Abel Tasman National Park
New Zealand · Oceania
About
Abel Tasman National Park is a national park at the north end of New Zealand's South Island. It covers 237.1 km2 (91.5 sq mi) of land between Golden Bay / Mohua and Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere, making it the smallest of New Zealand's national parks. Despite this, the park is one of the most visited, partially due to the popularity of the Abel Tasman Coast Track which spans 60 km (37 mi) along the eastern and northern coastal areas of the park.
The area of the park has seen human interaction for approximately 700 years, with evidence of habitation dating back to early Māori iwi such as Waitaha and Rapuwai during the early periods of Māori habitation in New Zealand. Following the arrival of Pākehā in the 19th century, the area saw widespread deforestation, farming, and quarrying, significantly modifying the area's environment. As a result of this, the park is one of the most modified landscapes of any of New Zealand's national parks, with management of the park largely focusing on regeneration and restoration of the traditional ecosystem.
The park was first established in 1942 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Abel Tasman's 1642 visit in New Zealand, when he became the first European to sight the islands. It has since been progressively expanded from its original borders, the most recent of which involved the addition of 7 hectares (17 acres) in Awaroa Inlet after a successful crowdfunding campaign.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.