Abel Tasman National Park is located at the top of the South Island. It is the smallest of all national parks in New Zealand, with an area of 22,500 hectares (87 square miles). The land was extensively modified by fire, forest clearing and introduced plants, before being abandoned and reverting to wilderness. The creation of the national park in 1942 followed threats of further exploitation of the remaining native forests. Abel Tasman National Park is a rough and mountainous area, best known for its coastline of crescent-shaped bays, golden sand beaches, clear waters, little islands and granite headlands sculpted by erosion. Both sea-kayaking and tramping (the Coastal Track is one of New Zealand's Great Walks) are especially well suited to discovering and enjoying this coast.

Geological setting
 The Pikikituna Range is the central mountainous axis of the park, reaching altitudes of 1156 m (3792') at Mt Evans, and 1101 m (3612') at Pisgah Hill. The granites (grano-diorites, quartz diorites and similar) that form most of the coastal cliffs and outcrops extend inland over the greatest part of the park. However the western part is made of older (Ordovician) marbles, limestones, argillites and other rocks, similar to those of Mt Arthur and Mt Owen in Kahurangi National Park further west.
See also Kahurangi National Park

The karst of Takaka Hill and Canaan Downs
These marbles have been intensely subjected to the dissolution work of water, to produce a type of landform called karst. In Takaka Hill and Canaan Downs the many karstic features include caves, sink-holes (dolines), disappearing streams, and karren (surface dissolution features). This karst includes some of the deepest caves in New Zealand (Green Link, approximately 360 m/1180') deep, the deepest cave shaft in New Zealand (Harwoods Hole: 176 m/577' vertical drop), and New Zealand's largest spring: Waikoropupu Springs, with a discharge averaging 15 m3/second (35 cu. feet).

Climatic conditions
With over 2200 hours of sunshine annually the coast of Abel Tasman National Park is among the sunniest places in New Zealand. On the coast rainfall, with 1800 mm (71 in.) annually, is fairly moderate, and is distributed evenly throughout the year. Temperatures are mild and vary seasonally within a narrow range, from average daily minimum and maximum of 13.5 C and 24.5 C in January, to corresponding 4.0 C and 12.5 C in July. Frosts occur on average 25 days in the year, with minima usually within the -1 C to -2 C range. Thus the park enjoys plenty of mild and sunny weather, but strong easterlies and westerlies make the coast very windy through much of the year.
On higher ground clouds and rain are more frequent, rainfall totalling over 2500 mm (98 in.) annually. Snow may lie on the ground for short periods.

Vegetation
  The original vegetation of the park was extensively cut down and burnt, but it is regenerating well, with both exotic and native species. Over three quarters of the park's area is forested. The uplands are dominated by beech. An interesting feature of this small park is that all four species of beech are present, as well as the black beech sub-species of mountain beech. Hard beech dominates close to the coast, while mountain and silver beech are more common higher up. Silver beech is dominant on the poorer soils. Podocarp-broadleaf forests grew in most valleys below 325 m (1066'), but they were felled for timber. There are extensive areas of scrubland where the original vegetation was burnt, as well as exotic pines which cover large areas. There are also two remarkable naturally non forested areas in the park. Between Maharau and Torrent Bay only manuka and kanuka grow on very poor soils developed over the granite base rock. And Moa Park, near the source of Table Creek on Mt Evans, is a boggy area where peat has accumulated over impermeable granite. The vegetation is made of red tussock, sphagnum and bog pine.

Wildlife
Abel Tasman National Park is home to a wide diversity of birds, thanks to a range of marine, coastal and forest habitats. Some of New Zealand's rarest and most endangered birds have disappeared altogether, in particular kiwi, kokako, kakapo and saddleback. Others, like kakas, parakeets, New Zealand falcons, and keas in the uplands, are rare. Little blue penguins, which used to be common in all the bays, have been decimated by stoats and now live mainly on the offshore islands. By contrast the population of wekas has increased again.

The large landsnail Paryphanta is common in the park. The cave systems are home to several species of cave wetas and many other insects, such as beetles, spiders, millipedes, and glow worms.

Among its marine life, the coast of Abel Tasman National Park has internationally recognised bryozoan 'coral' beds.

Activities

Short and day walks
  Starting from each of the three roadends at Marahau, Totaranui and Canaan Downs, a number of short and day walks give access to a good range of the natural features and points of interest of Abel Tasman National Park.
   The park is famous for its coastline, and several walks lead to some of its very attractive golden sand beaches, bays, clear waters and sculpted rocky headlands. There is a profusion of wildlife, with many birds and, in places, colonies of fur seals basking in the sun on the rocks.
  These walks also cross a variety of forest and vegetation types. The native forests are now mainly beech, but some coastal places are rich in tree ferns and nikau palms, creating a distinctive tropical character. There are also a few remnants of the original podocarp forests, with trees such as rimu, kahikatea, and pukatea, which were extensively milled.
  In the western part of the park the Canaan Road leads to the karst and caves of the marble area. The major attraction there is Harwoods Hole, the greatest cave shaft in the southern hemisphere with a vertical drop of 176 m (577').

Tramping
  The park offers two major tramping tracks: the Coast Track, and the Inland Track. The Coast Track is classified as a walking track, and is one of New Zealand's Great Walks. Its 51 km (32 miles) are usually walked in 3-5 days.
   The Inland track is a tramping track that leads over the highest part of the park, through both regenerating and undisturbed forest. It is also walked in 3-5 days.

Sea kayaking
With its dissected coastline of rounded bays, estuaries, rocky headlands and small islands, Abel Tasman is one of the most popular places for sea-kayaking in New Zealand.