Abel Tasman Coastal Track: Day 3: Bark Bay to Awaroa

A rainy day in the Abel Tasman NP

Day three had me walking from Bark Bay to Awaroa via Tonga Campsite, Onetahuti and Tonga Saddle. It was complicated by the heavy rain falling and strong winds. What is normally a long but relatively benign walk turned into something approaching a survival march. 

It was less than optimal to say the least...

Dawn breaks over Bark Bay

I was up at dawn as I had considered heading down to the beach to see the sun rise but it was bucketing down with rain. I went and took some photos and had a look at the receding tide in the estuary before heading back into the hut to warm up. 

It was raining as we started our day at Bark Bay

Bark Bay Hut in the early morning light

I just stoked up the fire to get some warmth into the hut and set about having breakfast, packing up and getting on my way. We all headed out early as we just wanted to get the walking done. I had a Real Meal creamed rice for breakfast on the day and boy are they good...great for breakfast of dessert.

My breakfast on day three at Bark Bay Hut

We did a quick tidy of the hut, wiped down the benches, stacked the mattresses closed down the woodburner and swept the floors. 

Packing my gear away in Bark Bay Hut

Mahalee was the first out of the hut and Bruce, Ali and I didn't see her again until we arrived at Awaroa Hut. She told me later that she saw us a couple of times walking along the beaches and on the track. She was followed by myself and then Bruce and Ali. 

Heading to Onetahuti Beach:

From the hut it is a 700 meter walk around the estuary to the Waterfall Creek swingbridge...this is all easy track as it is flat and well constructed. It was wet and muddy from all the rain but still easy to follow. 

Start of the track at the rear of Bark Bay Hut

The Coastal Track heads around the Bark Bay Estuary

Waterfall Creek bridge is the first bridge of the day and you cross about another ten or so as you make your way to Awaroa. They are all smaller foot bridges except for the bridge over Richardson Stream near the end of Onetahuti Beach. That is quite an imposing structure...

Crossing Waterfall Creek on the foot bridge

Map: Bark Bay to Tonga Quarry

It is a bit steep climbing up out of Bark Bay and the open nature of the forest meant I got a good soaking from the persistent rain. Once you get up to the top of the climb you settle into a long slow sidle across a flat plateau. It takes about 40 minutes to cover this plateau before the track starts to drop down to Tonga Bay. 

Climbing to the plateau between Bark Bay and Tonga Bay

View across the plateau towards Tonga Roadstead in 2018

It is a bit of a steep descent down to the Tonga Quarry site and care was required as the track was slick clay and very slippery.  It was quite a slow trip coming down off the plateau but at least it is in thick forest so I was protected from the worst of the weather. 

Tonga Bay comes into view from the track

The Tonga Bay camp site has been decommissioned since the big storm back in 2018 as it ate away at the shoreline along here. Rising sea levels will eventually take all of these camp-sites as they are all only a few meters above sea level and get flooded in every big storm.

At Tonga Bay, Abel Tasman NP

Tonga Quarry still has a toilet but the water supply that used to be here is now gone. You can check out the foundations of an old jetty building used back in the early 1900's when limestone was quarried from the area for buildings in Nelson and Wellington.

Looking out to the Tonga Roadstead, Tonga Island

Information panel at Tonga Campsite

From Tonga Quarry you climb up and around a headland and sidle along the side of the coastal hills on your way to Onetahuti Beach. There are some decent views of the ocean from up here and boy did it look rough!!! There were no boats dropping off passengers that day as it was just too dangerous for the watertaxi's to go out. 

First view of Onetahuti Beach

It took me about 30 minutes to walk around to Onetahuti Campsite and I was joined by Bruce and Ali just as I made it to the beach. The Onetahuti Campsite is starting to recover and I noticed that there was grass growing over most of the old sandy area I saw here the last time I visited. 

Bruce and Ali at the Onetahuti Campsite

Onetahuti Beach, Abel Tasman NP

We were all pleased to get to the campsite shelter at Onetahuti as it meant we could get out of the rain and have a rest if only for a short time. This shelter would be a real lifesaver in really bad weather and it allows campers to cook their meals in a protected place.

Onetahuti campsite Shelter

 I spent about 10 minutes at the Onetahuti Shelter before chucking my gear back on and setting out with Bruce and Ali on the two hour trip to Awaroa Hut. 

