spending 3 nights 2full days wanting to walk& kayak in the area will be taking a car from picton, but wondering where the best place to stay would be

Abel Tasman can be accessed from two sides - Marahau not far from Motueka or at Totaranui, a short distance from the town of Takaka and Golden Bay. Takaka Hill, a rather squiggly drive north of Motueka separates the two areas.

There's several accommodation choices in Marahau, as well as several B&Bs and cottages in Kaiteriteri (beautiful area). A bit further south, you have many, many choices in Riwaka and Motueka.

On the Golden Bay side of Takaka Hill you can stay in Takaka or even Collingwood, which is a bit of a drive from Totaranui.

I've accessed the park from both ends and can't really recommend one over the other, so it all depends on what you plan to do.

Water taxis are available from Marahua and Kaiteriteri. I believe they're also available from Totaranui but you'll wnat to make arrangements ahead of time.

This site might help with specific lodging options:

http://www.accommodationz.co.nz/abeltasman.html

Have a good trip!

We stayed at the Ocean View Chalets in Marahau and had a fabulous time. You can view pictures and our review at http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...th_Island.html. Highly Recommended.

Abel Tasman stuff
http://www.newzealandatoz.com/nation...php#abeltasman