The Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand
Popular National Park Beats Pollution Problem
Sep 7, 2009
Located about 65 kilometres north of Nelson at the top of the South Island, New Zealand, the Abel Tasman National Park has, arguably, New Zealand’s most beautiful coastline.
With picturesque islands, clear blue sea and golden sand, this coastal park could be likened to a giant panoramic stage show. Behind this beautiful natural backdrop, a massive input of maintenance work is constantly underway by Department of Conservation Rangers who keep the track, beaches and huts in an absolutely immaculate state.
The popularity of the Abel Tasman Park stretches the Rangers resources to the limit with around 45,000 walkers spending a night either camping of staying in a huts each summer. This does not include the more than 120,000 day visitors or the hundreds of yachts, kayaks and other pleasure craft that visit each year.
Abel Tasman Problems Beaten Before They Started
A couple of years ago the Abel Tasman National Park was in danger of having its reputation as a beautiful natural place sullied by overloaded sewerage systems. Recognising that clean toilets were essential to stop people fouling the bush and wrecking this pristine environment, The Department of Conservation spent heavily to install new state of the art sewerage systems where locations permitted. DOC, as the Department is colloquially known, upped the cleaning regime and started using helicopters and a barge to remove solid wastes. Each year the toilets have 69,000 litres of solids removed by barge and another 5000 litres of solids removed by helicopter. Toilets at one camp site alone recorded over 86,000 visits per year and with visitors to the Park increasing each year, it is hoped the improvements will suffice to 2011 when the whole system will be reviewed.
Forty Five Million Reasons to Keep the Toilets Clean
The Abel Tasman National Park is worth around $45,000,000 dollars annually to the Nelson region in direct and indirect income according to surveys of visitor expenditure. However this figure does not include concessionaire activities such as water taxi and kayak hire. With this sort of economic benefit and about 370 jobs depending directly on the continued popularity of the Abel Tasman’s 51 kilometre long Great Walk, it is well worth keeping the toilets clean.
New Zealand's Smallest National Park's Beautiful Coast
The Abel Tasman National Park is New Zealand’s smallest national park at just 22,530 hectares (Approximately 55,673 acres) and apart from an easy but extraordinarily picturesque coastal walking track there is a large but relatively low mountain area for hiking and mountain bike riding through bush tracks. Along the coast there are numerous little beaches separated by rugged headlands with bush and trees growing on rocky outcrops, pretty little inlets, estuaries, islands and bays with golden sand and just inland, small mystical rivers surrounded by thick bush that cascade over large slippery moss covered boulders. The Abel Tasman coast is a place of extraordinary beauty and the best part is that it is accessible by everybody of modest fitness by an easy walking track or water taxi.
Abel Tasman National Park Never Overcrowded
To but some brakes on the numbers of visitors to ensure that everyone can have an easy fun adventure in a pristine environment, the Department of Conservation has a booking system so that no camp sites or beaches are ever overcrowded and there will always be a bed in a hut for booked visitors. Day trips are unrestricted, just pack a lunch and go.
No holiday in New Zealand can be complete without spending at least one day in the Abel Tasman National Park by taking either a day trip by boat or making a short day walk into Apple Tree Bay or beyond. For those who prefer more of an adventure then a back packing hike of several easy days will be the high point of their Kiwi holiday. If you are not into camping or bunking down in huts then there is a very civilised guided walk available with accommodation in luxury lodges.
The First Europeans Missed opportunity
The first European visitor to Abel Tasman National Park was Abel Tasman himself. In 1642 this Dutch Explorer anchored here, took on water but foolishly never claimed the territory for Holland. Since then the Tasman region has been enjoyed by a diverse population of New Zealanders, European immigrants, and thousands of tourists.
 |
 |
 |
