Hotels in Abel Tasman National Park

Kaiteriteri Beach has a wealth of accommodations, but you'll have to book months in advance. At Marahau Beach, backpackers and campers should check out the Barn, Harvey Road, Marahau (tel. 03/527-8043; fax 03/527-8440), the closest lodgings to the park, with a shared dorm, double and twin rooms, and motor-home or tent sites from NZ$25 to NZ$75. Marahau Beach Camp, Franklin Street, Marahau (www.abeltasmanmarahaucamp.co.nz; tel./fax 03/527-8176), also has backpacker and camping facilities. There are smarter rooms at the ecofriendly Abel Tasman Ocean View Chalets, 305 Sandy Bay Rd., Marahau (www.accommodationabeltasman.co.nz; tel. 03/527-8232), with rates of NZ$145 to NZ$285 for their one- and two-bedroom chalets. They have a Qualmark Enviro-Silver rating and are members of the Nelson Sustainable Tourism Charter.

My pick for this area is ecofriendly Awaroa Lodge, Abel Tasman National Park (www.awaroalodge.co.nz; tel. 03/528-8758), which has 26 modern rooms priced from NZ$415 to NZ$460. Tucked into the northern end of the park, Awaroa is a feature destination of the Abel Tasman Coastal Track, and has its own restaurant, which serves food grown in their amazing organic garden. It has won a New Zealand Tourism Innovation in Ecotourism award for its sound ecological practices, which include a sophisticated, sustainable waste-management system. There is no road access. You reach the lodge via foot, kayak, water taxi, catamaran, helicopter, or small, fixed-wing aircraft. Another ecofriendly choice is Abel Tasman Lodge, Marahau Beach (www.abeltasmanlodge.co.nz; tel. 03/527-8250), which has 15 chalets for NZ$170 to NZ$270. You get great service, a magical setting, and incredible silence; and it has a Qualmark Enviro-Silver rating.

Around Golden Bay

Sans Souci Inn, 11 Richmond Rd., Pohara Beach (www.sanssouciinn.co.nz; tel./fax 03/525-8663), is an ideal beach stay near Takaka if you're into simplicity and style. The seven-unit grass-roofed inn, run by a young Swiss couple with a strong interest in sustainable tourism, is a divine hideaway with a Japanese feel. Mediterranean floor tiles, low futon-style beds, and scented Lawson cypress ceilings give it a unique character. The San Souci use solar energy and recycle all waste. Six rooms share bathroom facilities. Doubles are NZ$110 to NZ$155 and a restaurant is on-site. If you'd like a big, self-contained holiday home, Villa on the Bay, Beachfront, Pohara Beach (www.villaonthebay.co.nz; tel. 03/525-8465), will be hard to beat. It has five lovely rooms, modern facilities throughout, and it comes with a car -- all for NZ$790 to NZ$850 per night (minimum 2-night stay).

Farther north, Collingwood Homestead, 15 Elizabeth St., Collingwood (www.collingwoodhomestead.co.nz; tel. 03/524-8079), is one of the best homestays in the region. It's hard to find fault with the personalized hospitality and two large bedrooms with modern bathrooms. The rate is NZ$265, which includes a wonderful breakfast. If you'd like to rent a holiday home in this region, contact Golden Bay i-SITE, Willow Street, Takaka (www.nelsonnz.com; tel. 03/525-9136; fax 03/525-9288). They manage over 60 holiday homes and can point you in the direction of a unique stay. But get in early, as New Zealand holidaymakers love this area too.