Tonga Quarry

Tonga Quarry is a historic granite quarry site and beachside rest stop on the Abel Tasman Coast Track, between Bark Bay and Onetahuti. It makes sense as a pause during the longer coastal walk: look for the old winch block, discarded granite blocks and wharf remains. This is a picnic stop, not an overnight campsite.

The Tonga Bay Granite Company was incorporated in 1904. Quarry stone was shipped by scow to Wellington for the old Parliament building and to Nelson for the steps at the Cathedral. Work had slowed by 1913, and the company was struck off the register in 1921. Those few pieces of machinery and cut stone are a small reminder that this quiet shore once supplied building projects well beyond the bay.

From the sand, you look across Tonga Roadstead toward Tonga Island. For a close photo, look for the winch block and cut granite; the open shoreline gives you a wider water-and-island view.

You can reach Tonga Quarry on foot or by a prebooked water taxi; it is a scheduled pickup, and the taxis operate year-round. The Bark Bay–Awaroa Coast Track section is 13.5 km and takes about 4½ hours. If you start from Bark Bay, cross the estuary within two hours either side of low tide or use the 10-minute all-tide track. There’s no food to buy along the Coast Track, so bring the meals and snacks you’ll need.