Campsite & Hut Booking Guide

A Typical Overnight Trip

Day 1

On the first morning you will join our guide as we run through our usual safety briefing. We spend a good 3 to 4 hours with you but a lot of this time is spent on the water as we paddle the first 4 kilometers with you. We generally arrive at Appletree Bay between 12noon and 1pm. This is where we say goodbye to you and you head out under your own steam.

You're free to do what you want

The next hour or two of paddling is generally very easy going as you explore the very sheltered Astrolabe area. This is the part of the adventure where people often come to the realisation that they can switch to cruise mode and the best way to get the best out of the Abel Tasman is to just relax and take their time.

Cruis'in

If you plan to take your time then you may choose to stay the night in the Astrolabe. There are a number of fine campsites here, our personal favourite being Observation Beach. It cannot be accessed from land and is a great spot. Watering Cove campsite is smaller but very nice too.

Kick'in it

If you are short of time or want to kayak further then you can consider staying further north at stunning Te Pukatea Bay which is stunningly stunning. The other choice is the larger campsite at Anchorage which has lots of facilities (filtered water, flush toilets, covered cooking areas, washing up sinks and fireplaces) but is also lots busier too and tends to get the larger groups staying there.

Where to stay?

So we get to the big decision of where to spend your first night in the park. If you want to stay at Te Pukatea or Anchorage then it means that you need to paddle past ‘The Mad Mile’, one of the most exposed areas in the Abel Tasman. Sometimes the sea conditions resulting from a strong afternoon sea breeze deem it impassable.

Our personal recommendation is to book either Te Pukatea (quieter, more intimate experience) or Anchorage (full facilities but generally more people) campsites and should the Mad Mile be unsafe to cross then you can always stay at Observation Beach or Watering Cove. Just tell the DOC warden that it was unsafe to paddle further and there will be no problems. We think that this option best covers all bases.

Of course, if you just want to cruise and never intend on paddling too far on the first night then you can book Observation Beach and tackle the Mad Mile the next morning when it is generally pretty calm.

Okay moving right along… lets crack into…

Day 2

Confucius once said ‘The earlybird gets the worm in the Abel Tasman.’ And we wholeheartedly agree with him!

Morning generally provides glassy kayaking conditions with less day trippers around before 10am so you can make the most of the fact that you stayed within the National Park.

The kayaking north of Anchorage up to Tonga Island isn’t far as distance goes but is the most varied stretch of coastline in the Abel Tasman. If you truly want to check out all the best spots then give yourself one or two days to check out all the lagoons and coves.

Places to stay on the second night include Mosquito Bay (doesn’t sound nice but it is) or Medland's Beach. If you don’t mind less facilities but generally quieter places, choose Bark Bay for full facilities like Anchorage.

If you want to stay further north then Tonga Quarry is really nice but a similar safety factor applies as with day 1. There is an exposed area just north of Bark Bay called ‘Foul Point’ that really suits its name when the swell is running. The same safety factors apply as with the Mad Mile, if you book to stay at Tonga Quarry then only paddle past Foul Point if you feel 100% safe.

Day 3

If you are kayaking for three days or more then we personally recommend that you spend lots of time exploring the Pinnacle Island to Shag Harbour area. It makes for awesome kayaking at all times but it particularly good at a high tide. Because of the tide factor, it is impossible to check out all the highlights here in only one day and this is the area that will give you the best benefit from the extra days paddling. Exploring Sandfly Bay, Mosquito Bay, Bark Bay lagoon, Tonga Arches and Shag Harbour are must do's and this can only be done if you have two days in this area.

The same preferred campsites and safety rules apply as in day two.

Hopefully this gives you enough information to be able to make a well-informed decision to booking your campsites. There is of course lots more for us to tell you about when you arrive but we have heaps of time to do this on the first morning of your adventure.

Like we said earlier, don't hesitate to contact us with any questions.