Abel Tasman Coastal Track: Day 4: Awaroa to Totaranui

...to Totaranui and civilisation...

The final day of the trip was the walk from Awaroa Hut to the track end at Totaranui. I was getting picked up from Totaranui at 2.45 so I had plenty of time over the day to walk the 7 odd kilometers to the campground. It had rained for most of the previous day and night but when we got up at 7 am it was fine with the promise of a beautiful day.

Mahalee out exploring the Awaroa Inlet

 Low tide at Awaroa was not until 10.20 that day which meant we could not cross until 9 am at the earliest so we had plenty of time to have breakfast, pack up and get ready for the days exhurtions. 

We would cross Awaroa Inlet to the distant marker

Short day...only 7 kilometers to Totaranui

Mahalee, myself and the trio of North Island trampers were only going to Totaranui but Bruce and Ali had to walk all the way out to Wainui to meet a late afternoon shuttle back to Nelson. 

Awaroa Hut on the last day of my tramp

Still plenty of water in Awaroa Inlet

The sun coming up over the Awaroa Inlet is very beautiful and a couple of us sat outside and watched the sun slowly rise over the distant sand hills at the mouth of the inlet.

Heading across Awaroa Inlet:

One of the interesting aspects of this track are the tidal crossings you need to complete. There are several but the most important is the crossing at Awaroa Inlet. Here you are only able to cross about 1.5 hours either side of low tide...there is no other way around. Once the water goes out it takes about 20-30 minutes to walk to the other side of the inlet.

Awaroa Inlet and Gibbs Hill from Awaroa Hut

A bit of advice: take some camp shoes for the tidal crossings as the sand and shells are torturous on your feet. I had a cheap pair of knock off crocs from One Shoe Warehouse that worked a treat.

Map: Awaroa to Waiharakeke

At 8am I went out onto the tidal flats to see if we could cross but the channels were still too deep...we would need to wait for nearly another hour before it was low enough that a crossing could be attempted. 

Awaroa Inlet is still too deep to cross

The shells laying atop the sandbanks in Awaroa Inlet

The tidal surge at Awaroa is spectacular: the inlet is huge but the water basically all disappears in about 45 minutes. Once the tide goes out is it relatively straightforward to just walk across.

Awaroa Hut from the Awaroa Inlet

Mt Rollinson (228) is behind Awaroa hut

Everyone pitched in to get the hut tidied up and about 20 minutes of effort saw the hut put back into order for the people following us along the track. We knew there was a large school group coming in that night with 20 odd students and three teachers so I picked the right combination of days to be walking the track. 

Clearing our gear out of Awaroa Hut

Interior of the Awaroa hut

Everyone set off rom the hut at 9 am with Bruce and Ali leading and the rest of us following along behind. Once we saw them get to the other side of the channel the remainder of us knew it was possible and we all set out. 

Setting of across the mudflats...Awaroa Inlet

The deepest water was in a channel mid way across; about mid thigh depth on me but moving very slowly. If you follow the straight line to the other side of the crossing you have to wait until just before low tide to get across. 

Central river channel was waist deep...Awaroa Inlet

Mahalee and I stopped and watched the group of North Island trampers cross further up the Inlet from us so we back tracked a bit and followed their route across. There were a couple of linked sand bars you could walk over but even still the central channel was still up over my knees.

Our hut mates finding a route further up the Awaroa Inlet

View across to Mt Rollinson from middle of Awaroa Inlet

Once over the deepest channel we made our way slowly across the mud flats towards the far shore. There are a couple of smaller channels to cross but all of them were ankle deep or less and did not impede our progress. 

View back to crossing point of Awaroa Inlet channel

...Mahalee on the Awaroa Inlet crossing...

 Bring some sandals, Croc's or water shoes for crossing the tidal inlets as the sand and shells are really sharp! Without some foot cover it is like walking on a sharp gravel road with a 20 kg pack on!!!

Bruce and Ali had some awesome looking water shoes they brought from Australia. They were made by Nike and had the same shape as running shoes but made of super light weight materials. I wished they sold them here because they looked ideal...

