Catch a water taxi and independently walk the track between Bark Bay to Awaroa before cruising home at the end of the day.
Highlights include: the Kaka population, Tonga Quarry, views of Tonga Island, Onethauti Beach, Onetahuti board walk and Awaroa wetlands.
Catch a water taxi to Bark Bay. Explore beautiful Bark Bay estuary and its forest fringed banks. Listen and look out for the distinctive call of Kaka. Kaka love to play and swoop across the valley, catch a glimpse of them up close or in the distance. These birds are a real testament to the conservation work being undertaken in the Abel Tasman.
Enjoy views from the top of the saddle before heading back down to the coast to learn about Tonga Quarry. A few minutes on from the Quarry set foot on Onetahuti Beach, this expansive semi circle beach offers stunning views of Tonga Island and the Tonga Island marine reserve.
Cross the impressive boardwalk before climbing Tonga Saddle which provides views back South. At the top of the saddle the track splits into two. Staying right on the non-DOC track takes you down to Awaroa Beach and Awaroa Lodge. Stop in at the Lodge to experience the beautiful lounge or courtyard for a drink or bite to eat before heading out to the beach (any food or drinks purchased are at your own cost) to catch your water taxi.
- We provide a map and a briefing outlining track highlights.
Side trips:
Explore Tonga Quarry and learn what famous New Zealand landmarks used Tonga granite in their construction.
Stop at Awaroa Lodge for a drink or snack (at your own cost).
The Abel Tasman is part of New Zealand’s great walk network and this premier track is designed for all levels of fitness. An outline of the journey is below in the itinerary section. DoC’s full track brochure can be downloaded here.
A guided walk option is available, please contact us to discuss.
Price
$121pp
Duration
1 Day
- Adult: $121.00
- Child (up to 14): $60.50
- Child (4 & under): $0
- Check-in: 8.15 am
- Open: 1 Oct – 30 Apr
- Age: Any age, under 18’s need to be accompanied by at least 1 adult
- Food: Lunch can be provided for $20pp or bring your own
- Abel Tasman Great Walk: Approximately 3 – 4 hours
- Water Taxi: One water taxi cruise
- 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
8.15amCheck in. One of our team will provide tips and a map for your days walk.8.45amWater Taxi to Bark Bay
Highlights: Marahau wetlands, views of Adele Island,Yellow Point, and the lookout at top of Anchorage.
9.25amArrive Bark Bay -
Onetahuti Bay to Bark Bay (high tide track), 2 hr, 6.4 km
Onetahuti Bay to Bark Bay (low tide crossing, Bark Bay estuary), 1 hr 45 min, 4.6 km
Awaroa to Onetahuti, 1hr 30min, (4-5km)2.30pmWater taxi from Awaroa to Marahau. -
What to bring
Please bring personal water bottle, hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, towel, swimsuit, warm top (wool or fleece), wind jacket, walking shoes, cameras and any medication.
*Please note: These are an estimate of timings.
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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Do I need hiking boots?
For walking the track, firm footwear is required, but boots are not essential, walking sandals or sports shoes are fine.
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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
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
The four of us had a great time in this beautiful location. Our guide was helpful knowledgeable and fun to be with and we all enjoyed the lunch.At the end we felt like we'd had a bit of a workout but we are not very fit and we set our own pace.We saw playful young seals up close, a wide range of birds and a couple of stingrays. Do it... read moreThe four of us had a great time in this beautiful location. Our guide was helpful knowledgeable and fun to be with and we all enjoyed the lunch.At the end we felt like we'd had a bit of a workout but we are not very fit and we set our own pace.We saw playful young seals up close, a wide range of birds and a couple of stingrays. Do it if you get the chance read less
Sam S
An adventure activity needs to balance two things a sense of energised fun with a serious attitude towards safety.
ATK is always fun to work with the teams have a great sense of humour and make the day a positive and highly personable experience from the moment you check-in. to the moment you leave. In other words, is a classic Kiwi experience. However, that is tempered with providing timely instruction... read moreAn adventure activity needs to balance two things a sense of energised fun with a serious attitude towards safety.
ATK is always fun to work with the teams have a great sense of humour and make the day a positive and highly personable experience from the moment you check-in. to the moment you leave. In other words, is a classic Kiwi experience. However, that is tempered with providing timely instruction reminding you subtly that adventure activities need everyone involved to manage risk and respect those risks.
The soul food excursion is very clever you work your way around islands noiselessly so surprise surprise the wildlife doesn't disappear as it does when confronted with diesel engines and jet boats.
The coastline is fascinating and an experienced guide like Tim puts you in the right place at low tide and high tide and anywhere in between at the optimum moment.
Kayaking 15 K is tiring and it's great to stop on a Beach and enjoy a generous lunch and the classic Kiwi sandwich experience not to mention naughty brownies and chocolate truffles!
it's easy not to cover the basics but the start and finish are executed with great efficiency so you get into the trip quickly and get off home quickly which enables the really memorable part to stay in your mind.
I look forward to more well-executed fun with ATK!
Please note this excursion was carried out on 1/1/2020 TA has not updated their calendar options yet. read less
Michelle J
If you want an authentic experience, this is definitely the place to go. From the moment we stepped foot into the reception to leaving, every staff member we encountered was welcoming, friendly, and genuinely wanted to help and make our first kayaking experience one to remember. Our guide was Belverre (might be incorrectly spelt sorry). He was knowledgeable, professional and very funny. We had a safety briefing before we went... read moreIf you want an authentic experience, this is definitely the place to go. From the moment we stepped foot into the reception to leaving, every staff member we encountered was welcoming, friendly, and genuinely wanted to help and make our first kayaking experience one to remember. Our guide was Belverre (might be incorrectly spelt sorry). He was knowledgeable, professional and very funny. We had a safety briefing before we went out on the water and felt very safe on the water. Definitely recommend!! read less
Pou_Havea
I had a great kayak day tour. Kayaking was the best choice for exercise and to go into the national park and see the wildlife. Our guide Nathan knew many details about all the birds and wildlife and history of the park!! He took great care of us. Lunch stop at the beach was amazing. I would have loved to see even more from the park and kayak further.
Kathikmann
As someone who has never kayaked before I felt super safe and felt like I was sailing off with heaps of knowledge after the safety briefing. Our guide was awesome and down to earth, it was easy to ask him questions. We even ran a little bit late and we were stressed we would miss a bit of the info but they were really understanding and gave us plenty of... read moreAs someone who has never kayaked before I felt super safe and felt like I was sailing off with heaps of knowledge after the safety briefing. Our guide was awesome and down to earth, it was easy to ask him questions. We even ran a little bit late and we were stressed we would miss a bit of the info but they were really understanding and gave us plenty of time to get ready. read less
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