The Able Tasman Coastal Track is one of the most iconic trails in New Zealand. This track skirts along the tropical looking coastline and is popular for backpacking and hiking (or tramping if we're using New Zealand lingo). Water fanatics can also opt to kayak along the crystal clear waters, to see this impressive coastline and National Park from a unique perspective.
The Able Tasman National park is the smallest National Park in New Zealand, but attracts the most tourists each year. The park has a rich history and is home to Wharewharangi Bay, which was the spot where Able Tasman, the first European who 'discovered' New Zealand, anchored in 1642. It's not hard to see why this location is so popular, with it's golden sand beaches, turquoise waters and an abundance of wildlife in the National Park.
Arriving in the relaxed, yet vibrant town of Mārahau, I instantly fell in love with this quirky village located at the waters edge and right next to the National Park. I called this place home for just over a month and I can't recommend it enough if you are looking for a base before and/or after running the track. During the summer season, there is a bustling feel about the town, with a couple of authentic places to fuel up with food and drink before or after you embark on a journey through this spectacular part of the world.
A few tips, before heading into the Able Tasman National Park to run...
Avoid the peak season ☀️ This track gets crazy busy! With crystal clear waters and golden sand beaches, it's not hard to see why this spot is so popular with tourists. During the peak summer months (December - February), the track would be very difficult to run, purely because of the sheer volume of people.
Start early 🕖 Starting early will mean you have the trail to yourself, as well as cooler temperatures, all year round.
Pack provisions and water 🧃 Unlike popular National Parks in Europe, there are very limited facilities on the trail and no options to re-fuel with food. Water is available at various campsites, but to hydrate safely, you'll need a water filter to make it safe to drink.
Check tide times 🌊 To link certain parts of the trail, you'll need to keep a close eye on tide times. For some sections, there is an option of a high tide route so you can continue to run along the track, but this adds on several more km's. On other parts of the track, like the crossing at Awaroa, there is no alternative option.
Book a water taxi in advance🛥️Unless you're an ultra marathon runner and planning on doing the entire 60km track in one go (sadly, I'm a long way from this)!... or you plan on undertaking an out and back run, you'll need a water taxi to either take you to the start of your run, or pick you up at the end (or both, if you're tackling a middle section of the track). From Mārahau, there are plenty of water taxi companies to choose from, but I recommend Able Tasman Kayaks - who also operate a Water Taxi service. This company operate the first water taxi out of Mārahau, at 8.30am and run a super friendly service.
Mārahau to Anchorage
Distance 📈 : approx 12.5km
Elevation gain ⛰️ : approx 360m
The start of the track begins from the iconic Park Cafe restaurant and pub, which is the perfect place to fuel with a pre-run coffee. With the trail initially flat with bridges over sections of the estuary, there is time to settle into a steady rhythm without any challenging terrain or gradient. After 500m, the trail begins properly but given the volume of visitors, the trail is wide, firm and superbly maintained. Nonetheless, every time I merged onto the 'proper' trail, I had a revised spring in my step, excited to start the true trail running adventure.
Although the elevation profile looks most challenging towards the end of this section, the first 5kms of this trail are deceptive. Using this as my 'base run' for a month, I never fully got acclimated to the sharp inclines along this beautiful part of the coastal track. In recent years due to coastal erosion, sections of the trail have been re-routed which has added on some steep climbs, which zapped my energy having settled into a steady rhythm. If in need of a quick pit stop or rest, there are however plenty of opportunities to de-tour to beaches or viewpoints. A personal favourite on this section has to be Apple Tree Bay, with it's large sweeping cove and view of the surrounding islands.
After the 5km mark, the trail begins to level off. I won't describe it as totally flat, but in comparison to the first section, it starts to become much easier to maintain a decent pace. This part of the trail is also super fun, with lots of twists, turns, waterfalls and bridges to navigate. Birdlife is rich in the National Park, and you will more than likely spot Weka's along the trail; they are bold and curious in nature, and unlikely to bat an eyelid if you're running alongside them on the trail.
Around 10km into this section, the trail will open out and you will start to climb. Each time I ran this section, the burn and fatigue would quickly set into my legs, but knowing incredible views were just moments away, motivated me to push through and keep climbing. Glimpses of the panoramic view start to reveal themselves and you'll begin to see a birds eye view of the beautiful coastline around Anchorage. This is one of my favourite viewpoints along the entire trail, with incredible 360 degree views of the New Zealand bush and the serene coastline. Descending from this point to Anchorage itself is gradual, making it a fun and fast decent through the bush, before being welcomed to the picture perfect beach.
This section from Mārahau to Anchorage alone, is a stunning introduction to the Able Tasman National Park. Any part of the trail can easily be an out-and-back run from Mārahau or you can run out to, or back from Anchorage, using a water taxi service. If you only have a few days in the area, you won't go wrong with running this part of the trail.
Anchorage to Bark Bay
Distance 📈 : approx 13km
Elevation gain ⛰️ : approx 400m
Writing this section, I feel like a slight fraud as I've only actually walked and run this part of the trail in reverse (Bark Bay to Mārahau, via Anchorage). Nonetheless, this is another gem in the National Park which should absolutely be on your running bucket list!
Leaving Anchorage itself, you'll have a big climb unless you started the run from Mārahau and are continuing along the trail - in which case, there is an option to cut out some of the gnarly elevation by staying inland on higher ground.