View back to Awaroa Hut from far side of Awaroa Inlet

...back on dry land...Awaroa Inlet...

Once over the Inlet you will find a small rest area with a seat, toilet and information boards. Once you are ready to go you start walking west along an arm of the Inlet. 

It is 6.1 kilometers to Totaranui from Awaroa inlet

Tide chart in this small shelter, Awaroa Inlet

You need to be quick donning your boots here as the sandflies are murderous. 

Awaroa Inlet to Totaranui:

It is about two kilometers to Waiharakeke Beach along a shady forest track up and over a low saddle. To start with you have the Pound Creek running to your right but this soon heads away from the track and you find yourself in one of the nicer sections of Podocarp forest along this track. 

On the Coastal Track heading for Waiharakeke

Side arm of Awaroa Inlet next to Coastal Track

Pound Creek flows into Awaroa Inlet

I zipped up and over the low saddle towards Waiharakeke...it is a very gentle climb to the high point before you start heading down the other side and out to the coast. 

Climbing to low saddle enroute to Waiharakeke

Thick vegetation comes to trackside along Pound Creek

This is one of my favorite section of the whole Coastal Track and the forest is very thick right up to the edge of the track. 

Bridge over Pound Creek, Abel Tasman NP

The saddle is only at 60 odd meters above sea level so very low and the approach and descent are both easy. 

Nearly at the apex between Waiharakeke and Awaroa Inlet

Heading downhill to Waiharakeke Beach

I had sun streaming down on me once I started the descent to Waiharakeke and it was good to have the shade of the forest as it was starting to heat up. 

Sun dappled track enroute to Waiharakeke

Waiharakeke Creek, Abel Tasman NP

You cross a bridge at the bottom of the descent and immediately pass the side track up to the Totaranui-Wainui Road. This is a long, muddy and rough track linking the coast with the gravel road into Totaranui. I am not quite sure why you would want to walk up here but if you wanted an adventure...

Sidetrack to Awaroa-Totaranui Road near Waiharakeke

The side streams in the park have the same sand in them as the beaches...it kind of reminds me of the creeks you strike in the Solomon Island and Vanuatu as they look much the same.

Another view of Waiharakeke Creek from the track

Track runs next to creek on the way to Waiharakeke

All the creeks in Abel Tasman NP are sandy

I went past the camp ground at Waiharakeke Bay and walked the 50 odd meters along the track to Waiharakeke Beach. There is water and a toilet at the camp ground if you need it and the campsite looks nice with the sandy beach next to it and a small lagoon off to the side. 

Kahikatea Swamp at Waiharakeke Bay

Most of these beaches have campsites and some have cooking shelters for your use...all empty this early in the season.

Bridge to the Waiharakeke campsite

Waiharakeke Bay is the next beach you reach, this beach is quite long...about 1-1.5 km's. Waiharakeke Beach is roughly your half way point on this section of the track.

View east along Waiharakeke Beach

View west along Waiharakeke Beach

The Coastal Track between Waiharakeke and Goat Bay starts near the turn off to the campsite. You backtrack off the beach and start climbing up and around a rocky headland. The track is not all that well marked: no small orange triangles here but obvious none the less as it basically follows the coast line. 

On the coastal Track near Ratakura Point

Map: Waiharakeke to Totaranui

The official great walk season doesn't start until the 1st October so there is a fair bit of track work still to be done. The quality of the track is very good for 80% of the time: smooth, level, nice gradients, every stream bridged and covered in sand or gravel.

Some parts of the track are god...Ratakura Point

This section of the track was not in good condition...there were a couple of wind fallen trees, wind throw, slips and generally piles of junk across the track. It looked like no one had cleared the track for about six months and I found it quite hard going. 

...some not so good...near Ratakura Point...

I saw very few people at this northern end of the park: 3-4 at Goat Bay and one person at the Waiharakeke campsite. So early in the season the people are mostly down at the eastern end of the park doing day trips or overnight trips not the full Coastal Track.

