Abel Tasman National Park

We had a brief but marvelous trip to Abel Tasman National Park. We hiked, kayaked, and had a picnic on the coast.

Elliott’s parents flew halfway around the world to come visit us here in New Zealand, so the least I could do was plan a trip around the South Island that would best showcase the stunning beauty of this country. With just two weeks to work with, we were certainly in a hurry!

We stayed in the Nelson area for a couple of days, one of which was dedicated to Abel Tasman. We drove from Motueka up the coast to the southeastern corner of the park and went for a short wander around the coast. We admired the blue waters, the ferns, and the local wildlife. Then we made a quick drive back to Kaiteriteri where we joined up with a lovely guide from Wilson’s Abel Tasman Kayaks and went for a paddle out to Split Apple Rock. If you’re in the area, I totally recommend you join these folks for a kayak tour! If we had more time, we would have been real keen to go for a full day trip.

Someday we’ll have to venture back this direction, because we barely scratched the surface of this park.