How to get to the Abel Tasman Coast Track

By Lisa & Richard: 7 July, 2024

The Abel Tasman Coast Track is one-of-a-kind. Beautiful golden beaches, clear turquoise bays and lush forest waiting to be explored. The logistics around getting from Auckland, Wellington or Nelson to the Abel Tasman Coast Track (plus travelling within the park) are incredibly easy with an abundance of Golden Bay Air flights, shuttles and various boating options at your disposal. Read on for the details.

Getting to Mārahau and Kaiteriteri

Driver Anne standing by shuttle van at Marahau Beach — Anne with Golden Bay Air van at Marahau Beach

Many people fly into Nelson and catch one of the scheduled Golden Bay Air shuttles to Mārahau (about 1hr 10min) which is where you can begin walking the coast track from the southern end of the park or catch a water taxi. The shuttles are scheduled from Nelson to Kaiteriteri and Mārahau at 7.30am (daily) and 1.00pm (four days a week). Golden Bay Air will even collect you from your accommodation. If your plan is to connect with a Wilsons or Abel Tasman Sea Shuttle cruise boat, you’ll want to hop off the shuttle at Kaiteriteri for their departures.

You could also take your own vehicle or hire a car from Nelson and self-drive to Kaiteriteri or Mārahau, leaving it there while you spend time in the Abel Tasman National Park. The Department of Conservation carpark at Mārahau can get busy in the peak summer but you can usually find a space. Parking can be difficult to find in Kaiteriteri because it is so popular with day-trippers. You can park your car at the free overnight parking which is a couple of minutes’ drive along Martin Farm Road and then a 10-minute walk back to Kaiteriteri beach.

If you are walking right through to Wainui Bay, then you can take advantage of the Golden Bay Air’s return package option, and catch the shuttle from Wainui Bay back to Mārahau, Kaiteriteri and onwards to Nelson. Or do the whole thing in reverse and start at the Wainui Bay end, walking through to Mārahau.

A scenic flight back to Nelson is another great way to enhance your Abel Tasman experience and sort transport at the same time. To do so, catch Golden Bay Air’s shuttle from Wainui and jump off at Tākaka Airport for the 30-minute flight back to Nelson. From the air you’ll see the golden sand beaches, azure waters, tracks and bridges that you’ve just experienced!

Fly straight from Wellington to Takaka

Abel Tasman viewed from an aircraft — Abel Tasman viewed from Wellington-Takaka flight

You can bypass Nelson altogether and fly Wellington to Tākaka on a direct scheduled flight with Golden Bay Air. From Tākaka Airport or town, you can join a Golden Bay Air shuttle to the Wainui end of the coastal track.

The northern part of the Abel Tasman between Wainui and Tōtaranui is something special. Because boat operators don’t operate further north than Totaranui most people day-visit the Park or walk only the southern portion.

The north has all of Abel Tasman’s classic stunning beaches, lush forest areas and amazing look out points, but because of the lack of Kaiteriteri day-trippers or boat transfers, you’re more likely to have the place all to yourself. Walking from Wainui to Whariwharangi Hut (a restored two-storey farmhouse originally built in 1896) takes 1.5 hours followed by 3 hours 15-minute walk to Tōtaranui, via a worthwhile sidetrip to the exposed headland at Separation Point.

Within the park—walk or boat

Split Apple Rock viewed from a water taxi

From Tōtaranui south, there are 4 water transport operators in the park, enabling you to walk parts of the Coast Track and to catch a boat between other parts. At Marahau, choose from Abel Tasman AquaTaxi or Marahau Water Taxis and from Kaiteriteri Abel Tasman Sea Shuttles or Wilsons Abel Tasman. If you book on these services you can pre-arrange gear dop-off at one of the beaches so you don’t have to carry it yourself. A number of kayak operators (Kahu Kayaks, Abel Tasman Kayaks, Mārahau Sea Kayaks, Kaiteriteri Kayaks, Golden Bay Kayaks, R&R Kayaks and Wilsons Abel Tasman) will hire kayaks so you can also paddle sections of the coast yourself.

In some cases, travelling by watercraft can be a walker’s best friend. For example, at Awaroa and Torrent Bay, there are tidal crossings. At Awaroa Estuary, you are recommended to cross within 1.5 hours before and 2 hours after low tide and Torrent Bay 2 hours either side of low tide. And if you miss the low tide, the extra hour walk around Torrent estuary feels like a long way! Pre-booking water transport for these sections takes the time-management stress away. Boats do run on a schedule for most of the year, but we recommend booking in advance to ensure you get a place. Or check the tide timetables here and plan your walk times around them.

Further Information

To search and book transport to and from the Abel Tasman National Park—check out Golden Bay Air Abel Tasman Transport for Walkers. If you have any questions about logistics within the park, get in touch. With our local knowledge and expertise here at Golden Bay Air, we can help you customise your transport options for a stress-free visit to Abel Tasman National Park.

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.