Bark to Anchorage Great Walk - Abel Tasman Kayaks

Catch a water taxi and independently walk the track between Bark to Anchorage before cruising home at the end of the day.

Highlights include: the Kaka population, Pou whenua of Hohaia Rangiauru, Falls River suspension bridge and the Torrent Bay lagoon.

Wander 10 minutes from Bark Bay beach to experience the spectacular viewing platform overlooking Medlands beach. A pou whenua of Hohaia Rangiauru, past Maori chief of Te Ātiawa, is located at the platform, take the time to learn the relationships Māori have with the area and be awed by the first of many inspiring views of the day.

Listen and look out for the distinctive call of Kaka. Kaka love to play and swoop across the valley catch a glimpse of them in the distance or up close. These birds are a real testament to the conservation work being undertaken in the Abel Tasman.

Continue along the track checking out viewpoints and lookouts before crossing Falls River swing bridge. The 47-metre suspension bridge is sure to bring a smile when crossed, take a sneek preview below, video produced by Bare Kiwi. Enjoy the gentle descent down into Torrent Bay with expansive views of the tidal lagoon. Take the high or low tide route through or around Torrent Bay lagoon before arriving at Anchorage to catch the taxi home.

We provide a map and a briefing outlining track highlights.

Side trip:

Cleopatras Pool
A natural rock pool is a great place to explore and also has a beautiful swimming hole.

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

$112pp

Duration

1 Day

Adult: $112
Child (up to 14): $56
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 $25pp 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

Full Park Map

Departure Times

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

Itinerary

Day One

8.15am

Check in. One of our team will provide tips and a map for your days walk.

8.45am

Water Taxi to Bark Bay.

9.25am

Arrive Bark Bay.
Walk from Bark Bay to Anchorage (high tide track), 4hr, 11.5km
Bark Bay to Anchorage (Low tide Torrent Bay estuary), 3hr, 8.4km

4.00pm

Water taxi from Anchorage to Marahau.

4.30pm

Arrive back in 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

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.
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.
More FAQ’s

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

What our customers say

Earth, sea and sky is the perfect way to experience the beauty of Abel Tasman national park.
Our guides were the perfect mix of funny, friendly and knowledgeable. There are a handful of companies that offer a similar sort of trip, we chose this one from advice from a local, and have no regrets. Perfect way to spend a day.

anthonyrobinson

Wij hebben gekozen voor een hele dag kajakken, zonder de wandeling, om zo meer van het Marine Reserve te kunnen ontdekken. Na een korte introductie konden we op pad. De watertaxi naar het beginpunt was al beter dan verwacht. De gids nam er alle tijd voor en liet ons al het één en ander zien waar we door het getij wellicht later niet mee bij konden.

Daarna volgde een korte... read more read less

NienkeNM

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

Had the very best time out there today! Amazing foggy completely still and quiet morning! Then some baby seals playing around our boat, amazing! And best of all was our guide - Tom! Thank you so much for this adventure

theaaa1234567

Just wanted to leave a review to say thanks to Abel Tasman Kayaks for an awesome experience. All of the staff were so helpful, friendly and accomodating. I had no previous experience paddling so was honestly a bit nervous but right from the start the guy sorting us out (can’t remember his name but he was the big blonde Viking, you know who you are) was so chilled and informative... read more read less

Zac E

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 more read less

Sam S

Great Walk Bark to Anchorage