Onetahuti to Awaroa:

There is a tidal crossing on Onetahuti Beach about 200 meters shy of the camp-site cooking shelter. Richardson Stream has cut a new channel through the sand bar so you can only cross for four hours either side of low tide. When the tide is full the water coursing through the channel is waist deep and very dangerous.

Do not try to cross at high tide!!!

Heading to Richardson Stream along Onetahuti Beach

Map: Onetahuti to Awaroa Inlet

The weather was really awful from Onetahuti to the Awaroa Campsite with horizontal rain, strong wind  and occasional hail showers. It was particularly bad on Onetahuti Beach as the wind was roaring over Tonga Saddle and down to the coast. You have zero protection on this beach so we had to contend with the full force of the weather. 

View back towards the Onetahuti Campsite

The bridge over Richardson Stream is nicely placed and designed to access the beach. Its a pity it is now in the wrong location as the stream has blown out closer to the cooking shelter at the other end of Onetahuti Beach.

Richardson Stream Bridge, Abel Tasman NP

Boardwalk at the back of Richardson Stream

If the tide is out you can cross Richardson Stream at the bottom of the hill and walk along the beach. Personally, I prefer the board-walk track to Richardson Stream bridge as it is much easier walking than on the acutely sloped beach sand.

Low tide crossing at Richardson Stream in 2017

Once past Richardson Stream you spend the next 45 minutes walking up to Tonga Saddle. To start with it is steep but it evens out some as you get closer to the top. The forest is thick along the track so you have some protection form the elements but it was still cold, wet and windy. 

Start of the climb up to Tonga Saddle

The track to Tonga Saddle is slippery clay

The swamp behind Onetahuti Beach is a Project Janzoon site and is a replanted Kahikatea Forest. In 100 or so years there will be a forest of 30+ meter high Kahikatea trees in this area...pity I wont be here to see it!

Onetahuti & Richardson Swamp from the track

Once you reach Tonga Saddle you have finished the last of the two climbs for the day...there isn't much at the saddle itself but 100 meters down the Onetahuti side are a couple of seats with views of Onetahuti Beach. It is worth stopping there in bad weather as Tonga Saddle itself was horrendously exposed. 

I arrive at Tonga Saddle, Abel Tasman NP

If you are heading for Awaroa Lodge or the watertaxi pick up point make sure you take the side track just past Tonga Saddle. There is no way to get from Awaroa Settlement to the Lodge unless it is low tide and you don't want to have to walk all the way back up here. 

There were 100+ kph wind gusts howling over the saddle and branches flying around so it is not a good place to rest. I didn't stop for long but headed down the Awaroa side of the hill and out of the worst of the wind. 

Side track to Awaroa Lodge and watertaxi

The walk down the Awaroa side of Tonga Saddle was nasty...it was very, very windy and wet and I just put my head down and covered it as fast as possible. You start glimpsing Awaroa Lodge as you descend...it looks like a big complex from way up on the track. 

Awaroa Lodge, Abel Tasman NP

I found out from a local tramper that this track is informally called the 'Skyline Route' because it seems like you are walking along the skyline. It was constructed in 2017 as there are high tide access problems across the private land at Awaroa Settlement.

First view of Awaroa Inlet from the track

The old track down to Awaroa Settlement

It is a long way from Tonga Saddle to Awaroa covering 6.5 km's of the total 8.5kms from Awaroa and Onetahuti Beach. It becomes increasingly tiresome as it just seems to drag on forever and keeps going steeply up and down the side of the hills. I was pleased when I finally rounded one last corner and saw the start of the descent down to Awaroa. 

...on the descent to Awaroa Inlet...

Mouth of Awaroa Inlet, Abel Tasman NP

Awaroa Settlement comes into view

I eventually made it back down to flat ground a couple of hundred meters away from Awaroa Hut. From here there is a low tide track which follows the side of Awaroa Inlet or the high tide track along the hillside and down to Awaroa Campsite. 

Flat ground at Awaroa...Abel Tasman NP

It is about 10 minutes walk to the campsite and along the way you have several good views of the hut coming closer and out across Awaroa Inlet. 

Awaroa Hut is about 100 meters away

There is a decent looking camp-site at Awaroa, about 100 meters from the hut. It doesn't have a cook shelter but there is a set of toilets, some picnic tables and filtered water on offer. The land looked dry and well sloped so they would be nice dry camp sites.

Awaroa Campsite in Abel Tasman NP

...nice looking campsite at Awaroa...

