Mary_Fran

My 41-year-old son, his wife, and their son and daughter (6 and 8 years old) are planning a three-week visit to New Zealand in February. They have visited before, and my daughter-in-law has family there.

My son sent me the following e-mail asking me to research a question for him. Any advice you have would be much appreciated. Here's his request:

"We plan to travel to New Zealand for three weeks in February. We would like to do the four-day hike in Abel Tasman National Park. It's basically a flat hike along sandy beaches, and the distances are 6-10 miles per day. It's the easiest of the major tracks (they call them "Great Walks&quot in NZ.

NZ has a system of huts strategically located along some of their most popular tracks. The huts are cabins, sort of, with bunk beds (no bedding), stoves, and running water. Or you can choose to stay in a tent at a campground, running the risk of rainy weather. Either way, you have to reserve ahead of time.

My question is: Are the huts a good place to be with kids? Or are we better off tent-camping? It rains a lot in NZ, but Abel Tasman is supposed to be the driest area in the whole country and we're traveling at the height of their summer. I want to be certain that the kids rest at night so they're ready to hike the next day. It should be hot, and 6-10 miles per day is a lot for a seven-year-old (she'll have her birthday the day we leave). I get the impression that Abel Tasman draws huge crowds because it's such an easy hike. Late-night parties = bad sleep. If the huts are a noisy zone, then a tent might be better."

Anyone done these hikes? Used the huts? Are they a good choice for a family with little kids?

Any other comments and/or suggestions are welcome.

wlzmatilida

Hi Mary Fran,

Wow..that's a toughie to answer, and only you and your son & daughter-in-law know how the well kids travel!

Are they USED to hiking/walking 6-10 miles a day? Or will they be bored after 2 miles and want to head back?!

I don't have much experience with kids, but my husband has a 8 year old grandson, and unless there's a video at the end of the walk I can tell you there would be hell to pay! (yes, he has the attention span of a GNAT)!

Maybe a better alternative would be to stay somewhere as a "base" and take day trips? One day - kayaking, next day - a 2 mile hike, etc.

And who knows HOW the weather will be?! No one can tell anymore. I stayed in Abel Tasman on my last visit to NZ, (December) and unfortunately it was cold, rainy and the water was choppy. In fact, I was so bored at the resort stayed at because the weather was so bad there wasn't much of anything we could do (not even a TV in the room), I ended up leaving a day earlier than planned.

Hope this is helpful!

Regards,

Melodie
Certified Kiwi Specialist

Mary_Fran

Thanks, Melodie, for your thoughtful response. However, I think the question my son is looking for the answer to is a pretty narrow one:

"Are the huts [alon the Great Walks] a good place to be with kids? Or are we better off tent-camping?" I think he's afraid that the huts might be party sites for young adults, whose partying might keep the childrn awake at night.

Have you had any experience with sleeping in the huts? Do you have a sense for the likelihood of rain disturbing their plans to sleep in tents in the Abel Taxmak Park area in February?

ALF

We have tramped most of the Abel Tasman Track, and stayed in huts as well as in tents. The main problem is that the huts cannot accommodate the number of trampers, so they get too crowded, and late-arrivers end up sleeping nearby in tents. Unless you travel in the off-season, it is a bit of a crap shoot as to whether or not you can get a spot in a hut. So, you have to carry a tent even if you intend to sleep in huts. If the kids don't mind communal living, they should do OK.

Our kids were 6 and 9 at the time, and they did just fine, but they were (IMHO) tougher than average for their age. One problem for shorter folks is that you have to do a couple of river crossings. If done at lowest tide, it will be fine, but if not, the water could be chest-high on a little one.

The nice thing about Abel Tasman is that you can access many of the beaches by boat, so you could arrange to have one of you and the kids picked up by water taxi and dropped off further down the Track. I've seen folks walk along with only a daypack and have a water taxi deliver their gear to their camping location, complete with large canvas tent and chillybin!

Lastly, there is Arawoa Lodge, located along the Track, which you might consider for a more luxurious night's stay, although it is a little pricey.

Mary_Fran

Wow, Alf! Great information. I'll forward this to my son and see if he has additional questions.

When you stayed in the huts, did they have the reservation system my son says is now in effect? Or did the huts get over-full despite the reservation system? How about partying young people? Should my son have any concerns about merry hut neighbors keeping th kids awake at night with revelry?