View out towards Tasman Bay from the Coastal Track

View back towards Awaroa Head from Ratakura Point

Huge Southern Rata near Ratakura Point

There is a view along the coast at Ratakura Point and you can see west towards Totaranui Beach and the less visited end of the National Park past Pukatea Point. 

First view to Totaranui from Ratakura Point

Once past Ratakura Point you are descending down to Goat Bay and a semi tidal beach you have to walk along...

Heading down to Goat Bay on the Coastal Track

It takes about 40 minutes to walk from Waiharakeke to Goat Bay because of the poor state of the track. On previous trips this was a quick easy section so you will probably find that it is easier walking than I had. I am sure DOC will pass through and clear all the junk off the track in the near future.

Eastern end of Goat Bay, Abel Tasman NP

The Coastal Track drops you at the far eastern end of Goat Bay and you have to walk about a kilometer down to the far end of the beach there. To start with you climb down some rocks to the beach but after that it is just flat walking along the sand. 

...climb down these rocks to Goat Bay...

The Coastal Track heading uphill from Goat Bay

This part of the beach is under water at high tide so you need to make sure you are passing by four hours either side of low tide. 

Goat Bay Beach is about 1 kilometer long

...this area is inundated at high tide on Goat Bay...

I stopped at Goat Bay picnic site for a 15 minute break and to allow Mahalee to catch up to me. It was wonderful sitting in the sun and enjoying the view of the beach and coast. I sat on a log on the beach but if you go into the tree line there are picnic tables, a toilet and flat areas were you can rest out of the sun. 

Goat Bay Picnic Area, Abel Tasman NP

View east from near Goat Bay Picnic Area

Mahalee has just waked onto the eastern end of Goat Bay Beach

There were a pair of Shags down on the beach here and I could hear Tui and Bellbirds in the forest behind the beach. 

Resident Shags on the beach at Goat Bay

Goat Bay is the first/last of many beaches you walk along on this track, the sand is really beautiful but much coarser than you would imagine it would be. Its more like small ground up bits of rock than sand and harsh to walk on. That said I can still picture laying in the sun here on a hot summers day.

Clouds over Tasman Bay from Goat Bay

Distant clouds over the North Island from Goat Bay

I wanted to wait for Mahalee as she was tramping behind me and like a dad I wanted to make sure she was alright. She told me she just about turned about at one point as she wasn't sure she was walking on the right track but then it improved so she knew it was the right one. 

It really needs a cleanup...

Once she arrived and I was sure she was OK I set off for the last 40 minutes to the campground at Totaranui. 

Coastal Track leaves Goat Bay

...back into the forest and up over Skinners Point...

It is 1.5 kilometers from Goat Bay to Totaranui and as always was marked by a big climb up over another headland. The track out of Goat Bay is steep but at least it has switch backs so it is a bit easier on the legs. You steadily gain height to get up and around the headland at Skinners Point. 

It is 1.5 kilometers to Totaranui from Goat Bay

Steep climb up and out of Goat Bay

The gully out behind Goat Bay beach was dense with some huge Podocarp trees and the first Nikau Palm grove I saw anywhere along the track. 

Podocarp tres and Niaku Palms near Skinner Point

I just about got 'squot like a pumpkin' on this section of the track. I stopped to take the photo below about ten minutes into the climb. I was just putting my camera away when a big Matai tree came crashing down onto the track about 3 meters in front of me. I was close enough that I felt the air blast of it falling blow past me....

The wind the previous night had probably weakened its hold on the shallow soil up here. If I had not stopped I would probably have been hit by the tree. This is the kind of stuff I never told my parents about when they were alive. My mother in particular was always worried when I was out tramping and only happy when I called her at the end of a trip. 

A close call once again but a part of being in the outdoors.

Climbing to the apex on Skinners Point

...nice switchback sections over Skinners Point...

Eventually you reach the apex of the track section and can see the golden sand of Totaranui Beach down below you. The track descends down to the beach along a series of switchbacks making for easy walking. 

Looking down on Totaranui from Skinners Point

Descending the western side of Skinners Point

There is a side track to Skinners Point about 300 meters from the top of the saddle. If you have never been here before then you must go out and have a look at the view. There is a fantastic lookout towards Totaranui and you can see the bay and beach from here. 

