Everyone has heard of the Abel Tasman great walks in Nelson/Tasman Region, Te Tauihu. It’s one of the best walks we have done, and we highly recommend doing it, however these other long walks in the region can’t be missed either!

With plenty of stunning coastline, you can’t stop at just the Abel Tasman. There are impressive mountains to climb, feet’s of engineering to witness and even a cave to check out on these longer walks in Te Tauihu.

Whilst the Abel Tasman is impressive and tops this list of the best 6 walks in the region, the Maitai Caves is a very close second and might have beaten it out for top spot in Nathan’s opinion.

Check them both out below and see for yourself!

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Abel Tasman Day Hike

Abel Tasman DSay Hike - Walks in Nelson/Tasman Region

The obvious choice for any day hike within the Tasman region. If you walk the entire trail, it will take roughly 5 days. However, you can break the trail up into day walk sections by catching one of the many water taxis out to your chosen starting point and walking back to the start of the track.

The Abel Tasman trail is the most well maintained track we have been on, and it’s a phenomenal walk with stunning views, pristine beaches and icy fresh water swimming spots. A great way to spend the day and see a lot of the stunning coastline here.

We have more in depth info on the day hike from Bark Bay to Mārahau here. 

Wharariki Beach

Wharariki Beach - Walks in Nelson/Tasman Region

Another incredible beach that you really want to visit at low tide to get the most out of the walk. If you end up getting here at high tide you will have to retrace your steps as part of this extended walk along Wharariki beach relies on you being able to walk the length of the beach. 

This is a loop walk that takes in some farmland and marsh area before getting to the beach. From the car park, follow the signs for Green Hills track. Once you pass the lake, keep an eye out for the turn-off to the right labelled for Wharariki beach.

You can shorten the walk by heading straight to the beach from here, or continue on through the farm and bush to reach the Clifton viewing point before retracing your steps to the beach turn-off.

At the beach turn-off, follow the markers along the fence line before cutting across the paddock to a lush bush area leading you to the beach. As long as it’s low tide, you’ll be able to walk the length of the beach and get back to the starting point by walking up the sand dunes and following the track back through paddocked farmland to the car park. Be sure to explore the different rock formations and keep an eye out for seals along the beach! 

This can be made into a shorter walk by just walking to the beach and back from the car park, only follow the signs for the beach instead of those for Green Hills Stream if you don’t want to complete the full 11km. For more short walk options, check out our favourite short walks in the Tasman region here.

Pupu Hydro Walkway

Pupu Hydro Walkway - Walks in Nelson/Tasman Region

An easy 5.5km walk taking in the lush bush of the region as well as the historic engineering of the hydroelectric powerhouse that the walk is named for.

The powerhouse has been fully restored and works to provide sustainable water powered electricity for the surrounding houses of the region. Be sure to turn right at the first junction to start with the steeper but shorter climb. If you reach the powerhouse, you’ve turned the wrong way!

You’ll start with a bit of a climb through the forest before meeting the board walk section that walks alongside the water race, which was originally built for gold mining before being used as a power source. The water is incredibly clear and super cool to walk alongside for most of the hike. The lush bush here is definitely the highlight of the hike and well worth coming out to see if the water race doesn’t entice you. It’s a gentle climb back down to the start of the hike. 

Grampians Walkway

Grampians Walkway - Walks in Nelson/Tasman Region

For the best views out over Nelson, you can’t go past the Grampians walkway. There are heaps of different trails here, so you can really choose your own adventure walking through the hills and forest behind the city of Nelson.

We chose to follow the Grampians walkway starting at Collingwood street, to the top lookout then went to the toilets along the Mamaku track which has the best lookout in our opinion. From the Mamaku track, we descended through the bush to the Tawa Track, which joins onto the start of the Grampians walkway back at Collingwood street.

Take a picture of the trail map at the start of the walk, or download one so you can switch trails as you go and not get lost along the way with all the different choices you can make!   

Mt Robert Circuit

Mt Robert Circuit - Walks in Nelson/Tasman Region

A tough climb to the top, but it’s worth the effort for the expansive views out over the region.

If you are in a motor home and don’t have a car then you will unfortunately have to walk from the camp ground and not the car park, turning your 9.6km hike into a 16km hike! Nathan was less than impressed when we drove up to that particular sign in Vandalf and had to turn back to the camp ground.

This loop track is best walked in a clockwise direction, saving the pinch gut track for your descent to make for a gentler incline on the way up. Be sure to stop at the two huts along the trail for snack and a seat to take in the views. For more in depth details and cool pics from this hike, check out our blog post here.

Maitai Cave Track

Maitai Cave Track - Walks in Nelson/Tasman Region

A hidden gem of a hike! We got put onto this track by some of the hiking people at Tiff’s locum job in Nelson. We aren’t sure we would have found it without the nudge to look at hikes around the Maitai dam, just 20 mins out of Nelson.

This walk has it all, a proper bush hike, stunning waterfalls, and an awesome cave. It does get somewhat technical as you veer away from the dam and the main river track, but that makes it all the more fun! We took the entire day to complete the 10.4km track because we stopped about every 100m to take photos of all the different and incredibly cool small mushrooms growing along the track.

Pack some lunch and take your time getting out to the cave. There is a great spot just outside the cave to sit with your food and take in the view of the forest below. You can’t walk too far into the cave, but it’s just cool to get in there and have a look with your torch before heading back along the same trail to complete your day. 

Leave Places Better Than You Left Them and Be Respectful

Whenever you are out in nature, it’s important to put into practice the principle of ‘leave no trace’.  Leave no trace can really be applied to all of your life adventure. When hiking or walking, this means packing out all your waste and rubbish, as well as not taking anything from the trail.

Rocks, flowers, leaves, branches, everything natural needs to be left as it is. The only thing you should be picking up on any hike is the rubbish you see left carelessly by others along the track. It’s also recommended you take memories and photos too!

Another important aspect of ‘leave no trace’ is keeping to the path provided so you don’t harm the natural environment you are there to enjoy, essentially, leave no footprints anywhere but on the marked trail.

To truly be respectful during your travels, it’s vital to know whose land you are on. In Aotearoa, the land is Māori land and different Iwi (Tribe) will be the tangata whenua (people of the land). You can find out the local Iwi with a quick Google and ensure you are not disrespectful of their customs and lore by reading how to care for their Tāpu (sacred) sites you may be visiting.

The manawhenua of Te Tauihu (Nelson/Tasman region) are Ngā Iwi o Te Tauihu which consists of eight Iwi. These Iwi are Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Tama ki Te Waipounamu, Ngāti Kuia, Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō and Rangitāne o Wairau.

Knowing and respecting who’s land you are on is a really important step in caring for that land. In Aotearoa, all visitors are encouraged to take up the Tiaki challenge to care for People, Place and Culture whilst you visit this beautiful country. For more info on ‘leave no trace’ and respecting the land you are on, check out our blog post on how to be an eco-conscious hiker.

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