Abel Tasman Park

The Abel Tasman Park – named after the first European to explore New Zealand – is the nation’s smallest national park, at a mere 22 350 hectares (or 108 000 square feet.)  But don’t let its small size fool you; Abel Tasman Park is a beautiful natural landscape full of interesting pockets waiting to be explored.

Abel Tasman Park’s sunny beaches, large estuaries and stunning bushland are surrounded by unique outcrops of granite, limestone and marble that can be explored on foot or by water.  Two walking tracks, offering various levels of difficulty, take visitors through the park, either by the scenic coastal track or via a more difficult inland track, which leads through the hilly centre of the park.  Visitors who choose the inland track should check out Harwood’s Hole, a 178 metre deep sinkhole that is the deepest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

If you’d prefer to travel by water, you have many options.  Various different tourist operators offer sea kayaking, paddling a traditional Maori waka (carved canoe), speeding through on a water taxi or even sky diving!  A water exploration should give you a glimpse of some of the tame aquatic residents of the area, such as seals and dolphins.

Commercial buses provide regular access to Abel Tasman Park.  Commercial boat operators also provide pick up and drop offs from many points throughout the area.  Abel Tasman Park is a must-see for visitors to the Nelson region.