I finally arrived at Awaroa after 4.5 hours it had been a long, hot and wet walk and I was really pleased to finally get out of the weather. Everyone else was already in residence and once at the hut I had a clean-up and made a brew. This is the fifth time I have been to this hut now, it is in a very attractive spot.

Awaroa Hut, Abel Tasman NP

From the hut and veranda you have marvelous views out into the Awaroa Inlet. It was sometimes hard to see across the Inlet due to the heavy rain but this is an awesome vista to enjoy once you finish your days walking. 

Looking across Awaroa Inlet from the hut

View to the mouth of Awaroa Inlet

On the last day of my trip I would start by making the 30 minute crossing of Awaroa Inlet before heading along the coast for about 1.5 hours to Totaranui. 

...30 minutes to cross Awaroa Inlet...

Awaroa Hut is a classic Lockwood design and is mostly wooden with that beautiful caramel color to the wood from all the varnish used on it. These are my favorite type of DOC huts! It has a large central living space and two 10 bunk interior bunkrooms. There is also the standard 6 bunk exterior bunkroom which is where Bruce and Ali were sleeping. 

One of the bunkrooms at Awaroa Hut

The other internal bunkroom at Awaroa Hut

The exterior bunkroom at Awaroa Hut

Bruce and I went and started chopping up some firewood and got some helpful assistance from the others who humped the wood around to the hut. We needed it as it was quite cold once the sun went down in the afternoon, this is normal at this time of year: warm sunny days, cold nights. 

Awaroa Hut: the living space

Later in the afternoon we were joined by a trio of older trampers from Hastings and Palmerston North so there were seven of us in the hut that night. They were great hut mates and we all enjoyed a convivial evening in the hut as the wind howled and the rain hammered down outside. 

Awaroa Hut: the kitchen and woodburner

Despite the rain and poor conditions it was quite a pleasant tramp from Bark Bay to Awaroa. Certainly it is nicer in fine weather as you have some nice views but I don't actually mind walking in the rain. The only bit that really irritated me was the track from Tonga Saddle to Awaroa. That section just seems to go on forever and I really hate the up and downs just before you start to descend to Awaroa Inlet. 

Why didn't they just sidle around the hillsides on one contour line...stupid!!!

Access: Water taxi from Kaiteriteri or Marahau to Totaranui or walk from Bark Bay. The trip takes one hour from Marahau to Totaranui. 

Track Times: 7.2 km's or 2.5 hours Totaranui to Awaroa Hut, 12.5 km's or 4.5 hours Awaroa to Bark Bay.

Hut Details: Awaroa Hut: serviced, 26 bunks, wood burner, filtered water tank, wood shed, flush toilets; Bark Bay Hut: 34 bunks, wood burner, filtered water tank, wood shed, flush toilets

Miscellaneous: On DOC Great Walk booking system, must be booked for overnight visit. Hut warden in residence from 1st October to 30th April each year. There is a tidal crossing at Awaroa Inlet and Onetahuti Bay with no high water track so check tide charts before booking huts. 

YouTube: Bark Bay to Awaroa Inlet

Abel Tasman Coastal Track: Day 1: Marahau to Anchorage

Jon returns to the sunny north...Abel Tasman NP!!!

I just completed my annual pilgrimage to the Abel Tasman National Park at the beginning of this month. every year I head north just of season to complete a section of the track. This year I walked the track in the opposite direction and headed from Anchorage to Totaranui. 

Main street of Marahau and the start of the trip

This time around I took a watertaxi to Anchorage on the first day as I have walked the section from Marahau before and did not feel like I needed to repeat it. 

Aqua Taxis make the park very accessible

The weather was good on the first and second day but awful on day three when I was walking to Awaroa from Bark Bay. It was raining cats and dogs and very windy especially when crossing Tonga Saddle. It was some of the worst weather I have encountered since the Paparoa Track and made the normally benign trip a bit taxing...

Rain and howling wind at Onetahuti Beach

As always the park was beautiful...one of the reasons I have been back so many times. I would spend a lot of time here if I lived up in Nelson as it really is quite spectacular. 

Looking along the beach at Anchorage towards the hills

It was another excellent trip to a beloved location and the action all started at Anchorage near the start of the track...

Marahau to Anchorage on a watertaxi...

