Abel Tasman National Park became New Zealand's smallest national park in 1942, spanning just 237 square kilometres of coastline where the Tasman Sea meets forested granite ridges. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman charted this shore in 1642 but never set foot on it — Māori waka approached his ships, a misunderstood exchange turned hostile, and he sailed north without landing. The sheltered bays and tidal estuaries were home to Ngāti Rārua and Te Ātiawa iwi for centuries before European settlement, and their descendants retain strong cultural ties to the region today. The coastline's accessibility by water alone — many beaches lack road access — has preserved its character through the park's eight decades of protection. Today the park draws more than 270,000 visitors annually, most arriving by boat rather than on foot. Water transport is not a luxury but a functional necessity for anyone wishing to reach the inner bays — Anchorage, Torrent Bay, Bark Bay — where the Coast Track's most admired sections begin. Charter operators run scheduled scenic cruises, point-to-point shuttles for trampers, and sailing voyages that combine deck time with guided shore walks. The vessels range from motorised catamarans carrying eighty passengers to twelve-metre eco-sailboats under canvas, each designed to navigate the park's tidal variations and shallow sandbars. The estuary at Awaroa Inlet, accessible only at high tide, showcases the region's ecological complexity — a brackish mixing zone where freshwater streams meet the sea, bordered by mudflats that support wading birds and crustaceans. Split Apple Rock, a spherical granite boulder cleaved by geological pressure into two symmetrical halves, sits just offshore near Kaiteriteri and marks the southern threshold of the park's marine reserve. Fur seals haul out on rocky platforms between Adele Island and Tonga Island, and little blue penguins nest in coastal scrub above the high-tide line. The Tonga Island Marine Reserve, established in 1993, prohibits fishing and anchoring within its boundaries, creating a refuge for snapper, blue cod, and crayfish populations. Most commercial departures leave from Kaiteriteri Beach or Mārahau, the two townships that serve as gateways to the park. Kaiteriteri's sheltered harbour accommodates larger vessels; Mārahau sits closer to the park boundary and offers faster transit to the northern beaches. Scheduled cruises typically follow the coastline from Mārahau to Awaroa and return, a round trip covering fifty kilometres in three to four hours. Water taxis operate on flexible timetables, dropping trampers at designated points along the Coast Track and retrieving them hours or days later. Sailing charters move more slowly, relying on wind rather than engines, and often include kayaking or guided walks as part of a half-day or full-day itinerary.