Stilwell Bay

Stilwell Bay is a sandy beach on the southern Abel Tasman Coast Track, looking across Astrolabe Roadstead to the wooded shape of Adele Island. It makes a natural pause for lunch, a picnic or a swim while walking this part of the coast. Keep it in mind as a beach stop on the track, not a drive-up detour. Walkers, kayakers and local boats all use this stretch of water in summer.

The islands give this beach its setting: the dark, forested outline of Adele Island rises across the clear water, with closer headlands framing the shore. For a photo, keep a strip of sand in the foreground and Adele Island beyond it; that shows both the beach and its island-backed position instead of turning the picture into blue water alone.

Welby Stilwell had camped on this coast after his 1903 marriage. He bought two acres here in 1926, built a cottage and later another bach, or holiday cottage, after the land became freehold. He also took visitors along the coast in his launch, Terepa. The bay and Astrolabe Roadstead have different names: in 1827, French explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville named the wider stretch of water for his ship, Astrolabe.