Want to see Split Apple Rock?
An afternoon rental is the way to get there.
Explore Split Apple Rock, sea caves, the shag (Cormorant) colony and Nagio Island before returning to Marahau.
- Explore the coastline from Marahau to Split Apple Rock.
- Paddle at your own pace.
- Drift into caves on a high tide.
- Stretch your legs on the beach and take that perfect picture of Split Apple Rock.
Minimum group size 2 (no solo hires).
Price
$75pp
Duration
1/2 Day
- Check-in: 12 noon (pm trip only)
- Open: 1 Oct – 30 Apr
- Age: Minimum 14 years, under the age of 18 you need to be accompanied by an adult on a 1 to 1 ratio
- Food: Lunch can be provided for $20pp or bring your own
- Includes: Kayak hire
- Paddling: Approximately 1.5 hours interspersed with breaks. No prior experience required
- Water Taxi: No water taxi cruises
Departure Times
Your trip includes an Environmental Access Fee which goes directly towards preserving the Abel Tasman National Park.
Itinerary
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12 noonCheck in and meet your guide for your briefing.12.45 pmHead out to Split Apple Rock and explore the surrounds.4.00 pmArrive Abel Tasman Kayaks base.
What to bring
Please bring personal water bottle, hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, towel, swimsuit, warm top (wool or fleece), wind jacket, a change of clothes, cameras and any medication.
We Provide
A double kayak, buoyancy vest, spray skirt, paddle jacket, paddle, safety emergency flares, waterproof map, water pump and a spare paddle. Additional items in the winter: wetsuits, wetsuit booties.
FAQS
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Can we hire/rent single kayaks?
No. Due to the safety procedures in place, you cannot hire or rent single kayaks. The exception is if your group size is an odd number where there will be one single kayak provided along with double kayaks. E.g For a group of 3 – 1 x double kayak, and 1 x single kayak, group of 5 – 2 x double kayaks and 1 x single kayak.
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Environment Access Fee
Your trip includes an Environmental Access Fee which goes directly towards preserving the Abel Tasman National Park.
A portion of your ticket price goes directly towards preserving the unique environment you will enjoy on your trip in the Abel Tasman. This includes the compulsory concession fees paid to the Department of Conversation as well as voluntary contributions to local organisations and projects to improve the environment, ecology and access to the National Park. Fees are adjusted according to your trip, you can see your contribution when you purchase a ticket.
Find out more on how we are looking after this special place including our commitment to the Mārahau Pledge.
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What is the minimum age for renting a kayak?
Rental customers need to be 14+ and anyone under the age of 18 needs to be accompanied by an adult.
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Is food included?
All kayak rentals & kayak & walk rentals are self catered (unless you have opted to add lunch for day 1 at time of booking) the trip description provides suggestions of meals. Be sure to bring enough food for your whole journey, food tips can be found here. We recommend purchasing this before you get to Marahau. Make sure you bring plenty of fresh water with you. Filtered water is available at our base and hut sites, untreated water is available at the campsites.
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If I am on my own can I rent a kayak?
It’s possible to join a guided trip if you’re a solo traveller. We will pair you with another guest or a guide. No rentals are available to solo kayakers due to safety.
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Do I need any previous kayaking experience to rent a kayak?
While past kayaking experience is desirable, a reasonable level of camping and outdoor skills and water confidence is essential. Before you go out on a kayaking trip you are briefed by a qualified sea kayak guide who is very familiar with the park and will provide you with information about places to go, how far you are likely to get in the time you have and information on safety, weather and sea conditions.
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Do you hire camping gear?
Yes, from gas bottles to a full set of gear. It can be booked online at time of booking or over the phone a full list can be found here. These items are subject to availability.
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More FAQ’s
A full list of our FAQ’s can be found here.
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What our customers say
We did the 3 day classic guided kayak trip. From the first contact with the company through to when we said our last goodbyes, Abel Tasman Kayaks were fantastic. Our guide, Awatea was amazing, whipping up fabulous meals at each lunch and overnight stop. He was an experienced guide, coaching us through a couple of more exciting sections on the route and we always felt safe and... read moreWe did the 3 day classic guided kayak trip. From the first contact with the company through to when we said our last goodbyes, Abel Tasman Kayaks were fantastic. Our guide, Awatea was amazing, whipping up fabulous meals at each lunch and overnight stop. He was an experienced guide, coaching us through a couple of more exciting sections on the route and we always felt safe and had great fun. Awatea kept us amused with his 'Dad jokes' and informed with his local knowledge. As we came ashore for the last time at Marahau I really felt I'd achieved something by kayaking the Abel Tasman. Definitely recommend this trip and absolutely recommend Abel Tasman kayaks as the company to go with. read less
stressederic64
this was our first stop in NZ, and we were very impressed. All the guides we met on our 2-day overnight were excellent. The company was well run, the food was great, and Nathan in particular was a very friendly, knowledgeable and capable guide. I totally recommend this company.
rico36461
Great family friendly adventure, loved the information about the park, the walks to explore, fully catered yummy meals. Our guide Lou was a great resource, lover of NZ outdoors and great at checking in on the various needs of our group. Loved that we got a bit of everything from the weather Gods and excited we got to add penguin spotting to our check list.
Erin T
Would 100% recommend the seal sanctory tour. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and made sure that we enjoyed our day. We had plenty of time to get photos and have breaks. The lunch provided was super delicious! Everyone I dealt with was really helpful and friendly.
Makamaylaaa
We booked the Park Start which is a 3 day and 2 night trip which starts by taking a water taxi up to the Northern part of the National park where you’re dropped off enabling you to kayak back to Marahau with the wind behind you! The kayaks are spacious with lots of room for tent, other camping equipment and clothes for the trip, and the compartments in the boat... read moreWe booked the Park Start which is a 3 day and 2 night trip which starts by taking a water taxi up to the Northern part of the National park where you’re dropped off enabling you to kayak back to Marahau with the wind behind you! The kayaks are spacious with lots of room for tent, other camping equipment and clothes for the trip, and the compartments in the boat are pretty much water tight. Abel Tasman Kayaks provide a dry bag and big plastic bags if you need them to keep your things dry. They also do a good safety briefing to get you started before you go including a practice paddle on the water. The company booked our campsites which made life easier and the map provided of the coastline is really useful. My only criticism would be that we had to be at the site at 8.15am for a briefing but didn’t actually get our water taxi until 11.30 so felt like we were missing out on time when we could’ve been on the water. All in all an excellent company and way to explore Abel Tasman national Park. read less
stefsabb
Our guide was excellent, we had a fantastic time kayaking in the Tasman Sea. The scenery is beautiful, the kayaking great. Love the rock formations and the history of the area. Very interesting. We opted out of kayaking over to seal island as it was windy and rough. After kayaking we had coffee on the beach and hiked over to another beach to sail back... read moreOur guide was excellent, we had a fantastic time kayaking in the Tasman Sea. The scenery is beautiful, the kayaking great. Love the rock formations and the history of the area. Very interesting. We opted out of kayaking over to seal island as it was windy and rough. After kayaking we had coffee on the beach and hiked over to another beach to sail back to where we started. All in all a great day. Because of Covid 19 we were one of the last groups so it was the guide and me and my husband. I'd recommend this highly. read less
Kristin B