Discovering Abel Tasman National Park—A Historical and Natural Treasure
By Lisa & Richard: 7 July, 2024
Nestled at the northwestern tip of New Zealand's South Island lies Abel Tasman National Park, a gem renowned for its stunning coastal beauty and rich cultural history. Named after the intrepid Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman who first anchored in Golden Bay on 13 December 1642, the park spans 225.3km, making it the country's smallest national park yet one packed with fascinating stories and incredible landscapes.
Historical Encounters and Cultural Significance of the Abel Tasman
Abel Tasman's arrival marked the first documented European contact with Māori people. Tasman was sailing two ships, the Heemskerck and the Zeehaen on a commercial venture for the Dutch East India Company, in search of trade routes.
Tasman’s journal records that four waka (canoes) paddled towards them and that there were calls between the vessels. A warrior “blew several times on an instrument…we then ordered our sailors…to play them some tunes in answer.” When the Dutch fired a cannon, the waka fled. The next day more waka returned, with its crew giving a “rough loud” call, probably a haka (war chant). Tasman’s men, misunderstanding the chant’s intent, unsuccessfully tried to encourage them closer, waving linen and knives and calling out. While this was happening, one of the waka rammed a small boat that was being ferried between the two ships. Four sailors were killed and the body of one was dragged into a waka. Both waka sped back to shore as the Dutch fired at them with muskets.
Sadly, Tasman did not see this as a lesson in understanding cultural differences. He named Golden Bay “Moordenaers” (Murderers) Bay and recorded that the meeting “must teach us to consider the inhabitants of this country as enemies…”. The Māori version of this event is lost in time, but we can imagine that the appearance of these alien vessels would have been quite a shocking experience for the tangata whenua of Mohua. Some historians think that the Māori people may have challenged the ships because they believed the white people were ‘patupaiarehe’, fair-skinned fairy folk or ghosts.
It would be 120 years before Māori and Pākehā met again, when Captain Cook arrived in 1769. Captain Cook didn’t see the Abel Tasman region. He crossed Tasman Bay in foggy conditions, naming it ‘Blind Bay’. The French explorer Jules Dumon d'Urville had better luck in 1827 when he anchored his ship Astrolabe for water in 1827, in a bay now known as Watering Cove.
Industry in the Abel Tasman
From around 1841 the first European settlers arrived and scratched out a living farming, fishing, timber milling and ship building. Each of the bays in the Abel Tasman has its own unique story.
Kaiteriteri, now a hugely popular beach destination, started off as an extension to a Riwaka orchard in 1916 until the owner Syd Rowling began allowing people to camp there for 4 shillings a week in the 1920’s. The current campsite was finally purchased for £600 in 1938 with £100 coming from Riwaka residents, the Nelson AA donating £25 with the rest coming from the Government.
Torrent Bay and Anchorage were settled in 1870 by boat builders. These beautiful sheltered bays also attracted holiday makers and both were used for holiday homes from the early 1900’s. Albert Pitt purchased land in Torrent Bay in 1900 for the purpose of establishing holiday homes.
Bark Bay was named for the bark that was collected on the beach for Nelson tanneries. This bay was settled by the Huffmans, the hut is now built on the site of the original house.
Tonga Quarry was the source of granite rock, with building blocks carved from the faces at either end of the bay—you can still see the winch base as you walk past. This rock built Nelson Cathedral and the former Wellington Chief Post Office.
Awaroa was once a significant community with many industries including sawmilling and ship building, farming. Some of the land is still in the hands of the original leaseholder—the Hadfields (1862). Their descendants (Wilsons) now run a major tourism operation in the park. By 1932 the industries were drying up and the school closed in 1932. The school relics and the original Hadfield’s house can still be found in the overgrowing bush, and the Abel Tasman Coast Track now follows the old tramway to the Sigley Sawmill. You can still find an old traction engine left there. The inlet was the hideout of a runaway sailor Jimmy Perrot—he died here after 70 years. His hut is still there but almost overgrown now.
