Gibbs Hill to Whariwharangi Bay Loop Track
WalkTasman
- Grade
- Advanced
- Walking time
- 5 hr 30 min
- Distance
- 18.3 km
- Dogs
- No dogs
Getting there
We have not checked a road end or car park for this place yet, so we do not give driving directions to it. Check how to get there before you go. Some routes cross private land and need the landowner's permission.
How to get there, on doc.govt.nzNelson to Tōtaranui is about two and a half hours. Take SH6 south out of Nelson and turn onto SH60 (the Coastal Highway) once past Richmond. Follow SH60 over the Takaka Hill to Takaka.
From Takaka follow signs to Pohara and Tata Beach, which will lead you past the Abel Tasman Memorial and onto Tōtaranui. The last 12 km is a narrow, winding, unsealed road.
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai.
Map
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Topo map: LINZ, CC BY 4.0. 40.79711° S, 172.99740° E
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About this place
Starting and finishing at Tōtaranui, this loop track will take you over Gibbs Hill and around the coast from Whariwharangi.
The route
From the Tōtaranui camp office, follow the avenue road and then Abel Tasman Coast Track past the Ngarata Homestead north towards Anapai. At 1.4 km, just past the concrete bridge, turn left at the start of the Gibbs Hill track. The track crosses a ford before a 3 km long uphill section begins which has steep sections. At the ridge and next intersection, turn right to Gibbs Hill. Allow about 1 hour 30 minutes for the climb to the hill top. Follow the track down the hill until you get to a track junction. Stick to the right to head down to Whariwharangi Bay. It takes about an hour to get to Whariwharangi Bay from the top of Gibbs Hill. Follow the Coast Track back to Tōtaranui past Mutton Cove and Anapai Bay. Allow 3 hours to get from Whariwharangi to Tōtaranui. All tracks to Gibbs Hill from Tōtaranui, Pigeon Saddle or the Coast Track above Wainui Bay are first and foremost fire access routes. For the most part they cross either open country or arid, scruffy, gorse/mānuka regeneration. Views along the ridgeline are superb. You can see from Nelson round to D’Urville Island, to Farewell Spit (with Mt Taranaki on clear winter days) and Golden Bay.
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai.
Know before you go
No water
There is no water anywhere along the ridges of Gibbs Hill. There is water in Whariwharangi and at campsites along the Coast Track.
Wasps
Wasps are a possible hazard and are more common from December until April. Carry antihistamine if you are allergic to their stings.
Rubbish
Day visitors must take out their own rubbish.
Giardia
Giardia has been found in some park waters. It can be removed from drinking water by boiling, filtering or chemical treatment. All tap water at Tōtaranui is filtered.
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai.
Nearby stops
Mutton Cove campsite
Great Walk • Tasman • 0.7 km
Mutton Cove campsite is a beachside campsite on the Waiharakeke to Whariwharangi section of the Abel Tasman Coast Track. It is accessible by walk-in or…
Fire pit/place for campfires (except in fire bans) • Non-powered/tent sites • Toilets - flush
Anapai Bay campsite
Great Walk • Tasman • 0.9 km
Anapai Bay is a beachside campsite located on the Waiharakeke to Whariwharangi section of the Abel Tasman Coast Track. It is accessible only by walking or…
Non-powered/tent sites • Toilets - flush • Water from tap - not treated, boil before use
Whariwharangi Bay campsite
Great Walk • Tasman • 2.1 km
Whariwharangi Bay campsite is located on the Waiharakeke to Whariwharangi section of the Abel Tasman Coast Track in the Tasman region. Access is by walking or…
Fire pit/place for campfires (except in fire bans) • Non-powered/tent sites • Toilets - flush
Whariwharangi Hut
Great Walk • 20 bunks • Tasman • 2.1 km
Whariwharangi Hut is the most northern Great Walk Hut on the Abel Tasman Track, located in a grassy clearing within regenerating bush. Built around 1896 and…
Heating • Mattresses • Toilets - flush
Tōtaranui Campground
Great Walk • Tasman • 2.5 km
Tōtaranui Campground is a beachside campsite at the northern end of the Abel Tasman National Park, situated next to clear waters and golden sands. It is…
Boat launching • Fire pit/place for campfires (except in fire bans) • Dump station
Walks nearby
Tōtaranui to Anapai Bay
Intermediate • 2 hr return via same track • 4.2 km • 0.78 km away
Headlands Track
Easy • 1 hr loop • 1.6 km • 2.02 km away
Pukatea Walk
Easy • 30 min return via same track • 0.8 km • 2.03 km away
Gibbs Hill Track
Advanced • 2.44 km away
Tōtaranui to Awaroa Bay
Intermediate • 2 hr one way • 7 km (tidal) • 4.97 km away
Notes from people who have been
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Sources
- DOC Tracks (API) · CC BY 4.0Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai. Data sourced from the DOC Developer Portal (api.doc.govt.nz).