Until now, we’ve avoided Abel Tasman National Park on the north coast of New Zealand’s South Island: it’s just too popular. We prefer to even the tourist load and enjoy a quieter experience by visiting less popular “B-list” places.
We would be passing right by Abel Tasman on our way to a remote VRBO (Vacation Rental by Owner) cabin on Golden Bay in the far northwest. We decided to break our “no A-list” rule and spend three nights in the Awaroa Lodge.
We ruled out hiking the full 60 km of the park’s coastal trail, as we would be sleeping in huts and would have to carry sleeping bags and food. Three nights in a comfortable lodge with easy access to day hikes seemed like a fine idea.
There is no road to the lodge. Access is by boat, foot, or air using the nearby airstrip. We opted for a boat.
We day-hiked for four days, following trails from the lodge up to the coastal track. We particularly enjoyed the track going north, so we walked a section three times.
Most of the trails are in forest. I was impressed by the shadows cast by tree ferns.
I had never realized, before, the shadows on the trail are green.
Large stands of the New Zealand Tea Tree provided contrast to the lush greenery.
The hikes were walks in the park. The quality of the trail is top-notch: it’s well-engineered and well-maintained.
Our turnaround point for the northbound hike had a fine view across Awaroa Bay and up the coastline,
Our turnaround point for the southbound hike was the beach at Onetahuti Bay.
Each evening we enjoyed a dinner of local ingredients in the lodge’s restaurant.
After dinner we were ready for an early night.
On the last day we walked the trails one final time. In the afternoon, a scheduled catamaran took us along the coast and out of the park.
