Activities in Abel Tasman National Park

Tracks and walks

There are two options for those with a few days to spare and the desire to explore: the Coast Track and the Inland Track through the hilly centre of the park. The Coast Track is the easier and is one of New Zealand's Great Walks.

Several short walks are available around the road ends. You can also take advantage of the water transport service, which can drop you off part way along the coast.

Sea kayaking and sailing

Sailing, boating and sea kayaking allows you to access some of the sheltered coves that the track bypasses. Tours and rentals can be arranged locally.

If planning to stop at Adele and Fisherman islands, please plan and prepare before you go to ensure you do not accidentally take pests, such as mice, rats, non-native ants and weeds, onto the islands. Tonga Island, a seal breeding colony, is not suitable for public access.

Mountain biking

There are two places where you can mountain bike in the park. The first is on a section of the Moa Park Track, from the Rameka Track turnoff to the Wainui Track turnoff (see map below). This track is accessed from the Canaan Downs carpark and can be used year-round, it links with a mountain bike track that is being developed in the adjacent Canaan Downs Scenic Reserve, providing a round-trip. This track is mostly complete though further work is being carried out to improve it. Please note that the Rameka Track can also be used by mountain bikers as it is on unformed legal road, outside of the park.

The second place where you can mountain bike is on the Gibbs Hill Track. However, this is currently being run as a trial for two years (2009 -2010) and is only available to mountain bikers between 1 May and 1 October. The track is accessed from Totaranui, climbs up to Gibbs Hill and then down to Wainui Bay (see map below). You will need to limit group sizes to 8 people and adhere to the mountain bikers care code.

View map (PDF, 105K)

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