Abel Tasman National Park

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Abel Tasman National Park Regional Information

The Abel Tasman National Park is an accessible and extremely popular area for tramping, recognised as one of the most beautiful in New Zealand. It is the smallest National Park in New Zealand, with an area of 22,500 hectares. The inland area is rough and mountainous; the park is better known for its coastal areas which feature crescent bays, clear waters, golden beaches and granite headlands.

Maori have inhabited the Abel Tasman region for over 500 years, living along the coastline and gathering food from the sea and the forest. Abel Tasman, the first European to discover New Zealand, arrived in 1642, but settlement did not begin until 1855. At this time, newly arrived residents began logging and quarrying. In 1942, 300 years after Abel Tasman's visit, 15,000 hectares of land was assigned as a National Park and named in honour of the Dutch explorer.

Today, the most notable walking track in the area is the coastal walkway, a 51 kilometre walk taking between three and five days to complete. The walkway passes through native bush and offers stunning views of sandy beaches and sparkling ocean waters. Along the way, there are many bays to explore, either on foot or by kayak. Many people combine walking with kayaking, or complete the entire length of the track by kayak, as the waters in the region are relatively safe and sheltered. Due to the popularity of this track, the walkways are crowded in the summer months.

The coastal cliffs and rocky outcrops have been formed from granite, which extends inland into the Park. Further west, however, the landforms are made from marble, limestone and other rocks, similar to those in the Kahurangi National Park. The marble in this area has been eroded by water to create landforms such as caves, sink-holes and disappearing streams, including some of the deepest caves in New Zealand. Harwood's Hole has a vertical drop of 176 metres, making it the country's deepest cave shaft. Waikoropupu Springs, New Zealand's largest freshwater springs, discharge an average of 14,000 litres of water each second.

As a protected area, the National Park is a safe haven for a wide variety of birds, inhabiting sea, coast and forest habitats. In the area, there are populations of Kaka, Parakeet, Falcon and Kea. Little Blue Penguins, once common in the bays, have been destroyed by introduced stoats and are now confined to offshore islands.

Navigate with our great Abel Tasman National Park map to stay on the right track and find what you're looking for when traveling in the region. While you're on the road, be prepared for all seasons with weather forecasts, reports and current information on Nelson weather.

For more information, visit the Department of Conservation site or the Abel Tasman regional information site.