Child friendly rating: 3.5 stars

Distance: 12.4km

Signposted time: 4 hours

Bookings Required? Yes

Suitable in Winter? Yes

Camping Available? Yes

4wd required? No

Parking:

Park in the Abel Tasman Carpark at Marahau.

The Track:

While the distance for this hut is further than most child friendly hikes, it doesn’t feel as long because the track is Great Walk standard.

BUT, there is a fair bit more undulation than you’d expect – it’s not a flat walk along the beach unfortunately! But there are a few beaches you can detour to along the way. 

When walking, you're not actually walking along beaches the whole way either. You're walking higher up from the beach, and it's a detour down to a few beach options along the way. The distance, the undulation of the track does bring down the child-friendliness of this walk, however how busy and well maintained it is helps make it more child friendly.

 With an 11 week old baby and 3 other kids walking ranging in age from 3-7, this one took us 7.5 hours to walk to, but this included a big lunch break with a swim. The distance definitely makes this one not to underestimate.

The just turned 3yo did need to be carried for some short sections as it is a long walk. The 7yo on the other hand would have easily gotten to the hut in the signposted time not including breaks as the time is fairly accurate for older kids. You could also break down the walk by camping a night on one of the beaches along the way. Akerston Beach or Apple Tree Bay would be good options.

I have seen people walk this track with a stroller too.

The Hut:

The hut is massive with many separate bunkrooms and the area can get very noisy all year round. Great for social kids, not so great for any who don’t handle busy situations well. The campsite outside the hut sleeps 100! Plus the 32 beds inside the hut.

Recommendations:

I would say it can be a great first hike for these older kids or babies that are still being carried, however it’s not the best option for older preschoolers or toddlers whom you want to be walking simply with the long undulating distance. If you have kids that don’t sleep too well yet, or you just like a bit more privacy, I’d recommend staying at the nearby Te Pukatea Campsite instead. It's an extra 15min past the hut but does offer a lot more privacy.

Do catch the water taxi back out if its within budget as it's a very exciting change to the walk in and makes the trip more fun as the walk itself here is not the most 'exciting' for the length of the walk.

The water stays pretty warm year-round, so this can be a good hut to visit later Autumn or early spring when the crowds are not as intense.