Tōtaranui meaning ‘many Totara’ was settled by William Gibbs in 1856 and farmed until 1942. In its heyday—a small carriage would meet visitors to take them to the homestead along an avenue of Norfolk Pines. There was power to Tōtaranui before Tākaka. Bedrooms had running water and in the main room water gushed from a silver lion’s head. Tōtaranui was the last protected anchorage before Separation Point—often up to 14 ships often laid up here. Now it is an extremely popular Department of Conservation campground with a capacity of 850 people and many more day visitors.
Whariwharangi last permanent occupation was in 1926, but it was stocked and farmed until 1972. The old homestead is now the Department of Conservation hut and one of the most interesting huts to stay in the Park—said to be haunted (by a friendly ghost)!
The creation of Abel Tasman National Park
By the 1930s, with resources in the area running out, only holiday makers and fishermen remained, along with a scarred landscape due to “firing” the hillsides for farming, logging and mining.
The transformation of Abel Tasman's landscape from exploited resource to protected sanctuary began in earnest once Perrine Moncrieff, president of the RAOU (Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union) entered the picture. In 1936 she and her husband leased 502 acres at Astrolabe and immediately gazetted it as a private scenic reserve.
In 1937, Mrs Moncreiff heard of a proposal to mill native timber at Tōtaranui. She began lobbying Government and persuaded seven local bodies in the district to endorse a petition to declare 39,000 acres of Crown Land and State Forest a National Park. She must have been a formidable woman—because in 1942 the government declared the area Abel Tasman National Park. Some private properties remain, but much of it was purchased by the Government.
Building back the ecological diversity of the Abel Tasman
Today, Abel Tasman National Park is renowned not only for its historical significance but thanks to those early visionaries, also for its breathtaking natural landscapes and diverse ecosystems.
The philanthropic history of the Abel Tasman remains strong today. Devon and Janie McLean established and funded the Project Janzoon Charitable Trust to enhance the ecological health and biodiversity of the park, in partnership with the DOC and mana whenua, the iwi guardians of the area—Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Rārua and Ngāti Tama. Birds that have been successfully reintroduced into the park include the kākā (12 flown in by special charter by Golden Bay Air), kākāriki, pāteke/brown teal and whio/blue duck.
Adele Island, named after d’Urville’s wife is now a predator free wildlife sanctuary and home to one of New Zealand’s rarest birds, the South Island Saddleback (tīeke). The marine environment surrounding the park is equally impressive. Tonga Island, now a marine reserve, exemplifies successful conservation efforts with its thriving marine life, including rock lobster and blue cod. Today, you may well be accompanied by pods of playful dolphins as you cruise up the coast.
Awaroa Beach also personifies New Zealanders’ strong interest in maintaining the environment in its pristine state. When part of the beach was put up for sale it was purchased by New Zealanders in a crowd funding campaign at the beginning of 2016. This was to prevent it from becoming privatised and ensured future public access. 40,000 people came together to buy the beach for a total of $2.8 million. It is now in the care of the Department of Conservation and officially part of the Abel Tasman National Park.
Visitor Experience and Tourism
The Abel Tasman Coast Track, established in 1960, winds 52km through lush bush that has significantly regenerated since the decimation of the early 19th century. The track’s warm climate, golden beaches, and crystal-clear waters has made it New Zealand’s most popular hiking destination, attracting up to 8,000 visitors daily during peak season. The Abel Tasman now offers visitors a range of experiences, from hiking and kayaking to cruising, canyoning and sailing. Its pristine beaches invite relaxation and exploration, while rich cultural sites provide insights into its rich Māori history and heritage.
To see it all in a day, by land, sea and air, and hear more of the fascinating stories behind the Abel Tasman National Park, check out Golden Bay Air s Cruise-Fly Day tour from Nelson. For information about transport to and from the Park see our blog on how to get to the Abel Tasman Coast Track.
Lisa Sheppard and Richard Molloy are Takaka-based owners of Golden Bay Air who have walked most Great Walks and dozens of back-country tracks in New Zealand including the Heaphy and Abel Tasman Coast Tracks.