As I said before I debated walking into Anchorage from Marahau but decided in the end that it was not necessary as I have walked this section four times in the past. There are some nice areas but a lot of it is on the fringe of the park where there is less native forest. I was also recently recovered from COVID and trying to take it easy...more about that later!!

Low tide at Marahau Inlet in the morning

 So I took a water taxi to Anchorage instead...I know its the cheats way but given how out of breath I feel on the subsequent days it was probably a good decision. 

View of the Abel Tasman NP from Marahau

The watertaxi's are an integral part of the Abel Tasman experience and make getting up and down the coast quick and simple. They also make it possible to do day trips to the park walking from one bay to another which is what most people are doing here at this time of the year. This is something I have yet to do...so an idea for the future perhaps!!!

The watertaxi I took to Anchorage at Marahau

The boat was called Te Maki= Orca (Killer Whale)

You start the trip from Marahau which is the base of operations for two of the three watertaxi companies. I always use Aquataxi Abel Tasman as they have smaller boast able to access every beach in the park. You launch from Marahau and make your way along the coast stopping at the beaches and bays in between. 

They also run nature cruises along the coast as well as scenic trips if walking is not your thing...

The watertaxi launches from the beach at Marahau

Your first stop is at Split Apple Rock just east of Marahau...the taxi sometimes picks people up on the nearby beach but really it is a visit to a well known tourist spot. You can sometimes see Fur Seals in this area and at certain times of the year Terns and Shags nest on the nearby cliffs. 

Split Apple Rock, Tasman Bay 

On a clear day you can see right across Tasman Bay to the islands and ridges of the Marlborough Sounds. They were clearly visible on the day I travelled and I could even make out Mt Taranaki and the lower parts of the North Island about 50 kilometers away over Cook Strait. 

Hills and islands of the Marlborough Sounds

Passing Coquille Beach enroute to Anchorage

We stopped at Adele Island on the way and saw about half a dozen Seals resting on the rocks and swimming just off shore. The breeding season has not yet started so it was mothers with last seasons cubs...the males and single females will start arriving in late September...

Seal watching near Adele Island in the Astrolabe Roadstead

Anchorage is the first stop for boats heading west to Totaranui so before you know it you will find yourself cruising into Anchorage and those beautiful golden sandy beaches. 

Distant view of Anchorage Beach

 That was more or less the extent of my travels on the day...I was staying at Anchorage that night and would be spending the rest of the afternoon and evening there. 

Arrival at Anchorage...

There were hardly any people at Anchorage which was very surprising as it was such a fantastic day. As the day progressed more and more day walkers arrived. Most of them were gone by 3 pm as multiple watertaxi's came to uplift people and take them back to Marahau and Kaiteriteri. 

Arriving on the beach at Anchorage

Looking east towards Pitts Head from the beach

I headed up to the hut to get myself a bed...I was the first overnight visitor to arrive and had my pick of the bunkrooms. July-September is the ideal time to visit the Abel Tasman as visitor numbers are low.

 I would plan to walk mid week if you can as that is when it will be the quietest. For most of the four days I spent in the park I was walking by myself about 95% of the time...

DOC sign at the entrance to Anchorage Campsite

The Coastal Track starts down on the beach

Prior to European settlers there were a number of permanent and temporary Maori settlements along this coast. There were various food sources here, fresh water and timber. The main settlements were around Marahau, Torrent Bay and Whariwharangi but food gathering occurred right along the coast. 

DOC have started to install information panels along the coast discussing the impact of Maori on the area. I noticed new ones at Anchorage, Torrent Bay, Medlands Beach and Totaranui. 

Carved Maori figure at Anchorage Campsite

I was back at the palatial Anchorage Hut for my fifth visit....it really is one of the best DOC huts I have visited while tramping. The previous hut was a copy of Bark Bay Hut that was showing its age and far less salubrious...this is an excellent replacement.

Anchorage Hut (2014), Abel Tasman NP

The main window in Anchorage Hut

Anchorage Hut was built in 2014 to replace the previous hut at what was then considered crazy price of $1.2 million dollars. Various outdoor groups went mad about the waste of money...my how times have changed!

The new Mintaro Hut down on the Milford Track cost over $4 million dollars in 2021. Even the much smaller 12 bunk Casey Hut II cost over $500 000. That is why it is imperative that we look after these huts as DOC does not have the resources to replace a multi million dollar hut every year. 

