There is approximately 200,000 ha of public conservation land within this area, including the northern sectors of Kahurangi National Park and Abel Tasman National Park. Conservation areas are mostly forested with beech forest dominating.
Hunting for red deer is popular throughout much of the area, with fallow deer the focus in some places such as the Cobb Valley. Feral pigs can be hunted in parts of the front country of Kahurangi National Park and particularly in the northern Abel Tasman where a block booking system operates. Goats are also found throughout, and chamois have been reported but there is no stable population in the area.
Golden Bay is located in the northern part of the South Island and includes the Tākaka Hill 20 km west of Motueka through to Kahurangi Point on the West Coast. State Highway 60 leads from Motueka through Tākaka township and on to Collingwood. Side roads provide access further towards Kahurangi Point on the West Coast, to the Aorere Valley and into the renowned Cobb Valley.
Climate
The climate is mild throughout the year with annual rainfall ranging between 4000 mm in the west and interior of Kahurangi National Park to 1500 mm at the Abel Tasman coast. In winter a variable snow cover on the tops can be expected for at least several months and heavy falls can frequently extend down as far as 1000 metres. Autumn is mild with long spells of fine weather.