On the night prior to your tour we will deliver a gear bag to your hotel/motel reception. This is the bag you will use for your overnight luggage for the tour. It is a black sports bag with a plastic liner and is yours to take away after the tour. 

Please pack into this the items you will need each night at the lodges.  Any excess gear can be stored for you at the walk office on the day of departure.

On the morning of your first day, you will be picked up from your accommodation, or if you have a car, you will be directed to safe parking. Day Packs can be borrowed if required, and excess luggage can be safely stored. There is a safe in the office for use if you need to store valuable items.

Lodges operate on a tab system so any payments for drinks etc are settled at the end of the tour.

Please Note: This tour is very flexible, with a number of options available to take optimal advantage of weather conditions for your walking comfort.  

• The trip direction may be reversed in some cases, with an earlier pick up in Nelson and Motueka. 

Remember: kayaking or walking each day is optional.  You are welcome to travel on any of the scheduled ferry services, or you can switch from kayaking to join groups walking that section of the track. The flexibility is perfect for parties travelling together but not wanting to do the same activities. Please discuss options with your guide before each day’s departure. 

Kayak safety:  When sea and weather are calm, sea kayaking requires little skill or strength. However, although the beaches are sheltered, weather conditions can change rapidly, and you may have to paddle against the wind. If you follow your guides’ instructions, your kayaking will be safe and fun.The boat crew will provide full back-up if kayaking becomes too difficult. Double kayaks are used because of their stability, and the ease of having 2 people sharing the paddling.  

Board the comfortable Vista Cruise to travel the length of the golden Abel Tasman coast from Kaiteriteri north to Totaranui, relaxing on the viewing decks and enjoying refreshments from the cafe. From Totaranui, walk through mature native forest and along secluded beaches to the breathtaking expanse of Awaroa Inlet where you’ll reach Meadowbank Homestead – a faithful recreation of the Wilson family’s original home on the ‘finest site in the bay’.

Approximate times

• Scenic drive to Kaiteriteri – 1 hour from Nelson, or 20 mins from Motueka
• Cruise Kaiteriteri to Totaranui – 1 hour 40 mins
• Walk Totaranui to Awaroa – 2.5 hours (7km/4.5 miles) including tidal crossing; maximum elevation 100m/340ft

Trip details

Pick up in Nelson or Motueka

Meet your guide at the Motueka office for a welcome briefing with time for last-minute luggage organisation, before departing to Kaiteriteri by coach.

Vista Cruise departs Kaiteriteri.

Arrive Totaranui to walk to Awaroa Inlet. Either walk, if the tide is out, or take a boat ride across the stunning expanse of the largest inlet on the coast.

Enjoy a warm welcome at Meadowbank Homestead at Awaroa, right on the edge of the inlet. Freshen up with a hot shower in your ensuite room while your hosts pr epare a delicious evening meal. Local beer and wine is available for purchase at the in-house bar.

Accommodation: Meadowbank Homestead at Awaroa

Meals included: lunch, afternoon tea, dinner

Relax over breakfast overlooking Meadowbank’s gardens and the beautiful waters of Abel Tasman’s largest tidal estuary. Your guide will help you create your perfect day whether you want to be active in Awaroa’s beautiful surrounds or just savour the comfort and tranquillity of Meadowbank.

Optional activities

• explore Awaroa estuary on foot (up to 4 hours) or kayak (up to 2 hours; tides permitting)
• visit early European and pre-European historical sites
• unwind on the beach
• relax and enjoy the comforts of Meadowbank Homestead

Accommodation: Meadowbank Homestead at Awaroa

Meals included: breakfast, morning & afternoon tea, lunch, dinner

Wake to breakfast overlooking Meadowbank’s gardens and the waters of Abel Tasman’s largest tidal estuary. Walk over a forested saddle to Onetahuti where your guide will settle you into your stable, double kayak with full instructions and safety briefing. You’ll then kayak through Tonga Island Marine Reserve and explore hidden inlets on the way to Torrent Bay.

Approximate times

• Walk from Awaroa to Onetahuti – 1.5 hours (5km/3 miles); max. elevation 85m/280ft
• Sea kayak from Onetahuti to Torrent Bay – 4 hours (10km/6 miles)

Trip details

Depart Awaroa for the scenic walk to Onetahuti, which features a beautiful boardwalk and bridge designed by local iwi (Maori tribe). Stroll along the golden sands and enjoy refreshments supplied by your guide.

After instructions and safety brief, your guide will lead the way to Tonga Island Marine Reserve. Weather permitting, kayak to the seal colony where New Zealand fur seals breed. Floating on clear, turquoise waters paddle past Tonga Quarry and the Tonga Arches, where your guide will share stories about the unusual granite features and relics from the historic quarry.

Stop for lunch at sheltered Bark Bay, where you can take time out to explore, swim or relax on the golden sand. After lunch, continue beach hopping along the coast with picture-postcard views, including the Falls River and Frenchman’s Bay.

Paddle into beautiful Torrent Bay with its village of beachfront holiday houses including the Torrent Bay Lodge where your ensuite room and evening meal awaits

Accommodation: Torrent Bay Lodge

Meals included: breakfast, morning & afternoon tea, lunch, dinner

Your guide will happily help you choose what to do today, whether you want to head off on adventures or just relax at the beachfront lodge.

Optional activities

• walk through breathtaking virgin forest up to the waterfalls on Falls River
• kayak or walk around the estuary and visit the peaceful grotto of Cleopatra’s Pool
• walk to the golden expanse of Anchorage beach and picturesque Te Pukatea cove visiting historic Maori sites at Pitt Head along the way
• unwind on glorious Torrent Bay beach
• relax and enjoy the comforts of the lodge

Accommodation: Torrent Bay Lodge

Meals included: breakfast, morning & afternoon tea, lunch, dinner                                                      

Wake up to morning light on the golden sands of Torrent Bay and a hearty breakfast to set you up for paddling to Te Pukatea Bay and past the islands of the Astrolabe Roadstead to Kaiteriteri.

Approximate times

• Sea kayak from Torrent Bay to Kaiteriteri – 4.5 hours (12km)
• Scenic drive from Kaiteriteri – 20 mins to Motueka or 1 hour to Nelson

Trip details

Launch your kayak from Torrent Bay and paddle southwards along the coast while your guide shares stories of early explorers, shows you bays and beaches, and introduces you to the predator-free wildlife sanctuary of Adele Island. If the wind is with you, you may get to hoist a specially designed sail to ride the sea breeze.

Stop for lunch and a rest at a sheltered beach, then continue your journey through azure waters to the famous Kaiteriteri beach.

Arrive at Kaiteriteri where a driver will meet you for the return journey to Motueka and then on to Nelson.

Meals included: breakfast, morning tea, lunch

Important Additional Information

Kayaking or walking each day is optional. You are welcome to travel on any of our scheduled ferry services. If you find that sea kayaking is not for you, you have the option of joining the 5 Day Walk group that is walking the kayaking sections of this itinerary. This flexibility is perfect for couples or groups that want to visit the park together but don’t all want to kayak, some preferring to walk or boat between lodges.

We reserve the right to alter itineraries, timetables and vessel types. All travel subject to weather and tides which may cause delay/cancellation.

This tour is operated in conjunction with another operator.