There is a large veranda on the front of Anchorage Hut

The site is well set out with a toilet block at both ends of the accommodation and plenty of outdoor seating for when the weather is good enough to sit outside and enjoy it. There are a couple of picnic tables and a big deck that I have seen people sunning themselves on in the past. 

Watch the local Weka though...they are thieving bastards!!!

Deck and picnic table at Anchorage

The hut has a number of 8 bunk 'cells' instead of the usual one big room (...to house them all...) so I chose the second cell from the living area. This was the third time I have stayed in that particular cell and I think it is ideally placed to access all the facilities at the hut. 

There are four outside bunkrooms at Anchorage Hut

Anchorage Hut is very nice but I am not a fan of the set up of the bunkrooms...they are eight bunk cells which is fine if every group is eight people strong but means you end up sharing with other people. I don't mind this but it does make it a bit awkward as you feel like you are imposing on them. If it is one big bunkroom there is more anonymity. 

Anchorage Hut: interior of the bunkrooms

 I had a bunk-room cell to myself as there were only four of us staying in the hut that night. 

My companions for the next couple of nights were a couple from Tasmania called Bruce and Ali and a Filipino-American woman called Mahalee. Hey guys if you are reading this I hope you are well!!!

Anchorage Hut: the bunkrooms have these awesome cubicles

After lunch I tided my gear away and went for a walk around the hut site...this is a well thought out hut with piles of space, nice surroundings and some cool features. They have filtered water taps for drinking water, a large and spacious living area and even a USB compatible charge station for I-pads and cell phones.

Anchorage Hut: Interior of kitchen area

The living space at Anchorage Hut

Anchorage Hut: lots if information inside

The view from inside the living area has to be one of the best from a DOC hut in New Zealand. You can well imagine a multi billion dollar resort plonked on this beach if it had not been preserved as a National Park. 

One of the best hut views in New Zealand

Sign on the outside of Anchorage Hut

DOC have placed a handy brush near the hut entrance so you can clean that really abrasive sand off your boots before you enter the building. The sand looks lovely but it is actually ground down crystals of quartz rock so it is like sandpaper on your feet and anything else it has contact with.

Boot cleaning brush at Anchorage Hut

Ohhh man...look at that...a full wood shed is a mighty fine sight...!!!

So many materials for the budding, intermediate and expert pyromaniac to indulge in the dark arts of firemaking. It was mostly Manuka so it was a bitch to get going but once it starts burning it throws out a ton of heat. 

Lovely full woodshed at Anchorage Hut

I went for a walk down through the completely empty campsite here at Anchorage. It makes a real change from the last time I was here in 2021 when there were about 20 odd people camping here. There were a trio of DOC guys working down at the campsite but no Hut Warden. 

View towards the campsite at Anchorage

There are sites for over 70 tents in the campsite with two big kitchen shelters, tables, fire-pits and ablution blocks. This area gets super busy over the summer with hordes of tourists, day trampers, yachting folk and people spending their summer holidays camping here for a couple of days.

Some of the facilities at the Anchorage Campsite

Campsite cooking shelter at Anchorage

I saw a lot of Kaka on this trip...over ten sightings of them and I even saw a flock of about 7-8 of them at Bark Bay the next day. They have started to spread out through the park and I saw individual birds from Pitts Head right out to the Totaranui Campsite. There are over 50 individual birds living here now and they are a wonderful sight to see. 

Wild Kaka live in Abel Tasman NP

Once I had organised myself and sorted out the hut I made myself some lunch. I was using my MSR Windburner on this trip as I wanted to try it on its first multi day tramping trip. It works a real treat. 

I discovered that both of my lighters and my MSR piezo ignitor were not working so it was lucky that I always carry a back up box of matches. I have replaced all these items now...

I was using the MSR Windburner on this trip

I had crackers, tuna packets and Babybel cheese for lunch on this tramp. That is my 'go to' standard now and the cheeses are good for 3-4 days as they are wrapped in a wax covering. Those Sealord tuna packets are tasty...I especially like the Peri Peri, Ginger and Sesame and Tahitian ones. I have Miso soup and tea as accompaniments.

My lunchtime position in the living space at Anchorage

Lunchtime...tuna on crackers at Anchorage Hut

There were plenty of damn Weka around Anchorage to vex me...they kept trying to pinch stuff off the table the cheeky buggers. I love them really as they are tough little birds and their antics are amusing but I wish they were not so larcenous.

Waldo the Weka on the hunt for good eats!!!