Before running this section, it's also worth looking into tide times at Torrent Bay, as this will make a difference to the length of the run. If you're planning to run around high tide, this will add on around 3km and also some extra elevation. Having walked the low tide route across the Torrent Bay estuary and ran the high tide route, I would actually choose the longer, high tide route as the trail in this section is beautiful and very runnable, with the added bonus of a fun river crossing at the top of the inlet. The low tide route is a little uneventful in my opinion - and although I never mind getting wet or muddy feet, the estuary crossing will certainly leave your trusty running shoes covered in sludge!
Arriving in Torrent Bay is another highlight along this part of the trail. Running along the white sand, with clear water lapping on the shore is quite frankly a magical feeling. On a hot day, a swim or a paddle here would be the perfect way to cool down mid-run. Moving through Torrent Bay, there are a handful of residential houses in the village which the trail skirts along. Re-entering the New Zealand bush and joining the trail once more, the climb out of Torrent Bay is tough, but views across the bay will soon make up for the burning legs.
The next section towards Bark Bay is another tough climb, but again, one where you are rewarded with the views. Once the elevation is behind you, this section of downhill is particularly fun and fast! After the decent, crossing a swing bridge and inlet section, where the Falls River meets the coastline, rounds off this section of insanely beautiful trail.
Bark Bay to Totranui
Distance 📈 : approx 20km.
Elevation gain ⛰️ : approx 801m.
This has to be my favourite section of the trail, for the fun terrain and incredible beaches. Despite the undulating trail and challenging elevation, the insanely beautiful landscape makes all the blood sweat and tears worth it!
Arriving bright and early in Bark Bay from the water taxi, after a quick pit stop to the campground shelter to fuel before the run, I hit the trail and settled into a steady pace. In pure New Zealand style, the trail took me straight into the depths of the bush with swing bridges to traverse across surging rivers bringing water from the higher altitudes to the coast. Although it was early and mid-April, the sun already felt hot and strong, especially as I started to attack the first climb of the day, which started just minutes after getting on the trail.
What I loved about this section of the trail was that although the climbs were steep and relatively long, the downhills were extremely runnable and a great reward for the difficult climbs, as well as an opportunity to bring the heart rate down to a more manageable level. After the first climb and about 5km into the trail, you'll reach Tonga Quarry Campsite, closely followed by Onetahuti - a beautiful and long sandy beach. Running along this section was particularly enjoyable, with the water lapping onto the golden sand and the beach providing some rest bite from the already difficult climbs.
After Onetahuti, there is another climb which takes you in the direction of Awaroa through the dense bush. By this time in my run, my legs knew what to expect - but just as I was about to slow my pace to a fast walk behind hikers sharing the trail, I felt compelled to keep running up the hill, after they shouted out 'runner coming through'! Small moments like this are excellent motivation to keep you going through long and tough runs like these...even if I ended up moving faster than I really wanted to up this climb!
After reaching the top of this section, a rest stop or a photo is almost mandatory with incredible views over Awaroa. This section of the trail is important to check the tidal times, with typically only being able to pass this section 1.5hours either side of low tide and no other alternative route. Reaching sea level, the trail continues across the estuary. Although the water will be low during crossing times, keeping your feet dry will be challenging - I recommend just admitting defeat from the start and take running through the water as another experience along this breathtaking trail.
Reaching the other side of the estuary, I had my first proper break in the run and fuelled up on some sugary snacks to keep me moving and energised for the remaining kilometers I had planned for the day. As the trail starts again after the estuary crossing, there is another climb through the bush. The trail suddenly narrows as the coastline becomes more rugged - with this section really reminding me of some of the beautiful coastline we have in England, particularly in the South West. This narrow section will continue for around 2km - before dropping down to Goat Bay, another incredible beach along this beautiful trail.
For the last time, the trail headed inland with a last steep ascent before an incredible view over Totaranui was in sight. This viewpoint is probably what you'll see if you google 'Able Tasman National Park' and with the sweeping golden sand and vivid blue waters, I could totally see why this is one of the highlights of the park. Taking in this incredible viewpoint, I knew it was all downhill from here and the final decent into Totaranui felt incredible, with sore legs and the exhaustion from the heat and run starting to set in.
The Able Tasman Coastal Track does continue past Totaranui, but alongside myself, many decide to finish their journey here, with road links back to Takaka. I look forward to returning to this beautiful part of the world, to continue my running adventure to complete all 60km of the Able Tasman Coastal Track.
My key takeaways from running the trail...
Elevation is deceptive ⛰️ - running along the coastline will be flat right!? I've made this mistake so many times before! Unlike alpine areas, you expect coastal trails to be relatively flat. There are flat sections along this trail but it's pretty undulating with some steep, sharp climbs. Running here certainly isn't a walk in the park.
Bring swimwear 👙 - there are so many incredible swimming spots along this trail, which are perfect for a post run cooldown. I definitely recommend throwing in some swimwear into your running pack, to end a run in a perfect way.
Download maps 🗺️ - for most of the track, you'll be without cell reception. Signposts are regular and accurate, but for peace of mind, it is handy to download the map of the trail, mostly so you can track your progress along the way.
Be prepared to fall in love - with the area and trails 💗 - Before arriving to this area, I wasn't so sure it wasn't going to be for me. I'm a mountain girl at heart and thought I'd get bored of the coast quickly. How wrong could I be! After travelling around most of the South Island in New Zealand, this has to be one of my favourite spots which truly stole my heart.
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