Planning a trip to Abel Tasman National Park
Visitor Information
The Department of Conservation, 62 Commercial St., Takaka (tel. 03/525-8026; www.doc.govt.nz), provides information on the national parks and huts available on the tracks. It's open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4pm. The Golden Bay i-SITE Visitor Centre, Willow Street, Takaka (tel. 03/525-9136; www.nelsonnz.com), is open in summer daily from 9am to 5pm, and winter daily from 9am until 4pm (closed Dec 25). The Farewell Spit Visitor Centre & Paddlecrab Kitchen, RD1, Collingwood, Golden Bay (tel. 03/524-8454; www.farewell-spit.co.nz), is open daily most of the year and has informative displays on the upper reaches of Golden Bay. Further information on Golden Bay can be found at www.goldenbaynz.co.nz.
Getting There
Getting There & Getting Around
By Plane -- Capital Air (tel. 0800/588-885; www.capitalair.co.nz) has scheduled flights between Wellington and Takaka, plus Heaphy Track and Abel Tasman National Park connections. The flight from Wellington to Golden Bay takes just 50 minutes. Several other small operators, including Abel Tasman Air (tel. 0800/304-560 in NZ; www.abeltasmanair.co.nz), also service this area.
By Coach (Bus) -- Abel Tasman Coachlines, 27 Bridge St., Nelson (tel. 03/548-0285 in Nelson or 528-8850 in Motueka; www.abeltasmantravel.co.nz), operates year-round daily service from Nelson to Kaiteriteri, Marahau, Totaranui, and Abel Tasman National Park. It also provides connecting service to Kahurangi National Park and the north entrance to the Heaphy Track. They offer a number of well-priced 1-day Abel Tasman packages. KBus, P.O. Box 1079, Blenheim (tel. 0508/458-835 in NZ, or 03/358-8355; www.kbus.co.nz), has scheduled service between Picton, Blenheim, Motueka, Nelson, Abel Tasman, Golden Bay, and Heaphy Track, plus service between Collingwood and Takaka.
By Shuttle -- Trek Express (tel. 0800/128-735 in NZ, or 03/540-2042; www.trekexpress.co.nz) operates a four-wheel-drive shuttle to Kahurangi Park and all other major hikes in the area.
By Car -- The trip from Nelson to Takaka via State Highway 60 takes about 2 hours and includes a long, steep, winding section crossing Takaka Hill. To reach Marahau, turn right at the bottom of Takaka Hill, just past Motueka (don't go over Takaka Hill), and drive through Kaiteriteri. The trip takes about 1 1/2 hours.
