Skip to Content

Abel Tasman National Park: Scenic Kayaking New Zealand

As The Travel Tester, I love to try out products, accommodation, tours and activities all around the world! To give you the best advice on whether you should use them as well, I’ve created a short test report. Not only will you find all the information you need to book or buy yourself, but I will also show you my experience and tell you what for type of traveller this product or service is suited best.

Today, we’re looking at the Kayak trip Nick and I did in the Abel Tasman National Park on the South Island of New Zealand. We did this back in 2008, but you can still book a similar tour with this company today! Scroll down to find out more.

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand

Abel Tasman National Park: Scenic Kayaking New Zealand

The Travel Tester Blog: Practical

Company Name: The Sea Kayak Company
Website: seakayaknz.co.nz

Tour Name: Paddle & Hike
Tour Website: seakayaknz.co.nz/g9.html

Number of Days: 2
Price: $265 per person dinner bed and breakfast. (dorm style accommodation) semi catered, or $300 per person dinner bed and breakfast. (private double) semi catered. Check all prizes here, as they have many different tours!

Start: The Sea Kayak Company at 506 High Street, Motueka, then depart from Marahau, New Zealand
End: Marahau, New Zealand

Location:

The Travel Tester in Action:

The Travel Tester Blog: Inspirational

The tour we did back in 2008 still exists, but some changes have been made. We started in Marahau, with a paddle to Anchorage bay, overnight stay at the house boat and a hike to Onetahuti the next day (although we never made it there, read the story below to find out why!), followed by a water taxi return to Marahau.

These days, you start with a water taxi ride to Onetahuti, where you paddle back to Anchorage, stay overnight and end the tour with a hike back to Marahau. Seems like a good change!

Day 1

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand

We get assigned a sea kayak and load our gear into waterproof bags. Don’t forget the sandwiches :)

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand

Nicks shows the kayak gear

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand

And we’re off. The scenery is stunning right away:

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand

Our Guide

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand

Good Team Work!

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for KayAbel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand

We take a break at one of the idyllic beaches and get a sandwich and a slice of carrot cake. Now we have energy enough to paddle a bit further!

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand

We even came past a penguin! Can you spot him? (Clearly we’re not wildlife photographers)

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand

When we arrive at Anchorage bay, we are happy to see our boat for the night… well… actually this is not it. Check the video to see the real one :)

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand
Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand

Anchorage bay is absolutely stunning. We take a short hike up the hill (high enough after so much paddling) and enjoy the view for a while…

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand
Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand

Happy we made it, time for a BBQ on board… and a nap! In the evening, the owner of the boat asks us if we would like to see some glowworms, of course we do! We jump on his rubber boat and he shows us a secret cave with glowing green worms (I think it’s their poo you see glowing actually, but still… pretty cool)

Day 2

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand

We set out bravely for a couple hours hike today. The people at the kayak centre told us the weather would be ‘less good’, but soon we learn this actually means ‘all hell is about to break loose and your underwear will be dry again around March’. Even my binbag raincoat couldn’t handle it.

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand
Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand

   

Never thought rain could get you so wet. The hike was supposed to be over 5 hours, but we had to give up after just 4 because we just couldn’t get any wetter. Unfortunately, also every single thing we carried (including camera and passport) got soaked and had to wait at the cabin at Bark Bay for over an hour to catch the water taxi back. The waves were insane though, as they rolled up above (!) the back of the boat! Never been so scared in my life.

But it wasn’t over. We had to then wait about an hour (wearing our soaking wet clothes) at the taxi centre, before our bus back to the kayak centre would arrive… but even then it didn’t, so someone offered to bring us by car. Arriving at the kayak centre, we waited another 2 (!!) hours for another bus to bring us to the hostel, but that seemed to have broken down. And they also kind of forgot us. When the bus finally arrived, it had to make a detour because there was a big accident on the road. Absolutely knackered, we arrive in the hostel to finally change our clothes and get some food…

… but the lady from the kitchen tells us that they cannot serve us, because they have a big group coming in. We lose it there and pull her over the bar, well almost… but somehow we did end up with a plate of fish & chips. And that’s all we asked for.

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand

Back in the hostel… drying every single item we carried.

Curious to see more? Check out this video we made:


(you can choose English subtitles!)

The Verdict:

Ok, so we didn’t have such as great experience because of the extremely bad weather the second day and all that went wrong around our pickup that day.

But we did see one of the most beautiful National Parks of the world, we had loads of fun kayaking to Anchorage bay, a nice lunch at a secluded beach, enjoyed our unique house boat stay (which was almost empty, so we got a room of our own), saw glowworms in a secret cave and a cute little penguin on the way. We also met some great people on the boat and had a BBQ and some beers, which is never a bad idea. If you like getting active on your travels, get a bit away from it all and you’re reasonably fit, then this is definitely something for you.

So I will recommend the tour to you. But perhaps check the weather forecast a bit better than we did and bring proper rain protection, because the tour is quite expensive, so you don’t want to end up like us wasting most of the enjoyment of it!

Skydive Taupo: True Adventure in New Zealand! | The Travel Tester
The Travel Tester Blog: Now it's your turn!

Are you a kayaking fan? Would you choose to do a kayak trip in the Abel Tasman National Park?

Brochure Sea Kayak in Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand

View large files of page 1page 2page 3page 4page 5page 6page 7page 8page 9page 10

Download the entire brochure in PDF format

The Brochure Rack: Sea Kayak in Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand || The Travel Tester

Thank you for sharing this Travel Test Report on Pinterest:

Abel Tasman National Park: Fantastic Place for Kayaking New Zealand[:nl]

TIP! Check out these Vintage Travel Posters from New Zealand >

John Spear

Sunday 8th of March 2020

Nederland is indeed packed with beautiful things and scenery... I just visit ones and loved kayaking and exploring the water... thanks for the detailed list... would be saving till I visit again :)

Shawna

Tuesday 15th of May 2018

Currently planning a trip out that way and this definitely looks like something I need to add to the list. Thanks for all the details - seems like a good price for the tour.

Nienke Krook

Thursday 7th of June 2018

Great to hear we could help Shawna. Hope you have an amazing trip!

James

Saturday 30th of September 2017

Nice post, great story. Sounds like a great place for adventure, I'm just starting kayaking so I may try it soon. Thanks for sharing PD: Nice photos!

Nienke Krook

Tuesday 28th of November 2017

Thanks so much James!

Tim

Wednesday 14th of June 2017

Tasman National Park is popular. I went there several times and enjoyed a lot. But didn't try kayaking for a while. Afer reading this post, I am very much interested in making a kayaking tour to Tasman National Park. Hope I will make this kind of kayaking tour for the next time.

Nienke Krook

Friday 16th of June 2017

Great to hear Tim! I hope you'll have a great time at the park!

David Hamburg

Tuesday 16th of August 2016

Still looks like a great place for an adventure, minus the weather no doubt. But your photos are so awesome, they make it seem like it's still a good idea to go there. Plus your faces look like you're having tons of fun. Hope I can kayak there as well one day.

Nienke Krook

Tuesday 30th of August 2016

Thanks David! It's a great place and hope you get the chance to visit one day!