Bark Bay to Awaroa

Bark Bay to Awaroa is a 13.5 km (8.4 mi) one-way section of the Abel Tasman Coast Track. Allow about 4½ hours for the DOC route from Bark Bay Hut to Awaroa Hut. It is a point-to-point coastal walk, not a loop, so arrange a boat or extra Coast Track walking for both ends.

At Bark Bay, the direct estuary crossing is suitable only within two hours either side of low tide. Otherwise take the roughly ten-minute all-tide track around its edge. From there, the track climbs steeply through mānuka to a saddle before returning to the coast at Tonga Quarry.

Tonga Quarry is a remnant of local granite working from the early 1900s. The track passes beside Tonga Island Marine Reserve, then reaches Onetahuti’s long beach. A boardwalk and bridge cross the tidal stream there at any tide. Onetahuti is the best place to look back along the sand toward Tonga Island; the open beach is a welcome change from the forest climbs.

Climb over forested Tonga Saddle and stay on the main track at the junction. It follows Venture Creek to a hilltop lookout over Awaroa Bay, then descends to Awaroa campsite and hut. A separate non-DOC track turns toward Awaroa Beach for water-taxi access; that is a different endpoint from this route. The beach is also a 40-minute one-way side trip from the hut and became public conservation land after a community purchase in 2016.

Day walking is free, but huts and campsites need advance booking and payment. Water at the huts and campsites is untreated, so bring a way to treat it. Toilets are available at huts, campsites and Tonga Quarry. Dogs are not allowed. Sandflies and wasps occur along the track; insect repellent is useful.