Price
$470pp
Duration
2 Days
Experience the remoteness of the Northern part of the park over two glorious days.
Short on time but want to experience the Northern end of the park? This trip offers one day unguided walking and one day guided kayak. This trip has been designed for those wanting to experience the top of the park.
We have taken our popular Three Day Tiki and broken it into the first two days. This is ‘kiwi tikiing’ at its best! Water taxi to Totaranui and spend the first day walking in the northern section of the park. After crossing the Awaroa Lagoon spend a night at Awaroa Glamping, Awaroa Bay. Day two sees you paddling on our Remote Marine Reserve Tour. At the end of the day return to Marahau by water taxi.
Paddling is our business, with all activities supported by our purpose-built kayak base, complimentary hot showers, wifi, equipment storage & client transporters. We also provide high-quality soft gear – fitted for each client by our guides and high-quality hard gear – customised for comfort for each client.
On this trip in the marine reserve you have a professional guide with you for around 6 hours sharing their knowledge and passion of the Abel Tasman. We also cater a snack and lunch designed around your health and energy. Please note all other food is to be supplied by the client.
Every trip is unique like each of our clients.
Single supplement $60pp
We are normally able to secure space at Awaroa Glamping but at peak times this may not be possible, when booking your reservation it will be unconfirmed until we secure space. In the event we are not able to secure space we can discuss alternative accommodation in the National Park.
Print Itinerary- Check-in: 8.15 am
- Open: I Nov – 31 Mar
- Age: Minimum 12 years, under the age of 18 you need to be accompanied by an adult on a 1 to 1 ratio
- Food: Partially catered (includes lunch on guided kayak trip)
- Paddling: Approximately 4 hours interspersed with breaks. No prior experience required
- Abel Tasman Great Walk: Approximately 3 – 4 hours
- Water Taxi: Two water taxi cruises
- Bus: $70 Nelson return, $30 Motueka return operating 1 Oct – 30 Apr. On request outside of these times
Departure Times
Your trip includes an Environmental Access Fee which goes directly towards preserving the Abel Tasman National Park.
Risk Disclosure: For an understanding of the potential risks please click here and read before you book.
Itinerary
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Day One
8.15 amCheck in and we will provide tips and a map for your walk.8.30 amWater Taxi Marahau to Totaranaui.
10.00 amArrive Totaranui.
Walk Totaranui to Awaroa 2 hours, 5.5kms. Arrive Awaroa Glamping for your night’s accommodation.
Your day two kayaking is based around the tide. We will let you know on check in which kayak option will be on offer or you can check our tide timetable in the description.
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Awaroa - Bark Bay
9.00 amDepart Awaroa and walk to Awaroa Beach.
9.30 amMeet your guide who will arrive via water taxi.10.00 amKayak from Awaroa - Bark Bay. Kayak approx 4 hours with breaks.1.15 pmEnjoy lunch in the Onetahuti area.3.30 pmArrive Bark Bay.3.45 pmWater Taxi to Marahau.4.30 pmArrive back in Marahau. -
Onetahuti - Anchorage
8.00 amDepart Awaroa and walk to Onetahuti.
9.45 amMeet your guide who will arrive on a water taxi.10.00 amKayak from Awaroa to Bark Bay. Kayak approx 4 hours with breaks.12.30 pmEnjoy lunch in the Bark Bay area.3.45 pmArrive Anchorage.4.00 pmWater Taxi to Marahau.4.30 pmArrive back in Marahau.
*Please note: This is an estimate of timings. Trip may change due to tide.
What to bring
Please bring personal water bottle, hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, towel, swimwear, warm top (wool or fleece), wind jacket, a change of clothes, cameras and any medication. You will also need clothing and changes of clothing for the number of days you are out, torch, first aid kit. Food 1 lunch, 1 dinner, 1 breakfast and snacks provided by you. Kayak trip includes lunch. Awaroa Glamping has options available for dinner at your own cost, these need to be pre-ordered a few days before departure. Be sure to bring enough food for your whole journey. We recommend purchasing this before you get to Marahau. Make sure you bring plenty of fresh water. Filtered water is available at our base, untreated water is available at campsites and huts and will require treating/boiling before using.
We Provide
A double sea kayak, buoyancy vest, paddle, spray skirt, paddle jacket, dry bags for cameras, a map and of course an awesome Abel Tasman Kayaks guide on the guided kayak day.
FAQS
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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 guided kayaking?
Guided customers need to be 12+. Under the age of 18 you need to be accompanied by an adult for all tours excluding Split Apple Classic. The age for Split Apple Classic Guided is 8+ and anyone under the age of 18 needs to be accompanied by an adult.
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Is food included on our tour?
Lunch is included in all our guided tours, except for the Split Apple Classic, making it one of the many reasons to join Abel Tasman Kayaks. Summer lunches are a freshly baked roll filled with local produce, a sweet snack and fruit. We also provide fresh plunger coffee, tea and local juice; however, drinks are not included on the Earth Sea Sky trip due to timing. In winter we offer hot seasonal soup, home made bread rolls, fresh plunger coffee and local juice. Vegetarian and dietary requirements can be catered for, please ask at time of booking. Two, Three & Five Day Classic’s & Source to Sea are fully catered. Two Day & Three Day Tiki Tour trips require some catering by you. Check out the trip description to see what meals are required.
