Discover a hidden gem behind the pine forest. Rabbit Island’s sandy beaches lie in the quiet water of the Waimea Estuary at the head of Tasman Bay. Find a dinghy or kayak to an island within cycling distance of Nelson.
Rabbit Island is the biggest of a group of sandy islands lying in the Waimea Estuary at the head of Tasman Bay. The island’s interior is one of the more popular cycling sections of the Great Taste Cycling Trail.
The Great Taste route runs across Rough Island and into Rabbit Island alongside Ken Beck Drive. It continues to the Mapua Ferry landing site at the western end of the island. For families with a mountain bike enthusiast it is a great place to offer choices of what to do for the day while you collapse on the beach watching kids paddle.
Ten minute ferry ride from Mapua Wharf on a local ferry transporting bikes and holiday makers.
HIGHLIGHTS
- BBQ, picnic seating, toilets and changing rooms
- Shallow safe estuary water
- Glorious wide gold sandy beach
- Mountain bike trails, part of Great Taste trail
- Perimeter tracks with treats such as royal spoonbill birds feeding in the tidal estuary.
WHERE IS MOTUROA, RABBIT ISLAND BEACH LOCATED?
Forestry Road, Rabbit Island 7081
You can drive from Nelson to a car park across the causeway to the ‘island.’
Moturoa Rabbit Island Mountain Bike Tracks
Conifer Park Mountain Bike Tracks lie to the west of the Rabbit Island picnic areas. Conifer Park has 2 kilometres of singletrack suitable for riders of all abilities. On the weekend “The Secret Side of Moturoa Bike Track” is open around the perimeter of the western half of the island.
Find out more about the Abel Tasman National Park and what to do in nearby Nelson. Nelson is arguably the top New Zealand summer destination with wine trails, farmers markets and galleries. The icing on the cake is the scenic glory of the Abel Tasman National Park.
In Nelson, Nelson City Council monitors 11 swimming spots. The areas include five coastal beaches and six rivers, which are monitored from November 30 to March 15 on a weekly basis. For more information check Bathing water quality Nelson.
Moturoa Island beach and reserve is one of Nelson’s top beaches.
Don’t worry you do not need to pick a favourite beach. There is plenty of space to go around at the Abel Tasman National Park beaches and Nelson beaches beyond the National Park. In fact our editor is mulling over the idea, the best beach is the one we visited yesterday with tomorrow a promise of another gem in the Nelson best beach category.
Tahunanui Beach (Nelson city)
Motueka Beach Reserve (Nelson city)
Tata Beach (Golden Bay)
Wharariki Beach (Golden Bay)
Kaiteriteri Beach (Golden Bay)
Pohara Beach (Golden Bay)
CONSERVATION IN ACTION – WAIMEA ESTUARY
The recreational jewel of the Waimea Estuary is undoubtedly Moturoa Rabbit Island; there are over 10 islands in the Waimea Estuary.
Wildlife
Tidal waters are a rich source of food for shorebirds, white heron, royal spoonbill, pied shags and oystercatchers can be easily observed.
Moturoa Rabbit Island is a well known spot for white-baiters, while surf-casting buffs can be spotted at the front beach.
Oyster Island, Waimea Estuary
Oyster Island is a short boat ride from Monaco. Kayakers, private boats make Oyster Island a haunt for wedding photographers and summer picnics. The island has a toilet and running water from the mainland, making it a popular destination for a picnic.
Rough Island, Waimea Estuary
Rough Island is the island you cross on the way to Rabbit Island.
The end of Rough Island provides views to Mapua and Bird Island, which at low tide is a short walk in the mud from Rough Island.
Best Island, Waimea Estuary
Best Island is connected via a causeway that at high tide can be impassable. The island is home to the Greenacres Golf Club and has several farms.
Waimea Estuary Information
About the Inlet
The Waimea Inlet is the area inside a line connecting the Tasman Bay shoreline of Mapua, Moturoa Rabbit Island and Tahunanui Beach. Waimea Inlet is the largest semi-enclosed estuary in the South Island and recognised as a wetland of international importance.
The Inlet is home to some of New Zealand’s most rare and threatened native plants and animals, including birds like the variable oystercatcher, wrybill, banded rail, marsh crake, Australasian bittern and bar-tailed godwit.
The Battle for the Banded Rail Project is restoring vegetation and undertaking extensive trapping in areas of significance around the inlet. The goal is to increase the numbers of banded rail and other shy margin dwelling birds on the estuary.
Local volunteers planting
https://www.waimeaweekly.co.nz/banding-together-to-battle-for-the-birds/
BEST BITS TRAVEL GUIDE