It is 30 minutes from Skinners Point Track to Totaranui

I have been to Skinners Point several times in the past so I just walked past heading for Totaranui. Here is a photo from 2018 to show you what it looks like. 

...turn off to Skinners Point Lookout...

View along Totaranui Beach from Skinners Point Lookout (2018)

From the Skinners Point Track you head down the last couple of hundred meters before finding yourself on flat ground at the eastern end of Totaranui Bay. 

Continuing the descent to the Totaranui Campground

It takes a surprising amount of time to walk from here to the end of the Coastal Track so do not be rushing as you still have a bit of ground left to cover. 

...flat ground leading to the Totaranui Campground...

End of Abel Tasman Coastal Track at Totaranui

Eventually you arrive at the edge of Totaranui Campground and the start/finish of the track. The trip from Totaranui to Awaroa took me about 2.5 hours which is the posted DOC time. The trip from Awaroa to Totaranui is certainly the shortest and easiest of the many days you will be walking the track. 

At the edge of Totaranui Campground, Abel Tasman NP

Below is the actual start of the walk, it is 52 km's (3-4 days walking) from this point to the end of the track at Marahau. Mahalee and I arrived together so I congratulated her on finishing her fourth Great Walk. 

Jon at the western end of the Abel Tasman Coastal Track

The actual start to the Abel Tasman Coastal Track begins at the western end of the camp grounds...at the DOC office and Great Walk camping area at Totaranui. You have to walk about 600 meters through the camp grounds to get to the office and you just follow the gravel road. 

..the access road through the Totaranui Campgrounds...

The Totaranui camp grounds are awesome, nice flat sites and lots of shelters for cooking in. There are a couple of ablution blocks with sinks, toilets and showers. The water in the camp grounds is filtered so fill up before heading out to Whariwharangi or the Inland Track.

Ablution block at eastern end of Totaranui Campgrounds

...it is 600 meters along the road to Totaranui DOC office...

I arrived at the Totaranui campsite at just past 12.30 and was surprised to see how quiet it was...Totaranui was deserted. I think it might have been due to the weather forecast for the next couple of days as heavy sustained rain/wind/snow was coming. 

DOC office at the Totaranui Campgrounds in 2018

There is no settlement per see at Totaranui only the DOC camp ground and a few private bach's. If you wanted to start/finish the Great Walk at Totaranui you could camp here on the first/last night as the camp ground is open right through the year.

 

Great Walk cook shelter at Totaranui Campgrounds

Interior of cook shelter at Totaranui Campgrounds

I got to Totaranui at 12.30 and my water taxi didn't come until 2.45 pm so I had a bit of time to spare. I ensconced myself in the cooking shelter at the Great Walk camping area, took off my boots and made myself some lunch. 

Jon resting at the shelter in Totaranui Campgrounds

 I had been anticipating a long afternoon at Totaranui so I had a special freeze dried meal for lunch as well as soup, crackers and a couple of snacks. 

...my lunch at Totaranui Campgrounds...

There are a lot of birds around the campground at Totaranui...DOC have planted a lot of fruit, berry and flower bearing trees to attract them. I have seen Keruru, Silvereyes, Tui and Bellbirds here before as well as a host of introduced birds. Having slept here before their songs at dawn are very beautiful and really loud as there are a LOT of birds in the forest. 

You also see a lot of Pukeko and Weka...these birds love campgrounds as they are itinerant thieves and scroungers. Keep an eye on your gear as both bird types will steal colorful or shinny items to adorn their nests. Do not feed them as it just makes them reliant on human handouts....

Weka at the Totaranui Campground

...wot is we havin' for lunch Jon...?

I walked down to the beach to have a look at the sea...it was beautiful as always with that long curving golden sand beach and the calm water of the bay. Totaranui has always been one of my favorite spots around the country...

Totaranui Beach from the campground

The sand at all these beaches in the Abel Tasman is a lovely caramel orange color.....it gets washed down the many rivers and streams from the hills at the center of the park. It makes for some awesome swimming as the bays are relatively shallow for a goodly distance from the shoreline. 

