eel made an appearance to the interest, or fright, of those in the water.

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Watch out for weka!

We dropped our backpacks at the trailhead to Cleopatra’s Pool. Upon our return, I caught a weka stealing beef jerky out of my backpack. It had torn through the plastic and contaminated all that was inside. It was largely my own fault, but I was still furious! This would be the first of many times I underestimated the weka in their determination and boldness in stealing hiker’s things.

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We continued along ups and downs, occasionally walking right next to the glowing turquoise water that seemed to illuminate the trail.

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Soon we arrived at the Torrent Bay Campsite. We set up our tent, being careful to keep everything inside and away from the weka. A pair of quail explored our campsite. As the tide receded, the whole bay seemed to disappear.

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Day 2: Torrent Bay Village Campsite to Waiharakeke Bay Campsite (15.5 miles)

Our longest day on this track included choppy ups and downs with frequent views of the ocean and walks along the beach. We had the treat of seeing a kaka parrot while stopping at one of the huts to refill our water supply.

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After about 14 miles we came to the Awaroa Inlet. Here we waited until the evening tide receded and we could make our crossing. We trekked barefoot for roughly a half-mile across slimy sand, shells, and thigh-deep water to the other side. After rinsing our feet in a creek, we continued along the track toward Waiharekeke Bay Campsite.

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Day 3: Waiharakeke Bay Campsite to Anapai Bay Campsite (4 miles)

Having only four miles to cover, we arrived at our campsite at Anapai Bay by mid morning. The rest of our day consisted of laying and walking on the beach – a nice rest from our longer hiking days! Aside from some pesky weka in the area (like the one that managed to unzip my hip belt pocket and steal a granola bar), it was a serene place to camp. We set up our tent right at the tree line on the beach and listened to the waves as we fell asleep.

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Day 4: Waiharekeke Bay Campsite to Trail End and Back to Whariwharangi Hut & Campsite (11.5 miles)

We savored our last full day on the Abel Tasman Coast Track. The morning hiking was nothing short of pristine. We rose early while the moon still hung in the sky. The sun rose brightly over the mountains and spilt sunlight through the trees.

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We arrived at the Whariwharangi Campsite, set up camp, and continued along to the track’s northern terminus. Upon returning to camp, we realized there were a few dozen weka living in the area. They terrorized us and other hikers throughout the day and into the evening.

After dinner we strolled to the beach and watched a flock of coastal birds as the day drew to a close.

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I woke up the next morning to the singing of bell birds and tui. We listened in our tent for a half hour before packing up. We then made our way south to Totaranui to be picked up by our water taxi to Marahau.

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Summing Up

The Abel Tasman Coast Track offers a perfect blend of delightful hiking and relaxing on the beach. There are numerous inlets and bays that make you feel isolated from the rest of the world as you stroll along the beach. If you are backpacking in New Zealand, the Abel Tasman Coast Track will provide a relaxing change of pace from the ruggedness of other hiking tracks.

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Happy Hiking!

— Kris