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 $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

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

We couldn't fault one bit of our kayak rental with Abel Tasman Kayaks! They were really professional, super friendly, flexible and helpful! The kayaks were in great condition, held way more stuff than we thought and were super easy to use! Thank you Abel Tasman Kayaks!

jmc13

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

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 more read less

Kristin B

Sea kayaking for the first time, I opted for a short introductory half day. It was beautiful, fun and rewarding. The guides were excellent, group "sailing" was an unexpected fun activity that saved energy and lunch on the beach after was tasty, filling and relaxing. Water taxi back including being towed (while still in the boat) by a tractor.

Jo-Anne K

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 read less

Anne H

we had a great time with this company on the ocean and when we camped . before you go i would check what you are going to eat .

eaterofallthingsgood

Great Walk Bark to Anchorage