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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
I booked the Earth, Sea, and Sky tour. If you want to explore the scenic Abel Tasman national park, Abel Tasman Kayaks is the company to do it with, plus they have various tours! The tour starts off in Torrent Bay (via water taxi) and you walk to Barker Bay (bring hiking shoes) where you'll see various bays, plants, wildlife, and other beautiful scenery. At Barker Bay, they had additional... read moreI booked the Earth, Sea, and Sky tour. If you want to explore the scenic Abel Tasman national park, Abel Tasman Kayaks is the company to do it with, plus they have various tours! The tour starts off in Torrent Bay (via water taxi) and you walk to Barker Bay (bring hiking shoes) where you'll see various bays, plants, wildlife, and other beautiful scenery. At Barker Bay, they had additional lunch when we arrived (met up with another tour group that was doing a full-day custom-guided kayak tour, this may not always be the case). Watch out for the birds they'll dive bomb your food while it's in your hand (one little sneaky bird ran off with my carrot cake). After lunch, they water taxi you to another cove for the guided kayak tour portion. Our group had Georgia and Brody as our tour guides. They gave us history lessons about Abel Tasman (formation etc), māori culture, and various wildlife (and other places to check out on the West Coast). Our group saw seals and we were close enough to Adelle island we could hear other wildlife. Our tour guides surprised our group by transforming our kayaks into one big sail at the end of the trip so we could sail back to the boat ramp. Thanks for the amazing tour of Abel Tasman national park, hospitality, and borrowed backpack, I will certainly book another tour with Abel Tasman Kayaks next time I'm in Nelson. read less
Travel Dude
Abel Tasman Kayaks deserves 
++++++ for their exceptional customer service, communication and professionalism. They made my tramping experience possible with transfers, gear rentals, baggage storage, boat taxi to the trail, and expert advice. They support kayaking AND tramping experiences at Abel Tasman. Every time I requested something, I was always... read moreAbel Tasman Kayaks deserves ++++++ for their exceptional customer service, communication and professionalism. They made my tramping experience possible with transfers, gear rentals, baggage storage, boat taxi to the trail, and expert advice. They support kayaking AND tramping experiences at Abel Tasman. Every time I requested something, I was always met with a “yes”. They were timely and very organized at the start of my trek managing multiple groups simultaneously. I was happy with the quality of their gear. I was even offered a much needed hot shower and the ability to recharge electronic devices upon return from my four day tramp. I was impressed by every staff member that I interacted with. I cannot recommend this business highly enough. read less
Bethany Facendini
The Abel Tasman coast is absolutely beautiful to kayak but Nathan really made our day - he was friendly, enthusiastic, extremely knowledgeable about the local area and its history and really funny! We all had a great day! Delicious lunch on the beach, stunning scenery and we saw seals and penguins!! Highly recommend, one of our highlights of New Zealand :)
Jade B
We were a large tour group so half of us walked to Apple Tree Bay while the other half kayaked there. The walk in was amazing as it just hits you how beautiful nature is and how appreciative I become that it is still relatively unspoilt. We enjoyed the cooler weather and had a picnic on the beach before we swapped to kayaking.Our guide Issac did a beautiful karakia with... read moreWe were a large tour group so half of us walked to Apple Tree Bay while the other half kayaked there. The walk in was amazing as it just hits you how beautiful nature is and how appreciative I become that it is still relatively unspoilt. We enjoyed the cooler weather and had a picnic on the beach before we swapped to kayaking.Our guide Issac did a beautiful karakia with a great explanation of what it meant to start us off on our kayak. Seeing the National park from the sea gave me another viewpoint and enjoyed being on the ocean. Would definitely recommend this experience to anyone. It will leave you breathless and thankful. read less
Tim S
We all knew that the trip would be special when we needed more coffee and salami on the first day, and our humble guide Roy (or “Lolli” in Australian) announced that we would be getting “better than average” salami after being grilled about the quality. Our 3-day classic was completely brilliant, with excellent company, excellent food, excellent weather, excellent adventures, and better than average salami (which was excellent too). Roy... read moreWe all knew that the trip would be special when we needed more coffee and salami on the first day, and our humble guide Roy (or “Lolli” in Australian) announced that we would be getting “better than average” salami after being grilled about the quality. Our 3-day classic was completely brilliant, with excellent company, excellent food, excellent weather, excellent adventures, and better than average salami (which was excellent too). Roy knew his stuff, and willingly shared his knowledge of all aspects of the history, the aquatic and marine life, the birds, the flora, the geology, and much more.
Shag Harbour was an absolute highlight, though so too was Cleopatras Pool (and the extra climb/canyoning trip beyond), but the entire coastline made it all pretty special, especially with Roy’s inside knowledge of the best places to go. Throughout the journey we were fed exceptionally well, with plenty of tasty food and drink, and the efficient organisation from start to finish reassured us all that we were not only in safe hands, but above average hands. A big shout out to Bal for the first two days (with the larger group), too.
In summary: a very professional adventure with plenty to see and do, and with expert knowledge to add greater value to the whole trip, and which made it very memorable. Highly recommended. read less
ivanovbt
Had the most amazing trip on the two day classic tour. Kyle was an awesome guide who showed us lots of hidden treasures and made sure we had a great time (and were well fed!) A stunning way to experience Abel Tasman National Park, even for a non-experienced kayaker, would highly recommend ☺️
adamszentes_nz
