To many the Abel Tasman is all about walking or kayaking the famous
track. Both of these are great options but we wanted to ferret
out the lesser known alternatives and explore the Abel Tasman from
a different angle. Abel Tasman sailing are based in Marahau but
operate most of their activities from their Kaiteriteri Beach base.
The company is owned by a third generation Abel Tasman family Jason
and Brenda Brownlie. They offer catamaran trips (see pics for boat!!)
along the coast of the Abel Tasman including a great lunch and
sightseeing stops along the way.
The day started at 10am down on Kaiteriteri
beach. The BBNZ luck was in force and it so consequently it was
a beautiful hot sunny
day. Jason the owner was there to meet us and explain details about
the forthcoming trip. We then jumped straight on the boat and headed
out into the water getting the most time on the water for our dollar!
There were eight of us on this trip and the boat fitted us onboard
no problem. The great advantage of doing these trips on a catamaran
was that we could sit in a circle and chat rather than being dotted
around the hull of a boat!! Once in the open water Ed leapt at
the chance to do some sailing – throughout the day we used
a combination of sailing and engine power and everyone was allowed
to have a go at being captain! Having experienced the Abel Tasman
by both kayak and foot this was definitely the most relaxing way
of seeing this amazing coastline with no sore muscles at the end
of the day! It was also nice to see the beaches and hills from
the sea and put the walking into perspective.
Part way though the morning some of our
group went ashore and walked back to base - another option offered
which allows you to
experience the track if short of time. We ventured on further and
took in the many beautiful bays waving at the kayakers as we sped
past! For lunch we moored in a beautiful bay and came ashore for
a wander. We took a short walk up to a viewpoint which gave some
amazing views of the surrounding area (see photos) When we arrived
back down lunch was served. Now I have to say that from all my
experiences of reviewing this was one of the best lunches I have
been served – gone are the days of the cheese sandwich and
crisps! This was a really unexpected bonus and gave extra value
to the trip. It’s also worth noting that hot and cold drinks
and biscuits were offered throughout the whole trip - once again
a nice touch.
In the afternoon we visited one of the
lagoons created at the mouth of the rivers flowing into the sea.
As it was high tide we
were able to sail part way up a river mouth and see right into
the forest spotting wildlife you wouldn’t catch out at sea.
Once back out at sea we visited the seal colony giving us a glimpse
of some of the sea life around the National Park and ticked off
another of the must sees in the Abel Tasman. A late afternoon breeze
gave us some casual sailing back to base but in the end the combination
of my sailing skills and no puff meant the engine had to come into
play!! We arrive back at base at 4.00pm giving a good day of sailing
and chance to catch a quick beer in the last sunshine of the day…
Conclusion
If you are an active person and get agitated by chilling out
then the kayaking is for you. However if you like relaxing,
catching
rays whilst seeing some of the best coastline in New Zealand
then this trip is for you. If you have more time we would
also recommend walking some of the track – if you are
short of time then you could consider one of the walking /sailing
packages offered.
To many the Abel Tasman is all about walking or kayaking the famous
track. Both of these are great options but we wanted to ferret
out the lesser known alternatives and explore the Abel Tasman from
a different angle. Abel Tasman sailing are based in Marahau but
operate most of their activities from their Kaiteriteri Beach base.
The company is owned by a third generation Abel Tasman family Jason
and Brenda Brownlie. They offer catamaran trips (see pics for boat!!)
along the coast of the Abel Tasman including a great lunch and
sightseeing stops along the way. 
Part way though the morning some of our
group went ashore and walked back to base - another option offered
which allows you to
experience the track if short of time. We ventured on further and
took in the many beautiful bays waving at the kayakers as we sped
past! For lunch we moored in a beautiful bay and came ashore for
a wander. We took a short walk up to a viewpoint which gave some
amazing views of the surrounding area (see photos) When we arrived
back down lunch was served. Now I have to say that from all my
experiences of reviewing this was one of the best lunches I have
been served – gone are the days of the cheese sandwich and
crisps! This was a really unexpected bonus and gave extra value
to the trip. It’s also worth noting that hot and cold drinks
and biscuits were offered throughout the whole trip - once again
a nice touch. 
In the afternoon we visited one of the
lagoons created at the mouth of the rivers flowing into the sea.
As it was high tide we
were able to sail part way up a river mouth and see right into
the forest spotting wildlife you wouldn’t catch out at sea.
Once back out at sea we visited the seal colony giving us a glimpse
of some of the sea life around the National Park and ticked off
another of the must sees in the Abel Tasman. A late afternoon breeze
gave us some casual sailing back to base but in the end the combination
of my sailing skills and no puff meant the engine had to come into
play!! We arrive back at base at 4.00pm giving a good day of sailing
and chance to catch a quick beer in the last sunshine of the day…
