Parking
Tōtaranui is the road access; follow the Coast Track north to the turnoff below Anapai Hill. The final 12 km of road is narrow, winding and unsealed.
Overview
About Pukatea Walk
Why go
- A compact wetland-to-forest sequence with a curved swamp boardwalk.
Heads up
- The Coast Track approach from Tōtaranui adds distance beyond the listed 0.8 km return.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Abel Tasman map
Full mapElevation13–28 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Abel Tasman Tour Guide
Your drive to Pukatea Walk, 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.
Recorded for this trailhead
Tōtaranui Beach and Campground0:00 / 0:33
“You're coming up on Tōtaranui Beach and Campground, where the long golden beach is just across the road from the main camp.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Abel Tasman Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Tide Sets the Walking Day
- The Coughs in the Birdsong
- A Fur Seal's Night Shift
- Pigeon Saddle and Awapoto Hut
- 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Pukatea Walk
A short botanical detourPukatea Walk is a 0.
Pukatea Walk is a 0.8 km out-and-back spur from the Abel Tasman Coast Track below Anapai Hill, north of Tōtaranui. Allow about 30 minutes return; the track is graded easy to intermediate. That figure covers the Pukatea Walk itself, while the Coast Track approach from Tōtaranui is extra. Turn around at the far end and return the same way. Dogs are not allowed.
From swamp to forestThe walk begins among kānuka and gorse scrub left by abandoned farmland.
The walk begins among kānuka and gorse scrub left by abandoned farmland. A curving boardwalk crosses raupō swamp, then the path passes through dry beech ridge forest and into pukatea forest with tall nīkau palms, occasional rātā and black mamaku tree ferns. The payoff is the quick change in plant communities, not a summit or coastal viewpoint.
A forest coming backAt the far end, younger pukatea, rimu and kahikatea grow densely beneath taller kānuka.
At the far end, younger pukatea, rimu and kahikatea grow densely beneath taller kānuka. This regeneration is a slow recovery from damage in the last century. Wasps are more common from December through April; if you are allergic to stings, carry antihistamine.
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
526 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.
