There’s more to Tasman Bay/ Te Tai-o-Aorere than meets the eye—if you’re not in a hurry to get into Abel Tasman National Park. Tākaka Hill, inland from Tasman Bay, is not merely an obstacle to be overcome en route to Golden Bay. Slow travel provided us with the opportunity to see things we’d only driven past on previous trips to one of our favourite parts of New Zealand.
Coordinates
✳️ What defines Tasman Bay/ Te Ta-o-Aorere?
The V-shaped of Tasman Bay/ Te Ta-o-Aorere encompasses 120 kilometres of coastline, 70 kilometres across at its widest point. In the west it is bounded by Separation Point/ Te Matau (from neighbouring Golden Bay) and in the east by Cape Soucis (from the western Marlborough Sounds).
Boulder Bank
Boulder Bank is a 13km long natural spit separating Nelson Haven from Tasman Bay/ Te Tai-o-Aorere. Here the 140–145 million year-old granodiorite (intrusive igneous rock) pebbles, cobbles and boulders making up the bank derive from land slips at adjacent Mackay Bluff, during last 10,000 years. Abrasion has rounded off these hard rocks as sea currents swept them southwest to form the bank. The Cut near Nelson’s port end is artificial.
Waimea Inlet and Māpua
Māpua is a popular summer spot in the Waimea Inlet (not so lively in winter!), with a small cluster of boutique shops and eateries near the ferry/ fishing wharf (first photo) that juts out into the river mouth (second photo).
Waimea Inlet is the largest estuary in South Island, containing several islands—among them, Rabbit Island/ Moturoa. This is a recreation reserve and part of the Great Taste Trail. The island’s Main Beach has view towards Nelson (first photo) and in the other direction towards to Separation Point (second photo). If not taking the Māpau ferry to access it, there is a road onto Rabbit Island across the estuary via Rough Island (final photo). We’d previously stayed overnight on Best Island—another within the Waimea Inlet.
Moutere Inlet and Motueka
Tasman Bay/ Te Tai-o-Aorere formed when the sea level rose about 6,500 years ago. Here the bay is nicely lit despite the cloud, seen from Kina Beach (first photo). Kina Cliffs (second photo) expose Moutere Gravels, dated at between 1.5–5 million years old (final photo).
The public saltwater baths at Motueka were built in the 1930s, responding to fear of sharks in the estuary (first photo). The shallow Moutere Inlet has intertidal habitats that feed fish and birds; although mid-winter, Mt Arthur/ Tu Ao Wharepapa carried little snow (second photo). Shipwrecked Janie Seddon was a minelayer that served in both world wars (third photo). We enjoyed the evening light from our freedom camp on Motueka Quay, which is sheltered by a spit (final photo).
Takaka Hill
Te Puna Wai o Riuwaka Resurgence in Kahurangi National Park is where the Riuwaka River North Branch emerges from a cave at the base of Tākaka Hill (first photo). It’s only a 300m walk from the car park. The valley was in shade for our visit, with frost still on the ground late morning. Trees overhanging the river were covered in moss (second and third photo) and the air was damp. Clear pools looked inviting (final photo), but the water was far too cold for us!
Hawkes Lookout on the marble-made Tākaka Hill overlooks the Riuwaka River/ Resurgence car park (first photo). The Hill summit (950m) is reached via Tākaka Hill Walkway; its 3km/ 1h return by the same track. The reward is views of Tasman Bay, from Abel Tasman National Park to D’Urville Island in the Sounds (second photo); Golden Bay, from the Tākaka River Valley out to Farewell Spit (third photo); and inland to the snow-topped mountains within Kahurangi National Park (final photo).
We had a fabulous guided tour of Ngarua Cave; this is on private land near the Tākaka Hill lookout over Tasman Bay (weekday winter visits are by prior arrangement).
Ngarua Cave highlights included the cauliflower-like “cave coral” (first photo), which forms due to humidity; bones of moa (second photo) and kiwi (third photo)—killed after falling down tomo (the Māori word for doline or sinkhole); formations of “straws” (fourth photo), stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, chandeliers and flowstone (final photo). The cave is around 100 million years old and remains at a constant 11 Celsius. Because it is relatively dry it doesn’t contain glow worms (which like moist caves).
The marble, limestone and karst landscape around Canaan Downs/ Pikikirunga is some of NZ’s oldest rock. Harwoods Hole Track ends 2.6km/ 45 minutes from the DOC camp (first photo), down an 11km narrow gravel road. We took our van in after local intel confirmed the road was in good condition and would—despite the warning signs—take a large camper. The path to the Hole winds through beech forest and past several ponds (second photo)—plus the odd titan molar tooth (third photo)! At 176m, the Hole is the deepest vertical shaft in NZ (final photo). You can’t see the bottom from the top edge, which can’t be safely reached by amateurs. Experts can exit via Starlight Cave, which is 1.3km to the west at 357m depth.
Gorge Creek Viewpoint is reached via a 350m fork off from Harwoods Hole Track. Weathered limestone looked gorgeous in frost (first and second photos), but didn’t make for easy footing (third photo). For us the edge was somewhere in between Malham Cove’s limestone pavements with crevices (in the UK) and Madagascar’s Tsingy, with its razor-edge peaks. The walk’s “small” find was an unusual pattern in the rock (final photo); we’ve yet to establish what had caused it.
But bravery on the edge had its rewards:
The rock types on Tākaka Hill
Limestone, marble and karst landscapes are distinct geological features, each with unique characteristics. Limestone is a sedimentary rock, primarily composed of calcium carbonate. It often forms from the accumulation of marine fossils and sediment on the ocean floor. Marble is a metamorphic rock that originates from limestone that has undergone intense heat and pressure within Earth’s crust. Marble landscapes are known for their smooth and polished appearance, often featuring intricate patterns and colours. Karst landscapes refer to regions dominated by the dissolution of soluble rocks like limestone or marble. These landscapes are characterised by rugged topography, sinkholes, caves, and underground rivers (resulting from dissolution of rock over time by acidic water).
🤔 Curiosity
The jewel in the crown of Tasman Bay is, however, Abel Tasman National Park. Specifically, the Abel Tasman Coastal Track within it, which is one of NZ’s Great Walks. We’ll tell you about that next time.
Join us on future away missions
Add our 📡 feed or enter your 📧 email for post notifications:
Curiosity Drive 