The best company to go through for your trip to Able Tasman. Very helpful staff and convenient for me because I travelled without my own vehicle.
Abel tasman national park is an experience of lifetime! the dolphins the waters the apple stone the seals and above all the virginal pristine beaches and trails... if ever in nelson this is one place no traveller can afford to miss
It is a very nice place to visit in New Zealand but all the activities are very overpriced. So be warned: you are gonna spend a lot of money here.
The Tourist board are very helpful in every way.We enjoyed the trip on the boat up to the Able Tasman and driving around the Tasman.
A bit complex regarding travel (hour drive, hour boat trip) before you can start your day...but the scenery is spectacular, and very worth at least a day. There is an eco-resort which if you have time would be a great experience for an over night. We just had lunch there (Pepper's Awaroa Lodge).
The region is awesome. Our absolute favorite now. We will be back next holiday season. The Abel Tasman national park is huge and gorgeous; you can chose from a leisurely boat ride and sunbathing on a beautiful beach to varied degree of hikes and kayaking. Sea lions breeding in dec/jan. The Nelson lakes are beautiful with half day hikes to several day hikes where you can stay at huts along the way. The blue lake is a 2-day hike hut one of the clearest lakes in the world. The Springs just north of Takaka (5 mins) on the way to collingswood, is a lovely surprise. Clear water from up the mountains - averages 10 years old upon emerging. It is sacred water so you cannot touch it but beautiful clear blue. The blue penguins are around Takaka. Walk on the beaches at low tide to get green lip mussels and cockles. Food is good, especially in Nelson proper and Mapau, which is a great wharf town with galleries and food. If you have an hour to wander, check it out. The orchards yield fresh cherries, apples, plums, and pears, along with hops for great craft beers and grapes for fabulous wineries. Something for everyone!
boat rides are great as they take u around split apple, seal colony.the national park walk is the amazing with lots of golden beach. the greenery, views, birds waterfall.
We were picked up at our hotel by coach and had a half hour journey to Kaiteriteri where we boarded a boat which took us for an hour boat ride up the coast to Tonga Quarry where we started our 2hr walk along the coastal path back to Medlands Beach where we were picked up for our return boat trip back to the coach and taken back to our hotel. We can thoroughly recommend this trip
The visitor Center is very close the the hotel we were stsying in. They gave us some good trips to the National Park, and were helpful in recommending two very good restaurants.
We visited this at the beginning of a 3 week stay in Nelson. We could not find the information we were looking for (simple guides to the abel tasman park; guides on what to do in Nelson). There was a queue to talk to people who seemed to be specialists in long distance walking or adventures... and they were spending ages with each person. We asked someone at another counter (who was doing nothing) for help but they told us to wait in the queue for the two overworked people. The written literature was poor. In the end we relied on the internet which was fine.