Pukatea Headland from Totaranui Beach

You can see Awaroa from the beach at Totaranui

Mahalee and I shifted over to the picnic tables overlooking the beach at 1.30 as the watertaxi times can be a bit off...they basically get there when they get there. It was nice sitting in the sun with a slight breeze blowing. This was good as this area is a sand-fly haven so you can normally only handle sitting here for 20 minutes before they attack. The wind kept them away very nicely thank you....

Mahalee went for a swim off the beach so she could tell people about the experience...she said it was cold!!!

Picnic table overlooking Totaranui Beach

The big Wilsons ferry arrived around 2 pm and took a group of tour people got off the boat and looked around. After 10 minutes they all boarded the boat again and set off back down the coast towards Kaiteriteri their home base.

Wilsons Ferry arrives at Totaranui Beach

Closer view of the Wilsons Ferry

Our boat arrived early at 2.30pm and as everyone who was catching it was standing on the beach we set off early and headed along the coast for Marahau. We stopped at Bark Bay and Anchorage to collect day walkers and were back in Marahau at 4 pm so I could start my drive back to Christchurch. 

I got home at 12 pm that evening...I thought about staying in Motueka but there was snow coming to low levels so I had to drive home that night. Just as well as the roads over the passes and down the coast were all closed for the next two days. 

Aquataxi heading to collect us from Totaranui

...almost time to board our watertaxi at Totaranui...

Another great trip to Abel Tasman National Park...I absolutely love it up here. I am next in Abel Tasman NP on a possible trip to the Cannan Downs around Harwood's Hole. This is the only part of the park I have yet to visit and there is access from here to several huts along the Inland Track. I'm inspired to do this after recently watching a vlog where a dude was camping near Moa Park. 

I cannot wait....

Access: Water taxi from Kaiteriteri or Marahau, the trip takes one hour from Marahau

Track Times: 7.1 km's or 2-3 hours Awaroa Hut to Totaranui on the Coastal Track.

Hut Details: Awaroa Hut: Great Walk, 30 bunks, wood burner, filtered water tank, wood shed, flush toilets; DOC campsites at Totaranui, Waiharakeke Bay and Awaroa.

Miscellaneous: On DOC Great Walk booking system, must be booked for overnight visit. Hut warden in residence from late November to 30th April each year. 

YouTube: Awaroa Inlet to Totaranui

Summary of the whole trip

I love Abel Tasman National Park...if I ever moved to Nelson this park would be my Port Hills. I would be up here all the time walking the tracks and enjoying the beaches. 

Maori carved figure at Medland Beach lookout

I was tramping by myself for most of the time and the only time I tramped with others was from Goat Bay to Totaranui with Mahalee and Onetahuti to Tonga Saddle with Bruce and Ali. I don't mind this but I did appreciate the company of Mahalee, Bruce and Ali at the huts at night. Its nice spending time with a small group of people like this as you get to know each other a little. 

Bruce and Ali at Onetahuti Beach

Mahalee at the Awaroa Inlet crossing

The trip was great...nice sunny weather, no rain and bugger all people makes for a good tramp. I strongly urge any New Zealander who have yet to visit Abel Tasman to do so. September and October are good times of the year to visit as the weather is OK and you don't have to deal with the hordes of people (or sandflies) you get at Christmas.

The only downside is you cannot swim as it is just too damn cold.

...Goat Bay is beautiful but oh so cold in winter...

I intend to come up and tramp the area around Cannan Downs some time and would probably do a loop up to Wainui Hut then up to the Inland Track and along past Moa Park to Rocks Hut. Then you walk back down to Cannan Downs. 

Awaroa Inlet from near Awapoto Hut, Abel Tasman NP

Karen and I have also talked about coming back to do a camping trip spending a couple of nights at Bark Bay or Anchorage. You could do that up here and bring a heavier 2-4 person tent and a chilly bin with you on the watertaxi. 

Camping at Bark Bay anyone...?

Anyway...I am sure to be back sometime as this is just an awesome part of the country to explore.