Parking
Use the DOC car park at Tōtaranui and join the Coast Track by the camp office. Water taxis do not go north of Tōtaranui.
Overview
About Tōtaranui to Whariwharangi Bay
Why go
- Sandy beaches alternate with rocky, regenerating kānuka headlands.
- A restored homestead sits just behind the finish beach.
Heads up
- One-way logistics need planning; water taxis do not go north of Tōtaranui.
- Two saddle climbs, with some rough or muddy sections.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Abel Tasman map
Full mapElevation0–121 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 Tōtaranui to Whariwharangi Bay, 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 Tōtaranui to Whariwharangi Bay
A proper half-day coast walkTōtaranui to Whariwharangi Bay is a 9.8 km (6.
Tōtaranui to Whariwharangi Bay is a 9.8 km (6.1 mi) one-way section of the Abel Tasman Coast Track. DOC estimates 3 hours 15 minutes. From Tōtaranui, it rounds the estuary, climbs a low saddle and drops through forest to Anapai Bay. Sandy beaches and rocky headlands of regenerating kānuka alternate on the way to Mutton Cove; there the track leaves the shore, climbs a second saddle and descends to Whariwharangi Bay. Rock stacks at Anapai and a restored late-19th-century homestead just behind the final beach give this section a real finish.
The walk and the returnThis is a varied coastal walk, but it is not a flat beach stroll.
This is a varied coastal walk, but it is not a flat beach stroll. The track is well marked, though DOC notes that parts of the Coast Track are steep, rough and can be muddy. Plan the logistics before you set out: water taxis do not go north of Tōtaranui. For a day hike starting and ending there, the mapped return via Gibbs Hill is 5.7 km and about 2 hours from Whariwharangi. Combined with the coastal leg, that makes a roughly 15.5 km (9.6 mi), 5-hour-15-minute walk before stops.
At WhariwharangiThe hut and campsite are just behind the beach.
The hut and campsite are just behind the beach. The hut is a restored former farm homestead from the late 19th century. Day walks are free; if you plan to stay overnight, book the hut or campsite in advance. There are no cooking facilities at the hut, and its water may be contaminated, so filter, chemically treat or boil it before drinking. Filtered water is available at Tōtaranui. Dogs are not allowed on the Coast Track.
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.
