Discover Abel Tasman National Park with the water taxi! This is the most accessible way to discover the beautiful nature park. Abel Tasman actually has no roads. To discover the beautiful beaches and the walking routes, you therefore need the water taxi. Fortunately, this is very normal for local tourism. I’ll explain to you how it works!
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Abel Tasman Coast Track: the reason why there are water taxis
The Abel Tasman Coast Track is one of the Great Walks of New Zealand and is a popular destination for hikers from all over the world. The 53 kilometer long route runs through Abel Tasman National Park, at the northern tip of the South Island. The path winds along golden beaches, through rocky bays and lush rainforest, with views of the azure Tasman Sea.
Now, a 53 kilometer walk is not within reach of every hiker. And fortunately, that doesn’t have to be the case either. The water taxis provide a solution for that: they take you to the different beaches for which Abel Tasman is famous. And from these beaches, you can do (part of) the walk. Additional advantage: you also see Abel Tasman from the water!
Where other popular walks such as the Tongariro Alpine Crossing are not walkable all year round, the Abel Tasman Coast Track is. Expect more crowds in the summer though.
Map of Abel Tasman with the water taxi
Below you will find a map of Abel Tasman National Park and where the water taxi docks. We chose to start from Kaiteriteri. There is also plenty of offer from Marahau. We mainly chose Kaiteriteri because you will find a lot of hospitality here and there is a large parking lot where you can also leave your car overnight.
Source: Aquataxi.co.nz
Different water taxi companies
Different companies offer water taxi services on the route. We used Abel Tasman Sea Shuttles, but you could also try Aqua Taxi, or Marahau Water Taxis. Aqua Taxi and Marahau Water Taxis sail from Marahau, Abel Tasman Sea Shuttles sails from Kaiteriteri.
Check the departure times
The prices for all water taxis are fairly equal, so it will simply depend on which timetable and route suits you best. The water taxis of Abel Tasman Sea Shuttles offer space for dozens of travelers, but we also saw many smaller taxis going. Booking in advance is therefore wise. After all, you don’t come to New Zealand every day 😉
Even last-minute, the chance is high that you can just join anyway. Keep in mind that you have to buy a ticket at the counter and not on the boat itself. We, who had a reservation, also had to go to the counter first before we were allowed on the boat.
Day hikes in Abel Tasman with the water taxi
Do you want to do a day hike in Abel Tasman? Then you definitely need the water taxi. Below you will find an overview with the different options.
| Hike | Distance | Short description | Water taxi points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marahau to Anchorage | 12.4 km | Beautiful, easy hike with beaches and forest. Viewpoint just before Anchorage. | Marahau (start), Anchorage (end) |
| Anchorage to Bark Bay | 11.5 km (high tide route) or 8.4 km (low tide route) | High tide route has the most beautiful views, and Cleopatras Pool (swimming). Low tide route is shorter. | Anchorage (start), Bark Bay (end) |
| Bark Bay to Awaroa Bay | 10 km | Steep climb at the beginning with a beautiful view over Onetahuti Bay. Lunch option at Awaroa Lodge. | Bark Bay (start), Awaroa Bay (end) |
Take low and high tide into account in Abel Tasman National Park
It is important to take the tides into account when planning activities in Abel Tasman. Some walking paths are only accessible at low tide, while other paths can be flooded at high tide. The same applies to kayaking: in some places you can only get there when it is high tide.
Via this website you can easily check low and high tide.
Unique overnight stay in Abel Tasman National Park
Do you want to stay uniquely, but still luxuriously? This sounded like music to our ears. Right in the middle of Abel Tasman National Park is Awaroa Lodge. This lodge is only reachable by water taxi or helicopter. The lodge is also on the route of the Coast Track and is therefore also a favorite spot to have lunch or a drink for hikers. And naturally, the water taxi also docks here.
You stay here in a luxury lodge and can enjoy a delicious dinner here. It can be a bit pricey, but that is of course also due to the remote location. It is certainly unique! Upon arrival, your suitcases are already picked up by an employee with a quad. Then you have to walk the stretch to the lodge yourself. We found this a unique overnight stay in Abel Tasman anyway!
From Awaroa Lodge you can also do an excellent kayak tour. Very fun to explore the surroundings in this way as well. And due to the large differences in low and high tide, you can kayak in some places at one moment of the day, and walk at another moment.
Want to know more about what to do in Abel Tasman National Park? I once wrote a blog about it.
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