Camping & Accommodation
Your Guide to Accommodation in the Abel Tasman National Park
Staying overnight in the Abel Tasman is an experience you will never forget!
The most magical times of the day in the Park are in the mornings and before dusk each evening
The Abel Tasman has a wide variety of accommodation options from luxury lodges to basic camping sites, and even a unique floating backpacker lodge. All of these options need to be booked in advance so you will need to plan your trip before you set out.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) has 19 tent sites and four huts spread along the Coast Track. In most places these sites are only a couple of hours easy walk apart so you can make your own decisions about how long you want to walk or kayak before you set up camp. There is also a higher-end Lodge in the Park, a unique floating backpacker option permanently situated at Anchorage and private holiday houses (baches to locals) in some areas.
Department of Conservation Tent Sites & Huts
The tent sites along the Coast Track are typically situated just off the golden sand-beaches at the edge of the bush-line.
This makes them some of the most picturesque camping spots imaginable. You need to book and pay for your tent site accommodation in advance either online via the DOC website or in person at a DOC office.
Starting from the Southern end of the Park from Marahau, there are camping sites at:
- Tinline Campsite (15 sites)
- Coquille Campsite (6 sites)
- Apple Tree Bay Campsite (15 sites)
- Akersten Bay Campsite (3 sites)
- Observation Beach Campsite (6 sites) (water access only)
- Watering Cove Campsite (5 sites)
- Te Pukatea Bay Campsite (7 sites)
- Anchorage Campsite (50 sites)
- Torrent Bay Village Campsite (10 sites)
- Bark Bay Campsite (40 sites)
- Mosquito Bay Campsite (20 sites) (water access only)
- Onetahuti Bay Campsite (20 sites)
- Awaroa Campsite (18 sites)
- Waiharakeke Bay Campsite (10 sites)
- Totaranui Great Walk Campsite (20 sites)
- Anapai Bay Campsite (6 sites)
- Mutton Cove Campsite (20 sites)
- Whariwharangi Bay Campsite (20 sites)
Tent site prices are as follows:
In the peak season 1 October – 30 April:
New Zealand citizens and those ordinarily resident in New Zealand:
Adult (18+ years): $16 per person, per night
Child (17 years and under): free but booking still required
International visitors:
Adult (18+ years): $24 per person, per night
Child (17 years and under): $12 person, per night
In the off-peak season 1 May – 30 September:
For all visitors:
Adult (18+ years): $16 person, per night
Child (17 years and under): Free
Department of Conservation Huts
The Abel Tasman Coast Track is one of the Department of Conservation’s nine ‘New Zealand Great Walks’.
As a Great Walk this means the four huts along the Abel Tasman Coast Track meet a higher standard than what you will find in more remote wilderness areas. Just like the campsites, you need to book your accommodation in advance.
Each hut has communal kitchen areas and dorm-style rooms lined with bunks.
Starting from the Southern end of the Park from Marahau, the huts are located at:
- Anchorage (34 beds)
- Bark Bay (34 beds)
- Awaroa (26 beds)
- Whariwharangi (20 beds)
Huts prices are as follows:
In the peak season from 1 October – 30 April:
New Zealand citizens and those ordinarily resident in New Zealand:
Adult (18+ years): $42 per person, per night
Child (17 years and under): free but booking still required
International visitors:
Adult (18+ years): $56 per person, per night
Child (17 years and under): $32 per person, per night
All visitors 1 May – 30 June:
Adult (18+ years): $32 per person, per night
Child (17 years and under): free but booking still required
All visitors 1 July – 31 August:
Adult (18+ years): $26 per person, per night
Child (17 years and under): free but booking still required
Advance booking is a must for all accommodation options in the Park.
Lodges
Awaroa Lodge has a mix of standard rooms, family rooms and suites. Accommodation can be booked online and do not require you to take part in a packaged trip.
If camping or sleeping in a hut isn’t your thing, then the Awaroa Lodge is the place for you. You’ll find barista coffee, a full bar with local wine and craft beers and just about every other creature comfort you could possibly want.
The Awaroa Lodge is a hive of activity during the day with through-hikers stopping for refreshments, and people arriving via water taxi for a day trip. There is also an air-strip at Awaroa for anyone wishing to come in by light plane or helicopter. The Awaroa Lodge is closed during the winter season.
Located in the north of the Park is the Totaranui Education Centre, an ideal venue for sports groups, family reunions and celebrations when it is not being used by school groups. The centre consists of two buildings: an amenities block and the historic Ngarata Homestead. The Homestead sleeps 40 people in 7 bunkrooms of various sizes. The amenities block has modern bathroom facilities, a large kitchen and a decent size hall.
Private Rentals
There are clusters of private holiday houses located at Torrent Bay and Awaroa as well as some other houses scattered along the coast.
Some of these places are available for rent directly from the owners and can be found online via Book a Bach
These private holiday houses are generally outstanding value for money, particularly if you are part of a big group as the per head cost becomes extremely economical. Most of these holiday houses (we Kiwis call them baches) have a rustic charm and a sense of family-holiday nostalgia that is almost palpable. The baches are in high demand during the peak season, (mainly by the owners themselves!), but are usually available outside of those peak times.
The Inland Track
The Inland Track has one shelter, at Holyoake Clearing and two backcountry huts at Castle Rock and Awapoto.
The distance between these huts is more typical of other wilderness areas around New Zealand with the intention that you spend a day walking between each hut.
A Backcountry Hut Pass or Backcountry Hut Tickets ($5 per person per night) are required to stay in the huts. These must be purchased before you begin your trip. Backcountry Hut Passes and Tickets are available from DOC visitor centres, at iSites and some other outlets such as booking agents and outdoor equipment stores.
At the Eastern edge of the national park there is also a campsite at Canaan Downs, a shelter at Mao Flats and the Wainui Hut which is located along the track that runs parallel to the Abel Tasman Inland Track.
These huts and shelters are typical of New Zealand’s backcountry huts. They do not need to be booked in advance with beds being available on a first-in-first-served basis. The huts are rustic with basic facilities and require you to bring your own gas cooking equipment.
Explore other accommodation options in the Abel Tasman surrounds
Bay
the Moutere
City
