Anchorage Bay and beach offers visitors a wide gold sandy beach, over 900 metres in length. Anchorage is a popular Abel Tasman National Park destination for visitors due to its scenic outlook and proximity to several short walks.
- Walk the Pitt Head Loop trail to the exquisite Te Pukatea beach
- Low tide explore the estuary and walk across the golden sands to Torrent Bay
- Find your way to an intriguing rock pool, Cleopatra’s pool formed by the Torrent River
- Enjoy one of the largest camping grounds in the Abel Tasman National Park with its flush toilets and extensive facilities
- Discover the rocky outcrops and caves at either end of the beach during low tide with the possibility of glow worms (north end of the beach)
Popularity can lead to a tad overcrowding in the peak summer months with the bay looking a bit like a supermarket car park. Kayaking tours, recreational boaties, yachts and water taxis are busy ferrying passengers to and from the Abel Tasman park. Yet the expansive foreshore has plenty of room for visitors.
YOU CAN STAY OVERNIGHT IN ANCHORAGE BAY, ABEL TASMAN NATIONAL PARK
For visitors who wish to stay overnight in Anchorage Bay, Abel Tasman National Park booking in advance is necessary. Check Department of Conservation online resource for details, Anchorage Hut – Nelson/Tasman.
A very popular way to arrive at Anchorage Bay is hiking from the southern entrance, Marahau. The hike is approximately 3.5 – 4 hours or 12 km. For the less adventurous, catch a water taxi. Forward bookings are essential in the summer months.
The high-tide Abel Tasman track goes around the estuary to TORRENT BAY and takes around 1 to 1.5 hours. Low tide estuary walk is around 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check the TIDE CHART Anchorage Bay Tide Times, Tides for Fishing, High Tide and Low Tide Tables – Tasman District – Tasman – New Zealand – 2023 – Tideschart.com
TE PUKATEA BEACH
Te Pukatea is a jewel in the Abel Tasman National Park. The beach is a perfect curve, a horseshoe shape with gold sands and verdant forest covered hills. The picture is completed with the Tasman sea’s deep blue clear water.
Trek in and discover a relatively quiet beach that is not accessible by water taxi. Te Pukatea beach is not on the main thoroughfare of the Abel Tasman Great Walk. The beach is a side trip from Anchorage Bay and feels a world away from the busy interchange of Anchorage Bay. The 1 ½ return trip to Te Pukatea is the stuff of holiday dreams. The Pitt Head Loop Trail is a #nzmustdo for beach lovers.
You can stay overnight and camp in a Te Pukatea Department of Conservation camping ground. Be quick, there are only 7 non-powered sites available.
TE PUKATEA CAMP GROUND LOCATION
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