Nelson Hospital – Emergency Department
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Tipahi Street, Nelson 7010 (ED entrance on Waimea Road)
Abel Tasman Coast Track · Checked October 2026
Abel Tasman Coast Track emergency & health guide: hospitals, rescue, 111 and tides
How to call for help with poor phone signal, the nearest medical help for each of the 5 stages, and the park rules: hut and campsite bookings, the Awaroa Inlet tide crossing, water, fires, dogs and drones.
In an emergency call 111 from any phone. For a lost or injured walker ask for the police: they coordinate search and rescue, usually with a helicopter. Mobile signal is poor and only found on some headlands, so in a life-threatening emergency activate a personal locator beacon (PLB). Say which stage you are on, the nearest bay or hut and, if you can, your GPS coordinates. On the water, kayakers can also use VHF channel 16.
Emergency numbers
| Number | What it is |
|---|---|
| 111 | Police, ambulance and fire, free from any phone, 24/7. For a lost or injured walker ask for the police: they run search and rescue. Deaf or speech-impaired people can register in advance for 111 TXT. |
| 105 | Police non-emergency line, for example a walker who is overdue but not yet in danger |
| *500 | Coastguard, for non-urgent help on the water (kayakers). In an emergency on the water call 111 or use VHF channel 16. |
| 0800 611 116 | Healthline: free medical advice from a nurse when it is not an emergency, 24/7 |
| 03 546 9339 | DOC Nelson visitor centre: track conditions, closures and bookings (office hours) |
Mobile signal on the Abel Tasman Coast Track is poor and only found on some headlands, so carry a personal locator beacon (PLB) and use it only in a life-threatening emergency. You can hire one in Nelson from MD Outdoors (126 Trafalgar Street, from NZ$15 a day). Tell someone at home your plans, sign the visitor book in each hut, carry the DOC tide table and check the MetService forecast for Abel Tasman National Park before you start.
Rules to know
- Every hut and campsite night must be booked online with DOC in advance, all year; arriving without a booking can mean a penalty or removal from the park. 2026–27 bookings opened on 14 May 2026. No permit or guide is needed, and day walks are free.
- Fees per person per night, 1 October – 30 April: huts NZ$55 for New Zealand adults and NZ$84 for international adults; campsites NZ$21 and NZ$31. From May to September prices are lower and the same for everyone. Children pay less and under-5s are free. Maximum 2 nights per site in summer, 1 night at the Tōtaranui Great Walk campsite.
- Awaroa Inlet can only be crossed from 1 hour 30 minutes before to 2 hours after low tide, in daylight, and there is no all-tide track. Torrent Bay and Bark Bay estuaries can be crossed about 2 hours either side of low tide or bypassed on all-tide tracks. Carry the DOC tide table.
- Huts have no cooking gas or lights: bring a stove, fuel and a torch. Campsites are for tents only; hammocks are not allowed, and campers cannot use the huts.
- Water at huts and campsites is untreated: boil, filter or treat it. There are no rubbish bins in the park, so carry all rubbish out.
- Fires only in the formal fireplaces at Anchorage, Bark Bay, Waiharakeke, Tōtaranui, Mutton Cove and Whariwharangi Bay, and never during a fire ban. No beach fires or barbecues.
- No dogs in the national park or on its islands. Drones need a DOC permit, which is rarely granted. Fishing is not allowed in the Tonga Island Marine Reserve; stay at least 20 m from seals.
- Tsunami: the whole coast is at risk. After a long or strong earthquake, a sudden change in sea level or loud noises from the sea, go to high ground at once.
- Water taxis run all year from Marahau and Kaiteriteri to the bays as far as Tōtaranui, but none go further north. Book ahead; times depend on the tide and weather.
- Sandflies and wasps are common: carry repellent, and antihistamines if you are allergic to stings. Mountain bikes are not allowed on the Coast Track.
Nearest hospital for each stage
| # | Stage | Hospital (24/7 emergency) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marahau → Anchorage | Nelson Hospital – Emergency Department |
| 2 | Anchorage → Bark Bay | Nelson Hospital – Emergency Department |
| 3 | Bark Bay → Awaroa | Nelson Hospital – Emergency Department |
| 4 | Awaroa → Whariwharangi Bay | Nelson Hospital – Emergency Department |
| 5 | Whariwharangi Bay → Wainui | Nelson Hospital – Emergency Department |
Hospitals
Clinics and urgent care
There is no doctor or clinic on the track or in Marahau. The nearest are the urgent-care practices in Motueka (call 03 528 8866 any time) and the Golden Bay Community Health Centre in Takaka (03 525 0060), which has no emergency department. For medical advice when it is not an emergency, call Healthline on 0800 611 116 (24/7).
Greenwood Health (Motueka urgent care)
- Opening hours only
- Stages 1, 2
20 Greenwood Street, Motueka 7120
The Doctors Motueka
- Opening hours only
- Stages 1, 2
27 Wallace Street, Motueka 7120
Golden Bay Community Health Centre
- Opening hours only
- Stages 3, 4, 5
10 Central Takaka Road, Takaka 7142
Pharmacies, cash and supplies
- Pharmacies:
- ATMs:
- Shops:
- Bus stops and water taxi stops: Marahau
There is no pharmacy on the track or in Marahau, and New Zealand has no duty-pharmacy rota. Buy medicines, a blister kit, sunscreen and strong insect repellent for sandflies and wasps in Motueka or Nelson before you start; at the north end the nearest pharmacy is in Takaka. The Tōtaranui camp office sells repellent and sunscreen in office hours.
Pharmacies, ATMs, shops and stops: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hospitals and health centres checked online.
Have the nearest help on your map, offline
Outest shows these hospitals, pharmacies, ATMs and stops on the Abel Tasman Coast Track map, offline, together with the route, water and places to sleep.