Tōtaranui Beach

• Abel Tasman National Park
• Beaches & Bays

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The beach and campground at Tōtaranui is a place of tradition, and holds a wealth of childhood memories for the generations of families who return here year after year. The crescent shaped bay of powdery golden sand has a picturesque tidal inlet and is located at the Northern end of the Abel Tasman National Park.

Loosely translated as “many totara trees”, Tōtaranui is framed by regenerating manuka and kanuka, southern beech, podocarp and totara.

Tōtaranui is the northernmost pick-up/drop-off point for many water taxi and boat operators, and as the only part of the Abel Tasman Coast Track accessible by road, it is the ideal place to start or finish walking or kayaking adventures. It is a 14km drive along a windy gravel road to reach the beach from Wainui in Golden Bay.

Those who chose to stay at the 850pax campsite can enjoy the many walking tracks on offer in the area, including a short hike to Anapai Bay and Mutton Cove, or a longer journey to the haunted Whariwharangi Hut along the Gibbs Hill route. To the south of the beach is Goat Bay or Awaroa, other popular destinations along the Abel Tasman Coast Track.

The section of the Abel Tasman Coast Track leading over to Tōtaranui from the south is a steep, steady haul, but well worth it for the views on the other side. Peeking out from the lush native trees is a 1km stretch of glorious golden sand, more intense than the other beaches along the coast due to the high mineral content of the granite that has eroded here over the years.

Photo credits: (1-2) Abel Tasman Sea Shuttle.