Abel Tasman National Park in New Zealand

Abel Tasman National Park overlooks the Tasman Sea where the water is emerald, instead of tropical fish there are seals and the sand is the color of gold.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen sand of this particular color and these features.
It’s not like that of the desert or that of Asian beaches, which is fine and silky, but it is rather rough and grainy.
Under the rays of a warm sun it shines like gold, I like this colour, despite the cold air it makes the vast and deserted bay warm with something summery and makes me forget that in addition to a wool sweater I’m also wearing a coat .

Click the button and find all search platforms and book your next trip yourself.

Plan your trip yourself

The high green green mountains they match well with the sinuous coasts that flow for kilometers with elegance and lightness Abel Tasman offers this view which gives me a new image of New Zealand and makes me discover it from a completely different, almost exotic point of view.

To visit the park I decided to take part in a day tour starting from Nelsona town in the north of the South Island and with a well-stocked Italian community, always supplied in relation to the percentage of people in New Zealand (like 30 sheep for one person).

It takes a 50 minute drive from Nelson to get to Editorsmall port from where water taxis leave for the various tours.

A trekking day it seemed necessary and although still drowsy and above all without caffeine in my body, after 1 hour on the boat I begin the climb of these mountains between one yawn and another.

The boat dropped us off on the beach Bark Bay but within 1 minute I find myself in the middle of a rainforest overlooking the sea.
The walk was long but not very tiring. Two uninterrupted hours walking along a path up and down the mountain but always with a sea view.

After 1 and a half hours of walking on mountain paths you arrive at Torrent Bay. We’re back on the beach. These sudden transitions from one scenario to another are new to me.
At a certain point the path twists and turns.
There is the fast route which can only be done when there is low tide and the long route which can only be done when there is high tide. The difference in time is an hour and a half.
When I arrived the low tide had literally sucked in a large part of the sea, a huge one extends in front of me black sand beach which looks like a swamp. The sand is still wet, my bare feet are covered in mud, I step on shells. There are thousands of them, it’s a sea without water.

Arrival at Anchorage after 2 hours or maybe more of walking. The beach is huge, the sun is shining but it’s cold. I lie down on the sand and fall asleep caressed by these shy rays of sunshine that remind me that this area of New Zealand is the only one where the sun always shines even when winter is upon us.

Download the Abel Tasman National Park app

This visitor-friendly application offers up-to-date information on climate, tides, maps, points of interest, history, plants, wildlife, ecological restoration and travel times in the park.
Works offline in the park and updates when it finds data coverage or if in a hotspot area.
The app is available in Google Play and Apple Store (search for Abel Tasman)

How to get to and visit Abel Tasman from Nelson

For the tour I supported myself Abel Tasman Sea Shuttle which also includes transport from your hostel to Nelson and back in the package.
The tours are numerous and include trekking, kayaking (canoeing), boat trips. Prices start from $NZ70 up to $NZ150 for the canoe tour.
I recommend going with this company if you don’t have your own transport as the transport from Nelson to Kaiteriteri it would cost $40 amortized by the company’s pick up which, by spreading the costs over more people, makes them pay significantly less.

Disclaimer: In this post, some of the links provided are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links. However, this does not incur any additional cost to you. The commissions I receive through these affiliate links they help fund and support my blog, thus maintaining its independence and lack of sponsorship. I always strive to provide you with the best information and advice possible, based on my personal experience and research. I would like to underline that your support is essential to keep this blog alive and continue to provide you with quality content. Thank you for your support!

Plan your trip yourself