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.

Price

$420pp

Duration

2 Days

  • 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

Please note the Department of Conservation apply differential pricing between 1st October and 30th April. If you are a New Zealand resident choose the New Zealand Resident price, if you are an International Visitor choose International Visitor price.

Your trip includes an Environmental Access Fee which goes directly towards preserving the Abel Tasman National Park.

 

Itinerary

  • Day One

    8.15 am
    Check in and we will provide tips and a map for your walk.
    8.30 am
    Water Taxi Marahau to Totaranaui.
    10.00 am
    Arrive 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.
  • Awaroa - Bark Bay

    9.00 am
    Depart Awaroa and walk to Awaroa Beach.

    9.30 am
    Meet your guide who will arrive via water taxi.
    10.00 am
    Kayak from Awaroa - Bark Bay. Kayak approx 4 hours with breaks.
    1.15 pm
    Enjoy lunch in the Onetahuti area.
    3.30 pm
    Arrive Bark Bay.
    3.45 pm
    Water Taxi to Marahau.
    4.30 pm
    Arrive back in Marahau.
  • Onetahuti - Anchorage

    8.00 am
    Depart Awaroa and walk to Onetahuti.
    9.45 am
    Meet your guide who will arrive on a water taxi.
    10.00 am
    Kayak from Awaroa to Bark Bay. Kayak approx 4 hours with breaks.
    12.30 pm
    Enjoy lunch in the Bark Bay area.
    3.45 pm
    Arrive Anchorage.
    4.00 pm
    Water Taxi to Marahau.
    4.30 pm
    Arrive 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, swimsuit, 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

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Is food included on our tour?

    Lunch is included on all our guided tours except the Split Apple Classic. It is one of the great reasons to go on a trip with Abel Tasman Kayaks. Summer lunches are a freshly baked roll filled with local produce, a sweet snack, fruit, fresh plunger coffee and local juice.  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.    

  • More FAQ’s

    A full list of our FAQ’s can be found here.

What our customers say

3 day immersion at the Abel Tasman ,saw lots of seals and surrounded always by pristine park
Was a group tour
Guide super helpful with kayaks and paddling was enjoyable with a min to mod fitness level of middle aged person


gggerty

Absolutely brilliant team at Able Tasman kayaks. Alex was our leader and was full of enthusiasm and knowledge - impressive rattling off of species, flora and fauna. Weather was pretty rough but she led us safely in swelling seas. Great lunch. There was a slight mishap with a personal T shirt but the company more than made up for it. Great bunch of people . I heartily recommend them


Philip S

We chose a three day tiki tour and the whole family loved it! It includes a bit of everything: walking, kayaking, camping and glamping for a treat. And everything is thoughtfully provided! The forecast was for inclement weather, we were thrilled that Abel Tasman kayak’s knowledge and experience meant they came up with a safe option to let us paddle and explore. With two quite different overnight stays,... read more


nataliar495

Abel Tasman Kayaks have a great interactive online website that caters for all possible adventures whether that's hiking, kayaking or both that vary in duration. The itineraries are clear with the option explore the upper bay area like Tongas Arches (must see). Our camp site was already orgabised by Abel Tasman Kayaks which left us with one job, enjoy the experience! There is plenty of room in the kayak itself... read more


jovitapw

Did the 5 day kayak trip, booked very last minute and they were able to accomodate us at short notice. We then flew to NZ pretty much just for this. From then on everything was really well organised by Abel Tasman Kayaks starting with our pickup from Nelson. The awesome kayaking experience was a fascinating journey where we saw some of the best scenery and wildlife New Zealand has to... read more


weka777

Can absolutely recommend this company. They organised a tramping trip combined with a kayak trip. Did all the bookings, answered endless emails and were so helpful. All the staff were incredibly friendly. The marine tour itself was a highlight. Our guide was brilliant and it was no problem that I'd never kayaked before. The equipment was great and all in all just a fabulous... read more


Anne H

#ABELTASMANKAYAKS

Drifting through granite caves⛰️🚣‍♀️

...
 #nelsontasman #abeltasmankayaks
The wonders of Tonga Island Marine Reserve🐠 established in 1993 go beyond marine life— Tonga Island in the marine reserve makes for that quintessential Abel Tasman pic! 📸
Gearing up for the adventure ahead! 🌟🚣‍♀️
A sea breeze makes for a fun end to the day, kayak sailing ⛵ is a real highlight for customers kayaking back towards Marahau. 

#abeltasmankayaks
Watching the sun come up ☀️
Last day to vote for the bird of the century! This year, #birdoftheyear has become 
#birdofthecentury. We're rooting for the Kaka! 🐦 With 35 released into the Abel Tasman, they add their distinctive call and color to Bark Bay and its surrounds.

#BirdOfTheYear
Memories about to be created in the Abel Tasman. 📸
The Abel Tasman National Park is the smallest national park in New Zealand, it's the perfect location for half-day or five-day explorations!
There are plenty of moments to soak it all in. 

#abeltasmankayaks
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