Abel Tasman.Indd

DAYOUT. IN TASMAN BAY WALKS The relaxed lifestyle, excellent climate, beautiful beaches, picnic Walks in the Motueka - Kaiteriteri - Abel Tasman spots and very popular walks have always attracted New Zealand National Park area: holidaymakers to this area, especially at the end of December and throughout January when the population soars. 1 The Motueka Walkway - 2.5 hours If you want to be sure of your trip, you’ll need to book Pick up a free map at the Motueka Information Centre (well accommodation in advance. Outside those months, there are signposted, just off the High Street). more vacancies There are motels, campsites, backpackers lodges On this track you’ll see some splendid views of Tasman Bay and bed ‘n breakfasts to cater for all budgets in the towns and with glimpses of small-town New Zealand without the tourist surrounding areas. trappings. Interesting features include: Abel Tasman National Park • The Port - the centre of one of Motueka’s main industries If you want to walk the Abel Tasman Track, you’ll need to reserve - fishing. Evidence lies in the rusting hulk of the Janie Seddon, a in advance with the Department of Conservation, as numbers large vessel that lies in the estuary sand near the walkway. of walkers have had to be limited. But using water taxis, it’s • The track leads you beside a tidal estuary that changes possible to do sections of the track on a dayout without worrying from mud flats with wading birds to a beautiful seascape at full about bookings. tide. MOTUEKA • A wide variety of NZ houses from small, older baches Motueka is a small town at the mouth of the Motueka River, (holiday houses) to large, modern homes owned by Motueka’s which flows into Tasman Bay. It’s also a town that is in a rapid rich and famous. growth spurt. Tourism and the fishing industry, as well as a diverse agriculture - which includes the growing of apples, • The golf course, native bush, public gardens, a canal, berries, kiwifruit, grapes and hops - mean that it is developing sports centre, pine plantation and cemetery. rapidly from a working class town to a business and tourism • Cook’s colourful Pottery Studio. centre. KAITERITERI and LITTLE KAITERITERI 2 The Source of the Riwaka River Walk - 20 minutes 14 km north of Motueka, the golden sands of these two delightful return sheltered bays attract crowds. You can walk, go kayaking and yachting Easy walking for those who like 'ambience' or a quiet, shady or simply laze on the beautiful beaches. picnic spot with the bonus of interesting panels giving insight into the making of the surrounding landscape and river. MARAHAU 33km north of Kaiteriteri, this little village is on the boundary Turn off the road from Motueka to Takaka and drive for only 10 of the Abel Tasman National Park at the beginning of the minutes beside the Riwaka River. world-famous Abel Tasman Walkway. Marahau has some At the end of the short stretch is a beautiful picnic spot surrounded accommodation, a restaurant and offers adventure and eco- by shady glades where you can park your car and have a cool, tourism booking facilities. 1 cool swim in the small river that has just appeared after travelling 4 The Abel Tasman National Park Walkway through 4 kilometres of limestone tunnels. The wide, well-formed path mostly follows the rugged coastline. Follow the very well formed track which leads off the picnic area Native forest grows right to the high tide mark in many places. on the up-river side. In other areas, exotic trees are a reminder of early settlers who struggled with short-lived enterprises such as farming, ship- You walk to a deep hole called the Crystal Pool. A hundred building, milling and quarrying. metres further on, in the shadiest of goblin grottos, the river emerges from its flow though the tunnels. Little effort is required to enjoy the area today. Where the track climbs over headlands, the ascent is gradual and gentle and the The Department of Conservation has supplied several well scenery is always magnificent. Short side tracks take you down to written information plaques which describe the Karst landform golden sand and clear water. This sand is the result of erosion and of Takaka Hill and how the tunnels are made. A plaque also tells weathering of the park’s granite base. Constantly pressured by scuba divers how they can negotiate 800 metres of water-filled the sea, the granite has been pounded into intricate shapes adding tunnel separated by rapids and air-locks. to the spectacular scenery. This