People feed them at the camp sites so they are always looking for a hand out or to pinch your gear when you are not looking. Always stash your gear out of reach in Weka country...inside the hut, in a zipped up tent or higher than three feet off the ground.

The weirdest thing I have seen them steal is a pair of pink panties on the QCT. I heard shouting and looked out in time to see said pervert Weka running off into the bush with a very irate German woman chasing it. It must have liked the color...

Enjoying a brew outside Anchorage Hut in the sun

I spent about an hour preparing some firewood and kindling for later use. I chopped up some of those Manuka logs into smaller bits and prepared some dry branches and tinder to start the fire with. There was no paper at the hut so I had to improvise with Manuka bark and some dry grass I found in the immediate area. 

It worked well...

Fire starting supplies inside Anchorage Hut

Someone had placed these branches out to dry on the beach

Anchorage Hut...fireplace set up and ready for action

Making tinder out of dry Manuka bark!!!

Look at that awesome sandy beach...the Abel Tasman is all about the beaches really and while it was far too cold to swim at this time of the year I still did see a few hardy people enjoying the ocean. The Tasmanian couple both went for a dip at Anchorage and Mahalee went for a swim at Totaranui. 

I walked in up to my knees and thought...NOPE...not gonna happen!!! Still too damn cold for a swim regardless of how lovely it looks on a sunny spring day...

View right along Anchorage Beach from near Pitt Head

Small stream separating Pitt Head and Anchorage Campsite

Good view to the mountains inland from Anchorage

At 3 pm I went down to the beach and got a prime spot to watch the water taxi's coming in to collect the day trampers. I sat down on the beach for over an hour enjoying the view and snoozing in the warm afternoon sun. The Wilson and Aquataxi boats collected about 7-8 people from the beach in total. 

Sun on Anchorage Bay in the late afternoon

I was talking to a Canadian guy on the beach for about half an hour. He was here for a conference and thought he would chuck in some walks while he was here. He was a nice guy but I was a bit concerned with his lack of gear. He had no bag, water bottle, jacket or even food...only what was in his pockets. 

This is not what I would carry if I was day walking in the park...what would happen if you got lost or hurt yourself...very foolish!!! 

One of several watertaxi's that arrived at Anchorage

After this I went for a wander down to the far southern end of the beach. There was a enormous amount of birdsong coming from Pitts Head so it is obvious the pest trapping program is going well up here. 

I saw Tui, Bellbirds, Silvereyes and a couple of Kaka in the trees. If you do nothing else while at Anchorage you must go for a walk on Pitt Head just for the plentiful bird life. 

Pitt Head was alive with birdsong in the late afternoon

The outgoing tide exposes sand flats...Anchorage Beach

I was getting artistic with the camera down on the beach...I really like the ripple effect of the sand. The tides cause little ridges and the sun was reflecting through the water in a attractive way. 

Very nice!!!

Sand ridges and sunlight on water at Anchorage

A piece of drift wood in the waters of Anchorage Bay

I passed a decent night at Anchorage and it was warm and cosy in the hut that night. I was carrying freeze dry meals on this trip as I was trying to go as light as possible. They are ok for a couple of nights they just wouldn't be so great if you were walking for 10+ days. 

They would wreck utter havoc on your innards...

Anchorage Hut: dinner that night...

BTW...if you are up here and need to go out to answer the call of nature at night stop and admire the stars before heading back inside.

WOW...!!!!

It is amazing...I went out at about 2.30 am to have a look and saw so many stars in the sky and the Milky Way was clearly visible as it was a dark, clear night.

Access: From Marahau walk north to Anchorage on the Abel Tasman Coastal Track. Alternatively take a  watertaxi to Anchorage and walk back out to Marahau. 

Track Times: 12.5 km's or 4 hours from Anchorage to Marahau on the Coastal Track. About 40 minutes by boat.

Hut Details: Anchorage Hut: Great Walk, 34 bunks, wood burner, filtered water tank, wood shed, flush toilets; DOC campsites at Te Pukatea Bay, Watering Cove, Observation Beach, Akersten Bay, Apple Tree Bay, Coquille Beach and Tinline campsite

Miscellaneous: All huts on the Abel Tasman Coastal Walk are on the DOC Great Walk booking system and must be booked for overnight visit. Hut Warden in residence from late November to late April each year. Campsites are located at most bays and must also be booked year round. 

You Tube link: Anchorage to Marahau also Marahau to Anchorage