Thanks so much for the insider info.

ALF

There was a hut reservation system when we went (3 yrs ago), but some spaces were left for trampers to just show up. The problem was that some folks with no reservations also brought no tents, so even after all sleeping spots were taken, they wanted to sleep on the floor, and what were you going to do? Tell them no, go sit outside in the rain?

There wasn't much partying, but some would stay up late, preventing us from turning in early. Also, some would get up early, and rustle their plastic bags, waking everyone else up. So, you will no doubt have to put up with some rude behavior.

Mary_Fran

Alf, I've been bragging on this site to my son, and your info is a prfect example of why I'm so high on the information available from posters here. Thanks so much.

Mary_Fran

This is so much fun! I haven't had this much opportunity to meddle in my dear son's business since he let me help pick out his sport jacket for Senior Prom!

Alf, my son asked me to relay some questions to you. Here's part of his e-mail to me regarding your post:

"Chillybin. I love that.

We were aware of the "steerage" service and planned to use it to haul our sleeping bags (and tent, and chillybin, I guess) from site to site.

"I'm not quite sure what to make of Alf's advice, i.e. which does he recommend that we book: a hut, or a campsite? Is it kosher to book both?"

Also:

"Also ask him what other tramps are suitable for that 6-to-9 y.o. age group.

"And ask if they did any kayaking.

"I clicked on his link, and he offered some advice about traveling the Northwest. Maybe he's from around here. He told somebody to take the train from Seattle to Vancouver, which is great advice IMO."

My son lives in Seattle. Do you also?

Thanks for your help!

Anyone else who has relevant experience, please feel free to jump in as well.

Mary_Fran

Alf, I forgot to mention: My son also said the following:

"I am not worried about the fitness issue at all. Charlie is a very physically fit kid. We haven't done any hiking, but I'd be surprised if he can't handle it (unless it's raining). Ngaire and Frances will make use of the water taxi if Frances complains. With Frances, you just never know. It all depends on what she feels like at any given moment. She is an adventurer, though. My main concern is making sure the kids rest enough. Ngaire is inclined to tent-camp. If it rains, then we'll bail out of the trip by water taxi. Who wants to hike in rain?

"I am trying to work it so that we can go to the IRB international rugby seven-a-side tournament in Wellington just before our after our Abel Tasman trip. (I wish those dumb bunnies would hurry up and announce the dates.) And there are three international one-day cricket events on the north island, so we may attend one of those. I also spotted a couple of neat ideas in another post."

I'll have my son converted into a Fodors junkie before he knows what hit him.

ALF

Mary_Fran,
Yes, I live in Snohomish, about 20 mi. north of Seattle. We've traveled quite a bit around the S. Pacific, most notably during a 1-yr sabbatical that I took a few years ago (I taught geology & oceanography). Actually, it was so long ago, I just helped our son pick out his prom attire!

We hiked with our kids on a few NZ tracks. Our daughter, at 6 yrs old, may be the youngest to ever tramp the Milford Track.

I think that the Abel Tasman Track is a good choice for overnight hiking, although our kids felt that they would have been just as happy if it had been for 3 days instead of 5. There are lots of other good choices for day hikes, but not that many good overnight choices. The Whirinaki Forest Track (south of Rotorua) was nice, but not that spectacular, in terms of scenery. The Milford Track is spectacular, but if it rains, you might get in big trouble with kids. The same for the other Fiordland Tracks (Routeburn & Kepler). We also did Stewart Island's Rakiura Track, which is great, but tough to get to, and a mud pit if it rains. We also did the Tongariro Crossing, but as a one-day trip with a shuttle return (a bit too rugged for kids).

We originally planned to kayak Abel Tasman, but could find no outfitter willing to let us go with kids so young. At the time, I was really annoyed, but in retrospect, they were right - it would have been a disaster as soon as the wind and waves kicked up, with only one strong person to handle a 2-person kayak. We hired kayaks further down the coast (Okarito Lagoon), and it proved to be a struggle against the wind, even with very little chop.

I doubt that you can reserve a tent and a hut spot at the same site. You could do a combination of huts and campsites - some of the campsites are far from any hut, and would afford you more solitude.

We found that most trampers were concentrated along the south end of the Track, and that you encountered far fewer people if you started in the north (north of Totaranui).

Mary_Fran

Alf, you're amazing. Thank you so much. I know this will be extremely helpful to my son and his family.