1 active Abel Tasman alert
- ClosureRoad resealing closures near Kaiteriteri, 29–30 OctoberExpect rolling closures on roads near Kaiteriteri from 6am to 8pm on Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October while crews reseal the roads.Official details
Overview
About Observation Beach
Why stop
- Golden sand and clear water facing Adele Island.
Heads up
- Remote and without road access or food service; bring supplies.
Map
Where it is
Loading the Abel Tasman map
Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Abel Tasman Tour Guide
Your drive to Observation Beach, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Abel Tasman National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
More stories near here in the app
- Mārahau and Te Waharoa
- Abel Tasman Centre
- A Fern's Hidden Generation
- 23 audio storiesacross Abel Tasman’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Kea, New Zealand Fur Seal, Little Penguin, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 43 trails, 65 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about Observation Beach
A beach break or an overnightObservation Beach is a small sandy cove on the Abel Tasman coast between Tinline and Anchorage.
Observation Beach is a small sandy cove on the Abel Tasman coast between Tinline and Anchorage. It looks across Astrolabe Roadstead toward Adele Island. Come for a sandy pause, a swim when conditions suit, or a night at the six-site tent campground. It is a remote coast stop, best as part of a walk or a trip by kayak or water taxi.
Reach it on foot or from the waterThe Coast Track passes the campsite, which is listed among the overnight stops on the…
The Coast Track passes the campsite, which is listed among the overnight stops on the Mārahau–Anchorage section. Kayaks and water taxis are another way along this coast. This is not a road-side beach; check the route map for the exact shore access.
Make the overnight workThe campground has six non-powered tent sites, and you need to book ahead.
The campground has six non-powered tent sites, and you need to book ahead. Dogs are not allowed, and the DOC Campsite Pass is not valid here. There is a pit toilet, but the water is untreated, so bring a way to treat it. Carry your meals and snacks too; there is nowhere to buy food along the track.
The view and a name from 1827Golden sand, clear water and the view across the roadstead are the draw.
Golden sand, clear water and the view across the roadstead are the draw. Adele Island and the other islands give the cove some shelter from ocean currents and a seaward backdrop. For a photo, keep a strip of sand in the foreground and Adele Island beyond the water; that shows the cove’s setting better than a tight crop of the sea.
French explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville named Observation Beach during the Astrolabe’s 1827 exploration of the area. An observatory was set up here, though what it observed is not specified. The same expedition named Astrolabe Roadstead for its ship and Adele Island for d’Urville’s wife. On a return from Apple Tree Bay, d’Urville had to scramble over rocks as the tide covered them—a reminder that the coast’s route changes with the water.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Abel Tasman
10 sightingsKeaMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
54 sightingsNew Zealand Fur SealMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
20 sightingsLittle PenguinMost seen around 9 PMSighting map
21 sightingsSouth Island KākāMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
527 sightingsWekaMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
16 sightingsTūīMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Abel Tasman. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