is one of New Zealand’s best tracks for many reasons. Not least is the fact that you can tailor your walk to suit your time, 3 Kaiteriteri to Stephens Bay Coastal Loop - 11⁄2 - 2 hours fitness or pocket. Even have your pack delivered by boat to the bay of your choice - you don’t have to confess to friends that you A series of picture-postcard golden beaches. Take your camera or didn’t hump it all the way! easel and walking shoes with good grip. There are lots of alternatives to see the whole or only a little Cross the bridge at the eastern end of Kaiteriteri Beach and part of this magnificent track. You could, for example: take the track immediately on your left, over the small, wooded headland to Little Kaiteriteri Beach. Stroll to the eastern end • Go one way by boat to one of the many beaches on the where a zig-zag track takes you to the trig station on top of the track and then walk back to Marahau (at the start of the track) headland. or be picked up by boat from another beach after walking for a few hours or days. (Water Taxi Companies generally require you From here you get superb views to the Abel Tasman Park and the to book at least 2 hours prior to departure. Bookings are essential land towards Nelson. at the height of summer.) Then follow the cliff track down to Stephens Bay beach where www.AquaTaxi.webnz.co.nz there is a picnic area and a reserve with toilets. • Camp, or spend the night in accommodation provided on To return to Kaiteriteri, either head up Stephens Bay Road to the the track. If you would like to stay somewhere comfortable with a main Riwaka- Kaiteriteri Road and complete the loop, or retrace restaurant and hot showers, book in to Awaroa Lodge and sample your steps for a double dose of coastal beauty. the outdoor life, knowing there’s a gin and tonic or a wine from the Tasman Bay region waiting for your return! 2 • If you love easy walking and have 3 days to spare, walk Bark Bay to Torrent Bay or Anchorage the coastal track starting at either end - Totaranui or Marahau. Take a water taxi to Bark Bay, a pretty inlet where traders once There are huts, but don’t rely on getting a bunk in summer. Better called to collect bark from the stands of rimu and beech trees. to take a tent and choose your own camping spot in a quiet bay It was sold in Nelson for use in the tanning of hides. Walk back with bright sand and rich native forest. to Torrent Bay (2.5 hrs) where early settlers carried out a boat- building business in the 1880s, or to Anchorage (3.5 hrs). Four day walks on the Abel Tasman Walkway: Awaroa Walks Early in the morning, catch the boat to Awaroa Lodge near Marahau to Stillwell Beach the middle of the track. Check in and leave your luggage at For cheapskates - out and back at no cost. The one we did last the Lodge. Awaroa is a beautiful spot with some lovely short time. About 4 hours walking from Marahau to one of the beaches. walks you could do in the afternoon, along with having a swim. For example, Stillwell Beach is just under two hours from the Once settlers milled timber here for local use and for export to start of the track. You could eat lunch and have a glorious swim Australia, but the bush has closed in around the remains of their before returning to Marahau. old, abandoned cottages. This part of the track is known as the Astrolabe area. Names such The next morning you could return to Marahau or Kaiteriteri by as Coquille Bay and Simonet Creek, where the water cascades water taxi or see more of the bush by walking to Tonga Bay (1 over rounded granite ‘corestones’, commemorate the visit hr) or Bark Bay (2.5 hrs) before catching a boat - book the water of French explorer, Dumont D’Urville, in 1827. He anchored taxi from the Lodge. his corvette Astrolabe just north of Marahau and spent a week Huge granite blocks on Tonga Beach are a reminder of the former exploring the coast. Adele Island, the larger of the two islands site of a processing plant for granite quarried here. An alternative you see from the track is named after his wife. for a more intrepid and long afternoon would be to walk the track It’s easy walking along a gently climbing, wide path shaded to Totaranui, about 2 hours. by tree ferns, beech and kanuka. Cicadas and bellbirds provide Once you’ve checked into the Lodge and left your luggage in music, fantails flit around and if you aren’t too noisy, you’ll see your room you could take a light pack and walk to Totaranui near native woodpigeons.

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