Abel Tasman National Park

Localization

North end of the South Island, 20 km north of Motueka, north of valleys of Takaka and Riwaka rivers.

Access

Easy

Characteristic

225 km², Smallest of New Zealand´s national parks. Forested hilly country and the sea coast of the Tasman bay, many coastal islets. Between Mean High Water and Mean Low Water Springs, the beaches are gazetted as a Scenic Reserve, covering 7.74 km² in total (about 70 km long). Wonderful landscape scenes - rocky outcrops of granite, limestone and marble. Typical ecosystems: marine and coastal ecosystems; secondary temperate zone forests (about 75% of total area), indigenous forest was cut off during human settlement process; river estuaries. In Takaka Hill and Canaan Downs there are many karstic features include caves, sink-holes (dolines), disappearing streams, and karren (surface dissolution features). This karst includes some of the deepest caves in New Zealand (Green Link, approximately 360 m) deep, the deepest cave shaft in New Zealand (Harwoods Hole: 176 m vertical drop), and New Zealand's largest spring: Waikoropupu Springs, with a discharge averaging 15 m³/second.

Fauna + Flora

Mammals:

Bats - True Bats (Vespertilionidae): Long-tailed Wattled Bat

Seals, Sea-Lions and Walruses - Eared Seals (Otariidae): New Zealand Fur Seal

Birds:

Sphenisciformes - Penguins (Spheniscidae): Little Penguin

Tubenoses - Storm Petrels (Hydrobatidae): White-faced Storm-Petrel

- Fulmars, Prions, Shearwaters and Gadfly Petrels (Procellariidae): Antarctic Giant-Petrel; Black-winged Petrel; Cape Petrel; Cook's Petrel; Great-winged Petrel; Kermadec Petrel; Mottled Petrel; Soft-plumaged Petrel; Stejneger's Petrel; Westland Petrel; White-chinned Petrel; White-headed Petrel; Fairy Prion; Buller's Shearwater; Flesh-footed Shearwater; Fluttering Shearwater; Little Shearwater; Sooty Shearwater

- Diving Petrels (Pelecanoididae): Common Diving Petrel

- Albatrosses (Diomedeaidae): Black-browed Albatross; Buller´s Albatross; Grey-backed Albatross; Royal Albatross; Wandering Albatross; White-capped Albatross

Pelecaniformes - Gannets and Boobies (Sulidae): Australian Gannet

- Cormorants and Shags (Phalacrocoarcidae): Great Cormorant; Pied Cormorant; Little Pied Cormorant; Rough-faced Shag; Spotted Shag

Ciconiiformes - Herons, Egrets and Bitterns (Ardeidae): Pacific Reef-Egret; White-faced Heron

Anseriformes - Gees, Swans and Ducks (Anatidae): Pacific Black Duck; Paradise Shelduck

Birds of Prey - Hawks, Eagles, Buzzards, Kites and Old World Vultures (Accipitridae): Swamp Harrier

- Falcons and Caracaras (Falconidae): New Zealand Falcon

Gruiformes - Rails, Crakes, Coots and Gallinules (Rallidae): Baillon's Crake; Purple Gallinule; Buff-banded Rail; Weka

Charadriiformes - Avocets (Recurvirostridae): Black-winged Stilt

- Wading Birds (Scolopacidae): Bar-tailed Godwit

- Plovers (Charadriidae): Double-banded Plover

- Oystercatchers (Haematopodidae): South Island Oystercatcher; Variable Oystercatcher

- Skuas and Jaegers (Stercorariidae): Arctic Skua

- Gulls (Laridae): Black-billed Gull; Kelp Gull; Red-billed Gull

- Terns (Sternidae): Caspian Tern; White-fronted Tern

Columbiformes - Pigeons and Doves (Columbidae): New Zealand Pigeon

Psittaciformes - Parrots (Psittacidae): Kaka; Kea; Yellow-fronted Parakeet

Strigiformes - Owls (Strigidae): Southern Boobook

Cuculiformes - Cuckoos, Anis, Coucals and Roadrunners (Cuculidae): Shining Bronze-Cuckoo; Long-tailed Cuckoo

Coraciiformes - Kingfishers (Alcedinidae): Sacred Kingfisher

Perching Birds - Swallows and Martins (Hirundinidae): Pacific Swallow

- Honeyeaters (Meliphagidae): New Zealand Bellbird; Tui

- Creepers (Pachycephalidae): New Zealand Creeper

- Fantails (Rhipiduridae): Grey Fantail

- Wagtails and Pipits (Motacillidae): Richard's Pipit

- Gerygones (Acanthizidae): Grey Gerygone

- White-eyes (Zosteropidae): Silver White-eye

- Petroicidae: New Zealand Robin; New Zealand Tit

- Old World Warblers (Sylviidae): New Zealand Fernbird

Fish:

Osmeriformes - Galaxiids (Galaxiidae): Giant Kokopu (Galaxias argenteus); Shortjaw Kokopu (Galaxias postvectis)

Anguilliformes - Freswater Eels (Anguillidae): Longfinned Eel (Anguilla dieffenbachii)

Gastropods:

Pulmonates - Rhytididae:  Powelliphanta hochstetteri; Rhytida oconnori (giant land snails)

Plants:

Ferns:

Cyatheales - Tree Ferns (Cyatheaceae):  Tree Fern (Cyathea dealbata)

- Dicksoniaceae: Tree Fern (Dicksonia spp.)

