Sight · Abel Tasman National Park
A sheltered inlet with a narrow, tide-sensitive entrance.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Abel Tasman Tour Guide
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.
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“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
Shag Harbour is a small, shallow inlet on Abel Tasman’s coast, between Tonga Island and Awaroa Bay. A narrow rocky mouth opens into sheltered green water under forested banks. You reach it by kayak or water taxi; it’s a worthwhile stop to plan into a coastal trip if you like tucked-away inlets.
The mouth is narrow and rocky, and the water inside is shallow. Access depends on tide and sea conditions, so kayak trips plan their timing around both. The surrounding marine reserve has unmarked reefs and tidal changes of up to five metres; check your route and the conditions before setting out.
An early-1900s photograph records Shag Harbour as a scenic view between Tonga Island and Awaroa Bay. The inlet’s narrow rocky entrance and forested interior still make it a distinctive place to see from the water.
From a kayak or boat, line up the pale rocky shore with the wooded head beyond it. That gives the shallow green water some depth in a photo; calm conditions can add reflections from the forested banks.
Wildlife
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.
Keep exploring
ModerateOnetahuti Bay to Awaroa Hut7.1 km · 2.5 hr · 1.5 km awayA wetland boardwalk leads to a ridge above Onetahuti Bay.
ModerateSky Track1.9 km · 1 hr · 2 km awayA short hill climb to a broad Awaroa Bay view.
ModerateTonga Arches Walk12.6 km · 5.5 hr · 2.1 km awayA remote Coast Track outing toward low-tide granite arches
ModerateBark Bay to Onetahuti6.1 km · 2 hr · 5.1 km awayA quarry relic, forested ridges, and a long crescent beachModerateBark Bay to Awaroa13.5 km · 4.5 hr · 5.1 km awayA coastal one-way Great Walk through quarry, beach and forest.
EasyBark Bay Waterfall Trail4 km · 1 hr · 5.5 km awayA short forest walk to a waterfall and a suspension bridge.
ChallengingGibbs Hill Track from Tōtaranui9 km · 3.8 hr · 7.4 km awaySteep climb from Tōtaranui to a clear-day bay panorama.
ModerateTōtaranui to Separation Point14.4 km · 4.5 hr · 7.4 km awayGolden beaches, nikau gullies, and a headland between two bays.Beach · 1.9 km awayOnetahuti BayA long beach with Tonga Island just offshore.
Lodging · 2 km awayAwaroa LodgeA proper meal at a remote lodge reached by boat or trail.
Sight · 2.1 km awayTonga IslandLook for fur seals beside a protected offshore island.
Beach · 2.8 km awayAwaroa BeachGolden sandbanks, a tide-shaped inlet, and a beach saved for everyone.
Sight · 2.8 km awayTonga QuarryA beach break with a granite story that reached Wellington.
Sight · 3.1 km awayTonga ArchesPaddle through the granite arch when tide and sea allow.
Lodging · 3.3 km awayMeadowbank Homestead at AwaroaA replica homestead lodge for multi-day Abel Tasman trips.
Campground · 3.8 km awayAwaroa CampsiteAn 18-site estuary camp that catches good winter sun.Parkwolf’s Abel Tasman ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
