• Abel Tasman Information

    Abel Tasman Information

Famous for its golden beaches, turquoise waters and spectacular scenery New Zealand’s smallest and most accessible national park is a quietly beautiful place to explore.

Kayaking here is considered the best in New Zealand and the coastal track is part of the New Zealand Great Walk network. Whatever option or combination of options you choose the Abel Tasman National Park will leave lasting memories.

History

Covering 22,530 ha the Abel Tasman opened 19 December 1942, but its history spans more than 600 years.

Many people have left their mark on the Abel Tasman and this rich history comes alive as you explore the park, from names or geographical features it is a content rich place to explore.  Project Janszoon is a privately funded trust set up to restore and preserve the Abel Tasman’s rich wildlife for all to enjoy. They have captured beautifully the history of the park and the role that people have had shaping what we now know as the Abel Tasman. Project Janszoon have kindly given us permission to send you to their website which also highlights the ongoing ecological and conservation work happening in the park of which Abel Tasman Kayaks supports in kind and through its contributions to the Abel Tasman Birdsong Trust.

For more info about the park, it’s history, native species and fascinating stories you can also download the free Abel Tasman app. Search Abel Tasman in your Google Play or App store.

Abel Tasman Coastline

 

Video produced by Bare Kiwi

Abel Tasman wildlife

Video produced by Bare Kiwi

 

What our customers say

These reviews are gathered through our independent client survey, designed by Get Smart using their Survey Science approach to track Customer Experience. Reviews with the Get Smart icon are gathered through that feedback tool.

www.getsmartglobal.com/get-smart-verification


Get Smart

Zack was a great guide! He took the safety briefing very seriously and it was an overall great experience! Great kayak and the national park is obviously stunning.


Anna

good safety briefing
good and nice guide
and the beautiful environment


PS

Whitney was a very knowledgeable guide. felt safe. good lunch!


Jo

It was very well run, helpful staff, we felt very prepared.


Katie

Absolutely amazing. It was a wonderful Journey with beautiful landscapes. Our guide Oli was fantastic and i would like to thank him very much for this perfect day. A must do for everyone who stay in Marahau


Florent

#ABELTASMANKAYAKS

"Excellent kayak adventure. Beautiful calm." Nathan, May 2026, reviewed on Get Your Guide.
"Fantastic experience. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the sea life and the area and kept the entire group very engaged the entire trip." Anon, April 2026, Get Your Guide
There are a few lagoons where the the water goes still and shallow and turquoise. Got a favourite lagoon in the park?
Instagram
There's a rhythm to it after the first few strokes - paddle dips, blade catches, kayak glides.

That's the point a trip stops feeling like a technique and starts feeling like just moving through the water.
Day one of a park start trip looks simpler than people expect.

A briefing at Marahau, a water taxi into the park, kayaking for the rest of the day, then pitching your tent at the end of the day. 

Curious what day one actually looks like? It's in the video.

#AbelTasmanKayaks #AbelTasman #AbelTasmanNationalPark #NewZealand
Kaka, Tūi and bellbird, flitting through the bush before the rest of the park wakes up.

First light on the Coast Track sounds like this - no traffic, no chatter, just birdsong doing most of the talking. Worth being up for.

Early starts have their reasons.

#AbelTasmanKayaks #AbelTasman #CoastTrack #AbelTasmanNationalPark #NewZealand #NZMustDo #purenz
There's a particular kind of quiet that settles in once the tent's up and the kettle's on.

What's your version of switching off?

#AbelTasmanKayaks  #AbelTasman #NewZealand #PureNZ
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