Hymenophyllales - Filmy Ferns (Hymenophyllaceae): Black Filmy Fern (Hymenophyllum atrovirens)

Conifers:

Pinales - Podocarpaceae: Halocarpus bidwillii; Kahika (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides); Phyllocladus alpinus; Plum Pine (Podocarpus halii); Prumnopitys ferruginea and P. taxifolia; New Zealand Red-Pine (Dacrydium cupressinum); Totara (Podocarpus totara)

Cupressales - Cupressaceae: Libocedrus bidwillii

Dicotyledons:

Laurales - Atherospermataceae: Laurelia novae-zelandiae

- Monimiaceae: Hedycarya arborea

Canellales - Winteraceae: Pseudowintera axillaris

Chloranthales - Chloranthaceae: Ascarina lucida

Ranunculales - Ranunculaceae: Sweet Autumn Virginsbower (Clematis terniflora)

Brassicales - Crucifers (Brassicaceae): Coastal Peppercress (Lepidium banksii); Yellowcress (Rorippa divaricata)

Caryophyllales - Tetragoniaceae: New Zealand Spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides)

Santalales - Viscaceae: Korthal Mistletoe (Korthalsella salicornioides)

- Lorantahaceae: Red Mistletoe (Peraxilla tetrapetala) and Scarlet Mistletoe (Peraxilla colensoi); Tupeia Mistletoe (Tupeia antarctica)

Malvales - Malvaceae: Hoheria glabrata and H. ovata; Plagianthus divaricatus

Rosales - Rosaceae: Blackberry (Rubus cissoides)

- Moraceae: Large-leaved Milk-Tree (Streblus banksii)

Oxalidales - Cunoniaceae: Weinmannia racemosa

- Elaeocarpaceae: Aristotelia serrata; Elaeocarpus dentatus

Fabales - Fabaceae: Gorse (Ulex sp.); Necklacepod (Sophora longicarinata)

Fagales - Nothofagaceae: Hard Beech (Nothofagus truncata), Mountain Beech (Nothofagus solandri), Red Beech (Nothofagus fusca) and Silver Beech (Nothofagus menziesii)

Malpighiales - Violaceae: Coastal Porcupine Shrubs (Melicytus crassifolius, M. obovatus and M. ramiflorus)

- Passionflowers (Passifloraceae): Passionflower (Passiflora tetrandra)

Myrtales - Myrtaceae: Burgan (Kunzea ericoides); Lehuas (Metrosideros robusta and M. umbellata); Broom Teatree (Leptospermum scoparium)

Apiales - Apiaceae: Fierce Spaniard (Aciphylla colensoi)

- Araliaceae: Limestone Five-Finger (Psedopanax macintyrei), Fierce Lancewood (Pseudopanax ferox) and Pseudopanax arboreus

- Griseliniaceae: Griselinia littoralis

- Pennantiaceae: Pennantia corymbosa 

- Cheesewoods (Pittosporaceae): Cheesewood (Pittosporum eugenioides) 

Ericales - Epacridaceae: Dracophyllum elegantisimum, D. filifolium, D. traversii and D. urvilleanum; Leucopogon fasciculatus

- Colicwoods (Myrsinaceae): Myrsine salicina

Escalloniales - Escalloniaceae: Carpodetus serratus; Quintinia serrata

Gentianales - Rubiaceae: Creeping Mirrorplant (Coprosma repens) and Mirrorplants (Coprosma lucida, C. propinqua and C. robusta)

Boraginales - Boraginaceae: Flush Forget-me-not (Myosotis venosa), Limestone Forget-me-not (Myosotis brockiei) and Round-leaved Forget-me-not (Myosotis spathulata)

Lamiales - Mints (Lamiaceae): Shovel Mint (Scutellaria novae-zelandiae)

- Verbenaceae: Native Germander (Teucridium parvifolium)

- Scrophulariaceae: Hebe (Hebe spp.); Coastal Musk (Mimulus repens)

Solanales - Solanaceae: New Zealand Nightshade (Solanum aviculare)

Asterales - Asteraceae: Daisy Bush (Olearia lacunosa); Ragwort (Senecio hectori); Sowthistle (Sonchus kirkii); Swordleaf (Kirkianella glauca)

- Campanulaceae: Limestone Hairbell (Wahlenbergia matthewsii)

Piperales - Piperaceae: Macropiper excelsum

Monocotyledons:

Commelinales - Dayflowers (Commelinaceae):  

Pandanales - Pandanaceae: Freycinetia banksii

Arecales - Arecaceae: Rhopalostylis sapida

Dioscoreales - Ripogonaceae: Ripogonum scandens

Poales - Grasses (Poaceae): Chionochloa rubra; Gossamer Grass (Anemanthele lessoniana); Pikikiruna Poa (Poa xenica); Hairy Spinifex (Spinifex hirsutus); Silver Tussock (Poa cita)

- Cyperaceae: Desmoschoenus spiralis; Bog Tussock Hookgrass (Uncinia obtusifolia); Sawsedge (Gahnia xanthocarpa); Pikikiruna Sedge (Carex cremnicola) and Sedges (Carex litorosa and C. secta)

- Cattails (Typhaceae): Cattail (Typha orientalis)

Asparagales - orchids (Orchidaceae): Greenhood Orchid (Diplodium alveatum); Pink Orchid (Petalochilus variegatus); Hidden Spider Orchid (Molloybas cryptanthus); Large Sun Orchid (Thelymitra formosa)

- Asteliaceae: Cabbage Tree (Cordyline australis)

- Phormiaceae: Dianella nigra; New Zealand Flax (Phormium tenax); Phormium cookianum

Possible activities

Excellent conditions for waking - two main paths - first one, very famous, along the coast (Abel Tasman Coast Track), second one in park´s interior (Abel Tasman Inland Track)

Sea kayak, sailing, mountain bikes, swimming, camping.

Note

Beautiful sand beaches

Landscape of this national park is influenced more by human activities than other national parks of New Zealand.

Pictures - source wikipedia